The Washington herald., 1919-05-11
Botchkareva Suffered
Many Hunilities
From In hum an
Leader of Radicals
While Awaiting
Moment of Execu-
ton - Comforted
by Cheering Words
of Old Russian
General.


TO hand over to you this package Of
money. There are ten thousand rU-
bles in II, sent TO me by PRINCESS
Tatuyeva. my former adJutsnt. 70 en-
able me to take the cure at the
springs. I kept this money intact. be-
cause hoped TO return 1t to her-upou
reaching the Caucasas."
The money had in reality been given
; to me by Rorpilov. to secure my par
ents and myself from starvation in
the future
The valuable package was taken
away. without much questioning. ! Z
was then ordered TO undress COM
pletely. Petrukhin protested against
IT, but Pugatchov insisted. The dis
pute was settled by a vote. the ma
I jority being for my undressing.
The search was painstaking. but
yielded nothing. There was the ticket
/ to Kislovodsk. the letter from Primo
ess Tatuyeva. a little bottle OF holy
\ water. given to me by my sister Ma
dia. and a scapuls presented to me
before leaving for the front by one
Of the patronesses Of the Battalion
"Ah, now we have got H." ex-
claimed Pugatchov. seizing the hal
lowed bag. There is the letter from
! Kornilov!"
Sin on Their Heads.
The pad was ripped open and a
! scroll OF paper was taken out on
which a psalm had been written In q
woman's hand. / declared that the
sin of tearing it open would fsIl on
their heads and that I would not sew
IL. up again One Of the soldiers OBJ
tained a needle and thread and sewed
the bag together.
/ The members of the committee ex-
cused themselves for being constrain-
ed to have me searched IN snch a
-what win you DO with me now7-
In asked.
we will have xou shot answered
Puratchov.
what for." I demanded I'm despair.
The beast did not reply. He smiled
Petrukhin was afraid 20 defend me
too much. lest he be suspected OF Civ
ing aid to a spy. He preferred TO
work indirectly for me. by ohuencins
the committeeman individually. II
was decided that the case be sub
mitted to the Commander IN Chief.
Sablin, for review and sentence. / be-
This was just a trick to stave OF
immediate execution. but the expec-
tation among the men was that my
death was certain Nevertheless.
was profoundly grateful TO Petrukhin
for his humane attitude. He was q
man of rare qualities and among
Bolsheviks he-was almost unique.
was ordered to a railway carriage
used as a jail for captured officers
and other prisoners. 1t was a death
chamber. Nobody escaped alive from
there When I was led inside. there
went up a cry:
"Botchkareva, How did YOU get
here? Coming from Kornilov%'
No" I answered. 'T was on my
way to Kislovodsk."
shocked at Appearance.
, There were about forty men in tho
|, car. the larger part officers. Among
; the latter were two Generals. They
were terribly shocked at my appear
ance among them. When nv con-
: voys left. the prisoners talked more
! freely. To some OF them 7 even told
: the truth. that I had actually been
to Eornilov. None OF them gave me
any hope. All were resigned 20 death.
! One of the Generals was an old
man. He beckoned TO me and I sat
, down beside him.
-"I have a daughter like you" he
said sadly, putting his arm around
; my shoulders. "I had heard Of your
brave deeds and came to love you a.
. much as my own girl But I never
, expected to meet YOU here. in this
, death-trap. Isn't IL dreadful? Here
we are all of us, the best men Of the
country. being executed. tormented.
crushed by the savage mob. II Il
were only for the good OF Russia
But Russia is perishing at this very
moment. Perhaps God will save her
! yet. Then you will avenge us 'ss"
I broke down. convulsed with sobs
and leaned against the-Generars
shoulder. The old warrior could not
restrain himself either and wept with
J messs
The other officers suddenly sang out
: in a chorus. They sang from despair.
in an effort to keep from collapsing.
I cried long and bitterly prayed
; for my mother.
who would sustain herr" an
pealed to Heaven. ''She will be forced
: TO go begging In her old age II I am
ipGt to death" Life became very pre-
cious to me. the same life that ! had
, eS posed TO a hundred perils did
? not want to die an Infamous death.
to lie on the field unburied. food for
caTTion crows
Execution Call.
why haven't you allowed me to
die from an enemy's bullet?' asked
| of God. How have I deserved being
, butchered by the hands Of my own
, people7"
The door swung OPEN About forty
! soldiers fled IN. Their leader had
list Of names in his hand.
"Botchkareva" he called out first.
Somehow my heart leaped with
Joy. I thought I would be released
But the officers Immediately disiIlu-
STONED me with the statement that
II was a call for execution
1 I stepped forward and answered:
Il am herer
"Razdievaysiat"
The order stupefied me. re-
mained motion1ess.
n Some soldiers came up. pushed
me forward and repeated the order
several times. I awoke at last and
began to undress.
The old Generals name was read
on the list next. Then n mum her NJ