Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-07
Trotsky and members of the Bolshevik Government

orders like that. We Will shoot her'
Enough words"
At this moment I became aware OF
one of the two newly arrived commit.
teempn staring at me intently He
took couple of steps toward me, bent
his head on the side and nailed his
eyes on me. There was something /
about that look that electrified me. AS
the man. who was a common soldier,
craned his neck forward and stepped
out of the group strange silence
eripped everybody, so affected were
all by the painful expression on MS
face.
Are you Y-a.s.h.k.a?" he sang
out slowly.
How do you know me-" I asked
| quickly, almost overpowered by pre-
monition of salvation.
Don't you remember how you saved
my life in that March offensive, when
! I was wounded in the leg and you
dragged me out of the mud under fire!
MY name is Peter. I would have per-
ished there, in the water. and many
others like me, if not for you. why do
| they want to shoot you now?
Because / am an officer" l replied
| "Wl-ht conversation are you holding
here?" Pugatchov thundercd. She
will have to be shot, and no argu'
ments!"
And I won't allow her to be shot! '.
my God.appointed savior answered.
back firmly, and walked up to me,
seized my arm. pulled me out OF my
place. occupying 1t himself.
You will shoot me first!" he ex-
claimed "She saved my life. She
saved many of our lives. The entire
Fifth Corps knows Yashka. She Is a
common peasant like myself and
understands no politics. If you shoot
her. you will have to shoot me first!'
This TRADE had remarkably whole.
some effect on me. 1t also struck
home in the hearts of many In the
crowd.
Petrukhin went up, took a place be.
side Peter and me, and declared:
You will shoot me, too, before you
execute an innocent, sick woman"
The soldiers were now divided.
Some shouted. Lets shoot her and
make an end Of this squabble! What's
, the use Of arguments" ;.
: Others were more human. She /!
E not of the hourgeoisie, but a common
t peasant like ourselves" they argued
And she does not understand politics
\ Perhaps she really was going to seel
a cure. She was not captured. bu
, came to us herself, we must not for
get"
For some time the place turned int
a meeting ground. 1t was weir'
, situation for debate. There wer
the hundreds of bodies scattere
, around us. There were the twenty o
: us in our undergarments awaiting
, death. OF the twenty only l had
chance for life. The remaining min,
n teen stoically kept themselves on thei
: feet. No hope heaved their breasts
| ,ira c1a than.
amidst all this hundred Russian so
diers, a quarter Of an hour before
savages, now half of them with
!. spark Of humanity in their veins, wei
], deliberating.
II The committee finally found thei
= wits and took charge of the situatio
- Turning to Pugatchov they declared
Now, we have an order here fro
:. the commander-in-chief, and 1t shall
" obeyed. We will take her away
:, They closed about me and ] W.
> marched out Of the line and of Il
Il field Pugatchov was in a white rag
raying like a madman, grinding h
: teeth As we walked away, his inh
!, man voice roared:
Fire at the knees"
A volley rang out. Immediate
II cries and groans filled the air. Tur
~ ing nv head about, 7 saw the savag
! rush lHt Hcdp VI NiStiiiS WIN Wv
1t bayonets, digging them deep into I
O. bodies of my companions Of II
n. minutes previous and. n crushing II
n last signs of life out of them wit
O. their heels.
at It was frightful indescribably friel
iy full. The means were penetratin
se blood.curdling. I staggered. fell
the ground my full length a
n. swooned.
he For four hours l remained unct
at scious. When | came to ! was In
Id compartment of railway coa'
Petrukhin sat near me holding
of hands and weeping.
he AS l thought of the circumstan'
III. that led to my fainting the figure
I'd. Pugatchov swan up before my ey
ed and l took an oath there and then
ri kill him at the first opportunity, II
on escaped from the Bolshevik trap.
Petrukhin then told me that Pc
ga had aroused the investigation comm
he tee to such a state of compassion
'or me that the members agreed to