Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-09-01
Miss MaIecka in Polish Prison
Without Formal Charge.
Young Woman Said to Have Been
Anonymously Denounced to Rus
sian Authorities AZ Being
Active Worker.

Warsaw.-Although Great Britain
is said to guard jealously the welfare
of her subjects abroad. this can hard
ly be the case where the subjects are
naturaIized. as Miss Malecka, who was
arrested in Warsaw last March. Is
still In prison. although no formal
charges have yet been made against
her
The difficulty in her case apparently
arise from the fact that Russia rec
ognizes the foreign naturalization Of
none OF its citizens. So far as can be
ascertained by the very scant infor-
nation given by the authorities Miss
Malecka is charged with having been
an active member of an Illegal soc,ety.
An illegal society Is an association
which has not obtained the sanction
Of the authorities and may do nothing
more revolutionary than teach people
to read or write Polish or to lecture
on Polish literature or history.
During the first three months OF the
present year no fewer than rs mutual
improvement societies. Russian and
Polish. were declared illegal. The
punishment for persons found guilty
OF aiding or belonging to illegal so
cieties of this kind varies, but general
ly consists of fine Of 100 to 800
rubles and a few days to a months
imprisonment
From an interview with one Of the
lady's many Polish friends who. need
less to say. belongs to a so-called II
legal" society and does not wish her
name to be disclosed. II was learned
that Miss Malecka is supposed to have
been denounced to the police by some
person or persons unknown to her
possibly an agent provocatur-as be
ing an active member of the Polska
Partya Soclalistyczna (Polish Socialis-
tic society.
This society goes e good deal fur
ther than the illegal" associations
generally. as It advocates and even
practices terrorism and Is always at
war with the authorities. Whether
the police really charge Miss Mslecka
with this or only arrested her on sus-
picion and are looking through her
papers In their usual dilatory fashion
remains to be seen. Although they
said few weeks ago that the pris-
oner confessed to being member Of
the society in question and was
proud of It." they now neither con-
firm nor deny this statement
OF course. Russian subjects are oft
en- kept for months in prison on just
such vague charges. Expedition. as
It is understood elsewhere. does not
exist A certain gentleman was ar.
rested aud kept for two months In q
crowded cell just because a revolu-
tionary's visiting card was found IN
mis- rooms. He was finally discharged
for lack OF evidence--as. indeed. there
was nyne-but there could be no ques-
ton Of damages for false imprison-
ment
II Miss Malecka's papers contain no
evidence Of her having belonged to an
illegal society. and if she can satisfy
the Russian government that she Is
British subject. she may be able to
get some compensation.
But here again another difficulty
arises: The Russian government does
not bind itself to recognize the chill
dren Of a Russian subject who has
been naturalized in England as British
subjects. Miss Malecka's father was
born a Russian subject. emigrated to
England. and became naturzlized In
other words. Miss Maiacka is British
subject anywhere in the world but N
the Russian empire. This Is the YER
dict Of an eminent legal authority In