The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1917-09-12
TO DIE BY POISON
IF TAkEI, BY FOES
Russian Women Soldiers Garry
Cyanide DJSs For Quick Use.
TELL OF THE FIRST FIGHT
One Girl From a Wealthy Family De-
seribes How She Stabbed and Killed
a German-Number Of Women In All
Armies on Eastern Front 10 Believed
to Be Growing Steadily.

a German-Number Of Women In All
Armies on Eastern Front 10 Believed
to Be Growing Steadily.
Russia's women soldiers have pledg-
cd themselves to take their own lives
rather than become German war pris-
oners. Each woman soldier carries a
ration OF cyanide of potassium to be
swallowed In case of capture.
The members of the women regi-
ments. now constantly increasing,
agreed that death was to be preferred
TO the fate they would probably meet
Mt the hands Of the Germans
The Legion of Death fighters are
good killers" From n woman's lips
correspondent heard how she had run
German through with her bayonet.
firing the rifle at the same time. From
others he heard how these women and
girls. fresh from comfortable homes
and universities, went leaping over
mangled bodies In the charge, with
enemy shells bursting all about them.
To See u Through.
But these narrowing experiences OF
the women fighters have stceled them
and hundreds of other girls to new
determination to see 1t through. Girl
soldiers drilling In the streets are now
common sight In Petrograd. Huge
crowds gather daily about the engi-
neers' school. where 1000 girls are
drilling preparing TO go to the front.
In Moscow 1000 men are training,
while Kiev and Odessa have smaller
bands. Premier Kcrensky has also au-
thorized the formation of women ma
rine dctachmcnts and has promised tn
assign them to ships. The new women
commands attempt no sort of decora-
ton. Their heads are shaved, and they
wear the regulation uniform. including
The heavy. ugly army boots.
The five women fighters at the hos
pital were partially paralyzed by shell
shock. One of them. peasant girl.
smiled joyOusly as she pointed to "a
German helmet on the bed beside her.
II was the first war prize of II Russian
woman
"it Was His Life or Mime"
IL saw German in front of me as
| ran forward with the others in the
Charge" she said at was his life
or mine. raised my rifle. plunged
with all my strength stabbed him
The bayonet went deep into his body
At the same moment pulled the trig
ger. lie dropped dead. Then | took
his hat as Il souvenir"
The girl soldier smiled with delight
What was the battle likeT another
of the leglonnaires was asked
IL was very nervous just before the
rhargc." she replied 1--WE knew the
order was coming. and naturally we
were just a little scared. But as soon
as the orders to go forward came we
forgot everything else In the advance.
81 could hear our girls yelling and
shouting throughout the march for
ward None of us were afraid once we
got started. We were in the midst of
a great fusiiladc of shots Then ter
rifle hig shells bcgan breaking all
around vs.
Stories Of the Fight.
We were again frightened little
when we ErSt saw dead men about.
hut before very long we were jumping
over the dead aud quickly forgot all
about them"
We couldn't tell whit was going on
anywhere" said Il third girl in dcScrib.
ing the final stages of the battle
Commander BuchkOreva was every
where. urging rs To- fight and die like
real Russian soldiers"
Then the girl told how the legion
took its first prisoners.
AS we ran forward we suddenly
came upon II bunch of Germans imme-
diately ahead Of us. II was only sec
ond until we were all around them.
Germans Surprised.
They saw they were caught and
threw down their rifles, holding up
their hands Th"y were terribly fright,
cned.
Good God Women they ex.
rlalmed
We saw Wounded German soldiers
raising themselves on their elbows and
shooting" INTERCEPTED another wound
ed girl. 1--WE just forgot ourselves ell
tirely. We were simply Russia, fight
ing for her life.
'"The loss OF Lena. the most popular
member of our company was keenly
felt by all Of u.s." she added soberly.
During the battle Lena heard that
Commander BOchkoreva had been kill
ed She hurried forward into the shell
fire. saying she was going to find her.
We saw her go through one space lit
orally sirewn with exploding shells;
then through the smoke and flames We
saw her blown TO fragments.
I'VE Also lost Sonia. She used to be
a musician with the Romanoff concert
organization. She was killed by ma
chine gun FIRE"
Five of the German prisoners the
girls captured were women, wearing
the German soldiers uniform.
Tho uusul,er NJ yyomen In all arunias