South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-16
BEHIND THE SCENES
With Rulers and Leaders of Wartime Europe
By the Princess Rddziwin
Copyright
Copyright lo1A

kind Of wild monster who deserved |
his fate, just as much as Marat had |
deserved 10 fall under the knife of
Charlotte Corday. In reality he was
nothing Of the kind. and was neither
better nor worse than so many
other Russian officials. who saw
nothing beyond the accomplishment
OF the orders which they had re-
ceived from the government in St.
Petersburg. She killed him, not be-
cause she had any personal hatred
against him, but because she was an
enthusiast. because she believed
firmly that the millennium after
which her hungry heart yearned
could only be reached through blood
and tears and because she thought
that every individual had the right
% avenge himself on society for the
fact that the latter had not accept
ed the more or less impossible theor-
les through which he had hoped TO
assure its happiness. She was a
revolutionary by instinct She never
reasoned; she only felt, and felt
deeply into the bargain. and she
suffered from that general suffering
brought about in the human heart
by the sight Of the woes Of human
ity, which Dostoievsky has so well
described in his novels.
Entirely Led Astray.
Marie Spiridonowa. who had been
reared with the utmost care. who
was beautiful, brilliant, clever. was
so entirely led astray by the false
doctrines TO the sophisms TO which
she had succumbed that she never
realized the solemnity OF the great
command, Thou shalt not kill" She
accepted as an article of faith that
every man has the right to dispose
not only OF his own life but also of
that Of others. When after the muir
der Of Gen Bogdanowitsch she was
arrested and brought 10 st. Peters
burg a friend Of mine, who occupied
a high administrative position in the
capital and who had known her
father obtained the permission TO
visit her in her prison. He asked
her whether she had not been afraid
of the punishment of God. The girl
seized his hand exclaiming eagerly
/
man; how can you speak of such
stupidties? You know very we'll
that God does not exist"
And without faith in a Supreme
Being. without hope in a future life.
Marie Spiridonowa listened to the
awful sentence that condemned her
TO be hanged by the neck until
death shall have followed" She
simply smiled at her judges and left
the court with a radiant counter
ance. feeling convinced that her ex-
ecution would be of benefit 70 the
cause Of that revolution for which
she was dying with such JOY.
The Gar Interyenes.
The car, however. was for once
merciful He remem bered the SER
vices of Gen. Spiridonowa, and
Marie was sent TO Siberia and spared
| the sCaffOld. People say that while
in prison she had acquired the germs
of tuberculosis and that when she
returned last summer 10 Russia she
was almost dying. Personally, | do
not believe in this part of the story.
! I freely confess that have no SYM
pathy for Marie Spiridonowa or for
the ideas of which she has been the
apostle. BOlshevism does not ap-
peal TO me, and / cannot consider as
| deserving OF any interest girls,
whether beautiful or not. who take
upon themselves, no matter under
what provOcation. the office of ex-
ecutioner. Women like Marie Spiri-
donOwa are mOnstrosities in spite Of
the heroism they may display.