The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-26
60 WOMEN FIGHTING
IN AUSTRIAN RANKS
Two Have Received DecOra-
tons for Deeds Of Hero
ism Under Fire.
by DIR. WOLF vON sCHrERBRAND

VIENNA, Aug. 26.-Besides the %legions
Of Polish volunteers forming a part II
the Austro-Hungarian army fighting the
Russians. there Is a Ukraine legion.
The "Ukrainians' are that part OF the
R~uthenian population living in the cast
ern districts of Galicia who are pro-
nouncedly pro-Austrian.
Among the members of the legion are
sixty adventurous women and girls. Two
were killed in action, others are recover-
prisoner by the Russians. The status
OF these prisoners as regular belliger-
ents Is recognized. just as the AustrIans
have recognized that OF the Russian
women soldiers, OF whom. according to
| Russian official accounts. there are sew
eral hundreds.
met one of the severely wounded
herolnes. now mendlng in a reserve hos
pital In Vienna, yesterday. She Is Sophia
Haletschko, "a, quite pretty, OF regular
and delicate features, blond and girlish.
| When the war started she had just nm
ished the medical course at the Univer-
| sity OF Lemberg, receiving a doctors
diploma. Then Lemberg was taken by
the Russians and she Joined the Ukraine
legion. For nearly n year she UNDER
! went all the hardships OF n strenuous
campaign, a part OF the time In the dead
OF winter, in the wild passes OF the Car
pathians and in the mountains OF the
| Bukowina range without loss OF health
or good looks.
Miss Haletschko after a brief season
OF drilling showed remarkable gifts as
a scout and ranger. In the "Ssitsh" (the
Ukraine name for the leglon) she earned
the reputation of being utterly fearless
and OF being excellent In recommending
She was enrolled in the cavalry. became
sergeant-major and was decorated twice
for extraordinary bravery. She wears
a silver medal for daring before the
eremy.
IN showed me a Russian illustrated
journal in which appeared the portraits
OF a score OF Russian women fighting
for the Gar.
"Once we made a lot Of prisoners"
she remarked. ct was across the Rus
sian border. about twenty miles south
east Of Czernowitz, and there was a
woman among them, though our men did
not know II at hrst. ] took care of
fer and saw to II that no harm should
befall her on the transport TO our lines
near Horodenka."
But Fraulein Haletschko is not the
only remarkable case OF this kind.
Olena S~tepaniv. a fellow student of hers
from Lemberg. though FIVE years her
junior, likewise distinguished herself as
a scout, won promotion and was dec
grated. but had the i'll fortune to be
taken prisoner at Boleshov. Nothing as
TO her fate has become known.
Then there is Irene Kus. who wears
hnE hair QhnEf nd atrtlAa 1lyA n
During the struggles for the possession
Of the Makovka Mountain (Carpathian
range), she ran in the hottest fire up 10
n corner where a Maxim gun was deal
ing death and destruction. carrying hand
grenades, and threw one of them so
skilfully as to destroy men and gun.
The captain In command kissed her.
Then there Ia Anna Dmyterks. an
other Lemberg University student; Olga
Pidwysocka. only II. who Joined the
ranks from the teachers seminary. and
Paulina Mychajlyschin. n young widow,
who wants to venge the death OF her
husband by the Russians. They hanged
him as an Austrian spy in a small town
Of eastern Galicia.
or the Russian prisoners OF war
40, 900 In Austria n Hungary are now
at work getting in the crops These
are nearly all peasants. village bred
and used TO field labor-sturdy. big fell
lows. Their labor Is wholly voluntary,
and they like II, because of the relative
freedom. the more varied and more
plentiful food and because OF the ma
ture OF the work, to which they have
been habituated all their lives.