The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-12
A Case Of
Human Justice
By ALAN HERESDALE

Reading incidents conneS'eu
the part taken by Russia In the great
European war brings back to me IN!
own part in the fate of single nus
sian person years agone. was a
press correspondent in the COMMONS
of the car in one OF the provinces
northeast of st. Petersburg when, look
ing down a road covered with snow,
saw a mass of beings coming slowly
toward me. When they came to where
| could distinguish them l saw that
they were body of political prison
ers marching under guard and doubt
less bound for Siberia.
NV attention was arrested by girl
not over eighteen years of age. She
fixed her eyes on mine for a moment
and in that brief glance l read tale
which made my heart bleed. 1t be-
tokened one who was buoyed up by
the consciousness of suffering for a
great cause, but whose life was new
ertheless blighted. She passed on.
trudging through the snow, knowing
that she would be shut up within the
dreadful Kara Enclosure. ! did not
suppose for a moment that ] would
ever see her again.
But / did. Six years after this meet
ing was In London. One evening
attended the opera and, looking up
from the parquet at one Of the boxes,
there was the girl l had seen on her
way to Siberia. But, oh, how changed!
What a picture Of past suffering!
There was the same loftiness, but 1t
was tinged with melancholy. that mel
ancholy which comes from endurance
Of agony. And yet there was tempo
rary absence Of endurance.
"Who is that ladyT' l asked friend
who knew every one in London.
THAT is Adela Alexandrovna. the
daughter of Russian nobleman. She
has history. Her father is one Of
the cars trusted officers. She was
caught in some complication with rev.
olutionists and sent to Siberia. Her
father succeeded in interesting the
czarina in her, and pardon was Sc
cured for her. but it was coupled with
a Punishment. She came to England,
and 1t is supposed that the czarina
has opened a way for her here. At
any rate, she Is received in society in
London.
When the war broke out l returned
to Russia as correspondent for an Eng
lish journal and accompanied the army
that moved against the Austrian from
tier / was a witness Of the terrible
fighting that occurred during that cam.
paign and wondered If some wave of
madness had not swept down upon Eu.
rope. l grew sick writing descriptions
OF the carnage, the universal distress,
the agony Of women and children. It
seemed to me that the clock of the
civilized world had been turned back
to the middle ages, when every man
was soldier and every soldier was a
butcher.
In one Of the terrific battles between
the Austrians and the Russians went
out to draw rs word pictures of its
horrors to feed the appetite Of readers
all over the woril. I'm for the first |
time l saw modern warfare, the
slaughter Of men by machinery, while
me aeroplanes floating above seemed
% me like huge birds Of prey waiting
'or their feast on the corpses.
When l had seen all could stand
went to the rear, where the wounded
we're being carried and, bending over
ne litter on which rested a dying sol.
ller, who should see In the uniform
II Red Cross nurse but the woman
VINO had passed me on her way to 81.
'er1a and at the opera In London.
Again she was changed. At my first
Meeting with her she was a beginner
q a life Of sacrifice; at the second
he had seemed out Of place in the CAV
World Now she appeared to have be.
ONE accustomed to her work for 9th.
rs Enough now and again a bullet
ang In her ears, 1t made no more i'm.
ression upon her than If snowflake
ad dropped on her shoulder. She was
aking the last words of dying sol.
Ter, spoken through her to loved ones
ar away who were doubtless PRAYING
nat he might be returned to them.
She remained beside him while no
rev a few long breaths, and when
ney ceased she arose, with momen.
ary sadness on her face, to devote her.
eir TO another butchered by her fel.
Nv men. followed her with nv eyes
she moved from one to another
laking one more comfortable in his
osition. giving another water and
words of sympathy to a third i
AFTER this came the driving back of
he Russians. the fall Of Warsaw and
le establishment Of a defense line
irtner eastward. But the fighting
'ntlnued. | remained with the Rus.
an army. from time to time writing
escriptions of scenes which witness.
l and sending them as best I cou,d
America. One Of the most impress.
We give here in substance: II
One morning, hearing that the czor
ould decorate Red Cross nurse who
I'd been conspicuous for bnr attention