The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-11

was exiled in the most northerly part OF
siberia within the Arctic circle. and lived
alone in log hut destitute of the bar
est comforts. Day and night she was
guarded by armed police and had food
only sufficient to keep her alive.
AT this time | was on my way to an
other convict settlement, where 'Babush-
ka' had friends, fellow reyolutionaries,
She wanted me to take a few gifts and
from her scanty store of personal belong
ings pathetieally gave me small articles
to express her love for her companions
in misery. One Of these tokens was a
little red feather buster. | delivered all
of these mementoes.
"At intervals, thereafter, / correspond
ed with Nine. Breshkovsky and, togeth-
.er with other Americans, sent her books,
magazines, clothing and food. Finally,
after spending 26 years in prison and
exile, 'Babushka' was freed. This was
after the attempted revolution of 1905
when she was permitted to return to
European Russia, Subsequently she
came TO America, where she made lhe
acquaintance of Miss Alice Stone Black
we'll of Boston, and others who learned
to love her and aid her work.
Returning to Russia with Nicholas
Tchaykovskv, another revolutionary So
cialist, both were thrown into cells in
the Fortress of st. Peter and St Paul,
where, for two years, she was immmed
az in tomb Then she wa@ sent to
kirinsk in eastern Siberia, The charge
against her was attempting to overthrow
the existing government.
"She was never a terrorist, never sym
pathized with bomb throwing Nihilists
She is an intellectual Socialist, made SO
by her adherence OF serfdom and her
sympathy for the Russian mouiiks or
peasants She desired to ameliorate their
hard life. That is why she is so I'M
compromsingly opposed to the bolshe-
wiki. whom she has designated as muir
derers' OF Russian freedom.
"The real revolutionary movement in
Russia began in 1878 and 1879, when
1000 or more persons like Nine. Bresh-
kovsky, opposed to the autoeracy OF the
car, were thrown into prison. All Of
them were freed except 1913 and the So
cial upheayal started.
The story OF Babushka's' repeated ef-
forts to escape from captivity would
make most interesting reading. The last
dash she made for freedom was five years
ago Imagine woman 20 years old
still unbroken in mind and heart after
so much anguish and torture, still men
tally energetic enough to devise a plan
to obtain her liberty. I love my peopleN
she has said, and this thought doubtless
has helped to sustain her
when kerensky came into power and
Mime Breshkovsky and other exiles were
freed in 1917 she came TO Petrograd and
was received as a great national figure.
After the downfall of Kerensky, for
whom 'Babushka' had the highest regard
being of the same political faith, she
started a magazine called The Peoples
win and edited il until she was forced
to 60 into hiding by the criminal ele-
meuts of the bolsheviki against whom
she had been warning the people and
for whom she held feeling Of detesta-
tiOn on account of their lawlessness and
terrible crimes.
Mime Breshkovsky was hidden for
months in petrograd and Moscow, her
friends in daily fear for her safety, not
withstanding that her whole life had
been devoted to the betterment of the
oppressed and impoverished people OF
Russia. Now she is in the United States
to raise funds to feed, clothe and educate
100000 fatherless and motherless Rus
sian children, but first, she says, the
bolsheviki must be overthrown.
"ln Russia to-day there are 10000 CO.
operative societies with a membership of
100000 persons, mostly heads of fam
lilies, and these are all opposed to the
bolsheviki. Nine Breshkovsky speaks
for these people.
only few human beings have inhu-
enCed my character as has Catherine
Breshkovsky. She never will be broken
down until she is dead and put under the
sod don't care how long she lives, she
will always be the same unconquerabe
spirit, ever hopeful of the triumph Of
truth and justice at last"