Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-16
Original Prisoner While Being
+. Led to ScaffoId Demands to
Be Heard and Makes His
Escape,
THEN DISCUSSION
BECOMES OVER FURIOUS
Representatives Of All Branch.
eS of Government Get Into
Terrific Debate While Ex-
Executioner Stands By
rsv Aoamss JoussA. sr.e,., LEASED w,ssl

Petrograd, Dec. 15.--The provincial
newspaper Priasovsky Krai publishes
an amazing account of the escape of
a Russian military prisoner who had
been sentenced to be executed for SELL
ing military secrets to Germany and
plotting explosions in two powder fac
tories which caused the death OF
5000 persons.
When a squad of soldiers and gov
ernment agents had assembled to
watch the hangman do his work, the
condemned man startled them by q
proposal that, instead of executing
hum, they give him a vote of approval.
In the debate which followed the exc
cutioner narrowly escaped hanging in
place OF the prisoner. The convicted
prisoner was elected as secretary of
the meeting and escaped while the
vote whether to kill him or the exc
cutioner was being taken. The meet
ing then voted to sentence the execu
toner TO imprisonment for failure to
do his duty.
Prisoner Is Contemptuous.
Smiling contemptuously, the prison.
Ell was led to the scaffold When the
sentence had been read, he raised his
hands and demanded to be heard
mo" objected the prosecuting at
torney. 1T is too late now. You
should have spoken before, at the
trial.
One of the llae OF soldiers stepped
out and said in tone of amazement:
What? Why too late? Is not
speech free? Thank God, there's no
czarist regime to keep our mouths
closed. Speak, comrade, speak,"
The condemned man began: Com
rades! Do you know who has con-
demned me? A court constituted en-
tirely of lower middle-class capitalists.
inspired by the imperialists of the al
lied countries. The prosecutor, as I
know absolutely was a masquerading
Kornilovist Comrades. Shall not
democracy itself speak? Shall 1t not
say, Hands off the creators and in
spirers of the internationale?
Free Speech Demanded.
"Comrades Can you possibly rec
ognize a decision of this counter-rev-
olutionary, ant-democratic court as
binding on you."
Bravo" shouted guard "Let me
also speak"
The condemned man yielded the
floor to the guard, who began:
Comrades Can anything be more
atrocious than for us to permit the
hanging of this man, who speaks as
an apostle and champion of the inter-
rationale? Comrades, I propose a
vote of want of confidence in the exc
cutioner."
II demand the right to speak," said
the executioner.
Comrades, ] solemnly protest
against this universal condemnation
Of all executioners. ! am just as good
revolutionist as any of you, and if
the revolutionary people has imposed
| on me this sad duty, / am bound by
my conscience. l demand, my COM
rades, that you pass a revolution con-
firming the lawfulness of my acts. I
hope that you understand that it is
vidual of his life rather than sacri-
flee thousands of useful lives.
COmrade Hangman flushed.
II move to discontinue your speech,
Homrade Hangman," broke in the
condemned man.
And by what right, Comrade Ex-
ploder of Powder Magazines. do you
replied the executioner vehemently.
| chairman! Chairmani Let's elect
chairman came from several parts
of the audience. The election pro-
ceeded fast 1t took only half an
hour, and the condemned man had the
office trust upon him of secretary of
the meeting
! At this point an unfortunate diver
gency arose among three of the SOL
diers' and workmens delegates. One
Of them, Minimalist, demanded the
instant execution of the prisoner
another, a alrevolutionary-in y-inter-
nationalist, suggested getting explana-
tions from the government; the third,
a Maximalist, proposed that they
should release the prisoner and in his
stead execute the executioner as a
servant and agent of the counter rev.
olution.
The drummer got up to declaim
against the third suggestion, but after
his first sentence began talking, not
to the point, but to demand the trans
fer of all the land without purchase
to the masses. A vote of cloture was
invoked to cut his speech off.
German Spies Harmless.
A very eloquent speech followed by
the secretary of the garrison commit.
tee. although 1t was not much to the
point. He said that the revolutionary
SCosiisssdi - Fass Tws.I