Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-03
Theater Party of Battalion OF
Death Ends When Riot
ers Take Control.
KERENSKY'S DEFENDERS,
UNARMED, SHOT DOWN
Brave Girl Fights Off Enraged
BoIsheviki With Bayonet
Found Beside Dead Soldier.
II-BY EVA ZAINTZ,
A Soldier in the Ranks.

| "A SOlOlCI III IllC I\0llASs
| We had been six weeks in the
barracks at Petrograd on June g
a night which let loose the first
red ripple of the sea of blood
which now rises to submerge
Russia. 1t flowed upon US in the
streets of Petrograd. 1t touched
nv garments and it LETT a horror
in my heart.
| am as strong as, any man. but
when | think OF that night my
lips are closed and l cannot
speak. For weeks l could not tell
about it. But I could not cease
thinking about it. 1t was the pic
ture of 1.-THE ever-vivid view of
the mad, awful night in the
streets of Petrograd-never fad
ing from my mental vision, that
decided me to leave Russia. 1t
made me abandon my dreams OF
a Russia saved by her sons and
daughters. / fed as child might
from some savage beast aroused
from sleep by a kindly touch. |
fled back to my home from
Petrograd, and then, with the two
helpless, hopeless, starving old
people there, l fled on and on,
through journey of weeks, with
every day fresh miseries before
me. seeking only peace and safety.
Always the scene of Petrograd,
with its people transformed to
howling bears and Sinking
wolves, was before my eyes.
Even now, far from 1t all. in free
America, the dreadfuIness of that scene
is scarcely lessened.
Strong Man in SobS.
Once, in front of a theater in Petro-
grad. 1 saw a soldier-a strong man in
ling from the door and hurl himself into
a cab. He knelt upon the floor of the
vehicle and pressed his face against
the cushions of the seat. and his Shout
ders shook as he wept, Historically, as
la woman weeps. His nerves had been
shattered by the explosions of shells at
the front, and some trifling, unexpected
happening in the theater-perhaps just
some sudden little noise which would
not have alarmed a child-had brought
a recurrence of the disease.
So it was with me about the memory
of that one night in Petrograd. Through
the long weeks of our journey across
Siberia. crowded with hundreds of
other refugees in a slow-moving. ILL
smelling train, with my mother in an
father sitting speechless for hours
upon hours. 1 have prayed to God to
give me Inconsistencies, and clenched
my fist until / could feel the blood
trickle in my palms because l could
not forget
Return of Wounded
During the six weeks of our training
| in the camp at vassilifski there was no
tIessening of the ardor we felt for our
cause. 1t was. in fact, increased by
| the passage of time and even by the
return of the MANNED and wounded Sis
| tiers who had preceded US to the front.
We visited them in the great hospital
and spoke to them as heroes whom we
| envied.
would allow no more of the women of
the battalion to go to the front. We
wore the badge of death upon our arms
with growing pride, as something OF
increased significance In the great
hospital visitors spoke with deep pity
and commiseration to our wounded. We
spoke as soldiers to comrades who had
encountered a necessary risk IN the
line of duty. Nearly always We spoke
thus Once Nussa Popova found among
the wounded a girl she had known. The
wounds of her face were terrible
Nussa wept when the nurse described
the wounds. We rebuked Nussa when
we had left the hospital.
Made Soldiers in Six Weeks.
| In six weeks our training had made
us well taught and well disciplined SOL
/ diers We marched with precision and
! carried ourselves smartly. We had
! learned to load, aim and fire our heavy
French rifles, and we had been taught
| the intricacies of attack and defense
I
! ercise 1 was especially proficient on
/ account of my strength. and l was set
! to lead files of our soldiers as an in
i structor. 1 had great pride in this.
| did not realize then that / was soon to
owe my life to my skill. and that ii
4 would not be against Russia's foreign
enemies but against Russians them
| selves that l should fight with the
\ bayonet.
| In May, we had reached such a sat
| isfactory state of training that COM
| panies of our battalion were assigned
| as escorts to Kerensky at the meetings
| in Petrograd when he spoke. On the
night of the 18th of May it was our
| company which was given this duty
/ We felt a great pride and exaltation as
we marched to the city and during the
| whole hour which was required for the
march from the barracks to the meet.
| ing place We were greeted with cheers
and handclapping. We aligned our.
selves with ease and precision about
the speakers platform and the people
cheered again and again. But it seem.
ed to me that there were tears in Ker
ensky's great. wonderful eyes as h,
| looked down at us.
Scorned to Ride in Cars.
On the night of the 9Th Of June. Nus
sa and / were among the soldiers o.
our battalion who were permitted Il
/ go into Petrograd on leave. There wer,
more than a hundred Of us, and W,
walked to Petrograd together, scorn
ing as soldiers should to ride in tn,