South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-04
FRENCH WOMAN
DIES FOR LOVE
Commits High Treason and
Pays for it With
Life.
BY Herman Bernstein.

PARIS, Nov. This Is the story
OF French young woman who was
executed by the French military su-
thorities in Bellegarde. the little
Franco-Sw frontier village.
This war has produced numerous
instances OF inhuman brutality. OF
heroism: OF self-sacrifce and OF ro-
nance. ard the circumstances sur
rounding the fate Of this young wom-
an viii rank among the most tragic
and pathetic human documents" OF
the war. II is the story Of a woman
who died for love To help her lover
she committed high treason aad paid
with her life for it.
Women have figured prom Z. nifty as
spies in every war. In this war their
role has also been conspicuous Some
have betrayed their country for
money, others have betrayed il for the
love Of adventure. and still others have
betrayed il for the sake Of love-fol-
lowing blindly the man who led them
astray along the fascinating and dan
gerous path Of crime This young
woman was n victim of love.
Dies UnmOurned.
Not a word has been written about
her death. Not sigh. not a tear, not
{. prayer from her friends and rela-
tives. For they did not know what
had become OF her. The French
newspapers did not record the end
Of this woman who paid with her life
for her daring, mad desire to help her
Austrian lover. who sought to secure
French military secrets.
Her name was susanna Rainal She
Was the wife of Louis Rainal. a lieu
tenant in the artillery Of the French
army. She was 2S years old when
she was put to death. The husband.
2 years her senior, was at the front
when she was shot. Her lover was
shot with her. He broke down. CULVER
ing, and crying Historically while she
kept bTacing him up, repeating Have
no fear. Have no fear"
She begged the officers to have them
shot together, not separately. She de-
clined TO be blindfOlded, held her lover
by the hand and kept murm lring:
Have no fearl Have no fear!"
No Priests Allowed.
There were no prayers. No priest
was allowed 10 administer TO them
the last rites. Within one hour after
they had been trapped by the mill
tary authorities at the frontier they
were shot The victim Of love faced
death with a strange spirit of bravado,
with peculiar courage, while the man
whimpered and cried and begged for
mercy
Several weeks ago / met in Paris
a distinguished French diplomat, with
whom / discussed many incidents Of
the war. Our conversation turned to
the many varieties OF spies and provo
cations and to the motives that
prompted them to betray their cOun-
try.
Then he told me the story of this
young woman who met her end so
bravely at the French Swiss frontier
There were tears in his voice as he
related the details. For he knew the
woman and he knew her husband.
I was returning from London to
Paris a few weeks ago" he said. Just
as We were reaching Boulogne on the
boat crossing the channel, while 1
was in line in the dining room of the
boat where the passports were being
examined by the military officers. I
heard behind me a familiar voice
whispering in German F'urchte doch
nicht' (DOn't be afraid.) l turned
and saw the wife Of my friend. a
French lieutenant who was at the
front. She felt somewhat embar-