The Press., 1914-03-18
Under the Ban
 of Death A Story of Russian
 NihilisIn
By PAUL szENsKx

HueHSe Oh nuSS1sSA dHarS. It Is tA,
 young who are caught in such move
 ments, and was captivated especial
 ly by the, secrecy assumed by the nihiI
 ists, applied for admission in a cir
 cle. Qf the brotherhood and was duIy I received as a member.
 The nihilists fulfned the meaning ot
 their name by asSaSSinating those ir
 power who stood in the way of theiI
 object. If a person was to be re
 moved the circle drew lots to &ecsae
 who should do the deed. had scanae- y Joined when it was decided to- dis
 patch the then minister of the intersor
 who was leaving no stone upturnetl to
 hunt out our members and send then
 eltner to Siberia or the gallews. Whez
 this move was decided upon, and it wa.
 announced that one of our, number
 was to be selected hE lot to dispatch
 the minister z first fully realized that
 | had not got int9, ., society of mys
 terles' but one. of death, and when ]
 drew the fatals number that compelled
 me to become an assassin, in all prob
 ability sasEleeing my own life as vel
 as that of khe man Twas appointed to
 Kill, h saw that a choice of two meth
 odS<9F death was permitted me-eithe4
 te, d1e doing my work or be hunted down by an emissary of the society
 and Killed.
 I managed to keep up show of resolution before my fellow members or the circle. appearing to accept the duty that had fallen to my lot, I went home conscious that would be watch ed rom the moment left the meeting to see that made no attempt to shirk my work Once Gn my room I began te think what l should do.
 All my nature revolted against com mlttfng what to me was murder. I he'd joined the society. as have saidb not from a desire to emanciC,ate Rus- stft, but because had been caught by the mystery surrounding I,. I resoEv- cd at once that | would choose. death rather at the hands of my companions than by being cut down as am assas- sin. Hope is neTer extinct in youth, and I hoped to get out of Russia by eluding those who were watching me- If 1 could do this I might reach some distant la9d--America or Australia-in which, RG changing my name and al tering my appearance. | might be dead to the world.
 To- lay plans and tGk44 measures to aSsassinate a government official of high rank in Russia, required time. What decided upon, was to pretend to enter upon the preEimfnaries of my work as though my intention was to carry it out In this way I would at tempt to disarm suspicion and have the better chance for flight. took my father into my confidence, giving him to understand that he was to divulge the situation to no one, not even a member. of the family. He was, of course crushed by the news, but offer ed me what I needed-mOney to carry out my plan of flight and subsequent vanishment from the world.
 He was of assistance to me in an- other way. I had a sister a year younger than myself, who much re- sembled me. My father secured a passport for her to leave Russia on the ground that he intended to send her to Berlin to study music Our plan was for me to pass the border dressed in her clothes and under her passport. l needed only to secure a woman's, wig. which my father bought for me. My beard was scant and of so light a color that when closely shaved it was not noticeable, especial ly under veil. Having purloined and put on my sisters clothes fortunately she was just my height-and bid my father an affectionate adieu, I sallied forth in the middle of the afternoon and went by a roundabout route. do- ing some shopping by the way. to the railway station, reaching 1t just in time to make 8 through train.
 Knowing the watchfulness of the members of the nfhilist circle appoint ed to see that did not escape, fear cd every moment to see some one of them spying upon me- But my plan of personating my sister was an admira- ble one. and I doubt not that though my home was being watched when, I made my exit the watcher was deeeiv. ed to think that it was she who, was going out. I had no trouble in, passing the border under my passpo4h but that had chosen to go thQQpgh, in tAe night gave me greaA advantage. 1 breathed freer when | fonna myself rolling along on German, soil, bat real Lzed that life1aaR. peril was in store for me.
 l had 10 baggage with me, so on reaching Berlin, I provided myself with some before going to a hotel. I bought q, portmanteau and filled it with, new clothes, telling the store keeper that they were for my brother: who was an Invalid and could nsE therefore cos0e for them himself Haw- ing made. my purchases, hired a peern in a hotel where I changed nay ap- parel aRd walked out throuxh. side aoor without attracting any attention. leavfng my feminine garhS in, the roOnG- GO8ng straight to a railway station, took train for Hamburg. whence sailed for the United States, under the name of Peter Mithalowski, entering my residence as Warsaw in Russian Poland. -
 It had been, agreed between pa1-E rather and myself that he was to-, write me from time to time, providRd, ne could do so without giving a cRw,4I .o my whereabouts. His first leAher,l was to be addressed to me as Peter] at the point wheae I would land, at the general delfEarN- 'f the pOstOfice. I remained there, till
 received letter from him postedi < rom VfDOrg, town in Finland, not ar from St. Petersburg. He informed ne that inquiries had been made for ne at home by strange persons, and IouDtless the inquirers were. nihilistsS was evident to me that the circle would send out description, of me to | gents in other countries with or \ ers to locate me if possible: I knew bat they regarded America as the N rincfpal refuge for such Outcasts from heir organization as Ii hecaTISe fhaRn