River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-01-21

usual intelligence. The other female
was her servant. One of the men was
rather aristocratic in appearance. He
said he occupied a minor ministerial
office and color was given to his state
ment by the portfolio which he had
in his hand The other man, named
Lubkin, was a consumptive, about %
years of age.
Where is your printing press?" de-
manded the officer.
Madame shrugged her delicate
shoulders and outstretched her hands
in manner which said plainly enough
that the police were welcome to any
printing presses they might find in
that place.
A printing press is a bulky thing.
1t should not be hard to find But the
officers searched the house from cellar
to garnet without result. All the while
the quartet sat in the large dining
room, prisoners. On the return of the
police, the two men and the two
women were put through the sweat
ing" process, but they revealed moth
ing. The MISUNDERSTANDING young
man laid his portfolio aside for mo-
ment. One of the policemen picked it
up and opened it. Astonishment made
him speeches.. He silently handed the
portfolio to his chief 1t was filled with
manuscripts and proofs of a pro-
hibited nihilist paper called Land and
Liberty" The MISUNDERSTANDING per-
son with the portfolio merely smiled
at the CONSERVATION of the officials.
He realized the gravity of his offense.
He knew the penalty. But he never
quailed for an instant.
Come" shouted the chief, you're
convicted already. You might as well
confess. Where is the press?"
The quartet remained silent. They
were not offensive. 1t was the silence
of notwithstanding not of fear. Sud
denly the chief gave a shout of sur
prise and pointed to the cupboard. The
other policemen followed the course in
Dictated by his accusing finger. They
saw nothing and their blank coun-
! tenances said as much
Don't you see?" almost shrieked
the official
mo-" replied his chief lieutenant.
what is it?"
GA daub of ink on the door of that
closet"
"a daub of ink?" repeated the other,
parrot-like and with no indica-
ton of intelligence.
Eyes! Yes!" he retorted, "a daub of
printers ink
Slowly a consciousness of the mean
ing of his words penetrated their dull
heads. At the same moment they
made a simultaneous dash for the
cupboard. To their amazement they
met with resistance. Nine. Kriloff, her
servant, the aristocratic man of the
| portfolio, and the consumptive COM
positor were lined up in front of the
cupboard. All were armed and Nine.
Kriloff, pointing her pistol at the head
of the chief officer, said with great de-
| liberation:
Advance a single step and I'll blow
out your brains. We're desperate.
Life means little to us now. Save
yours
Here was a dilemma. The chief
knew if he made a move to reach for
| his pistol this frenzied woman would
carry out her threat. Only two other
| policemen were in the room with him
and they were covered by the aristo-
! crat and the consumptive compositor.
| The remainder of his men were in 9TH
| er parts of the house. He backed out
( by degrees. 1t was humiliating, but he
| felt that it was polite. He must have
| time to think and plan. His two COM
| oanions retreated with him. AS they
reached the outer sill of the floor the
! consumptive compositor slammed the
door violently and one of his asso-
ciates bolted it. The racket brought
the other policemen to the aid of their
chief. There on the landing they held
a council of war The besieged nihil-
| lists, on their part, were sparring for
time-they had something to conceal
or destroy.
The house was already strongly
guarded on the outside and the siege
held out for less than minute. The
door was broken in and after a fierce
resistance the four nihilists sur
rendered. The aristocrat fought like
demon and at the last asked quarter
only for the women. While the police
were completing their work the con-
sulnptive compositor had a violent
paroxysm of coughing and asked per-
mission to lie on a cot in an adjoin-
| ing room.
The cupboard proved to be veri-
table magic closet 1t contained COM
plete printing outfit. Needless to say
the paraphernalia was extraordinarily
simple and adapted peculiarly to the
purposes Of the conspirators. There
was a large cylinder covered with
cloth which answered the require
ments of a press; roller of a sort
of gummy substance; several fonts, of
type, display and otherwise; few
Jars of printing ink, benzine brushes,
and sponges This was all packed to
be taken to police headquarters. Just
as the prisoners were being rounded
up sharp pistol shot was heard from
! the adjoining room. The chief hurried