The Washington herald., 1919-05-08

was not dificult for him to make an
effort at Irritation He moved up closer
and even touched my arm. 1t was a
delicate situation / could not well af-
ford to antagonize him. so warded on
his advance with a smile and q prom
isihg look. He treated me to q good
meal. at which the conversation turned
10 general conditions He was. of
course. a rabid Bolshevik and q saw
age opponent of Kornilov and all OFF,
GERS. My part in the conversation was
confined to brief expressions OF ac-
quiescence. Suddenly he asked:
Have you heard of the Women 5
Death Battalion?"
My heart thumped violently.
What battalion did you say? !
asked with an air Of ignorance.
why. Botchkareva's Battalion!" he
replied in a positive voice.
"Botchkavera's?' asked. reminis-
Gently. "Oh. sure. Botchkareya; yes.
have heard about her"
THE =! She is a Kornilovka." he
exclaimed. "She Is for the old re-
gime"
How do you know" I asked. II
thought she was nonpartisan-"
I'VE know them all, the counterrev-
companion declared emphatically.
well. there Is no more Battalion OF
Death anyhow. and Botchkareva has
apparently vanished" suggested.
Yes, we know how they vanish.
Many of them have vanished like that.
Hornilov had vanished, too. Then they
all pop up here and there and cause
trouble" he enlightened me.
Now what would you do to her II
she showed up here?" I dared to in
Quire.
XIII her. She would never leave
here alive. you can bet" he assured
ne. We have the photographs Of all
he leading counterrevolutionists so
that they can't hide their Identities
Il caught
factory turn for me. I learned all
about the plans of the Bolshevik force
against Kornilov. The arrival Of the
train at Zverevo put an end to my as
sOciation with the fellow. 1 thanked
him very much for all his favors to
me.
You know. sister," he Unexpectedly
addressed me before parting. Il like
you. VIII you marry me?"
This 1 didn't anticipate. 1t rather
took me aback. He was such an aw-
ful-looking. dirty creature, and the
proposal was so ludicrous that it was
with difficulty that I mastered my de-
sire to laugh. This was no place for
fun-making. however.
Yes. with pleasure" l responded to
his offer with as much graciousness as
/ could command, but after 1 see my
mother"
He gave me his address and asked
4. Z, s1I. God
Perhaps he is still waiting for letter
from me.
left him at the train and went to-
ward the station. There were Red
Guards, sailors. soldiers. even Cossacks
who had joined the Bolsheviki. on the
platform and inside. But there were
no private citizens in sight. I sat
down in a corner and waited. Taken
for a nurse attached to the Bolshevik
army, / was not molested. An hour.
two. three. passed and still could find
no opening to proceed to my destina-
ton. A civilian. who somehow found
himself in the station. was placed un-
der arrest before my eyes without any
preliminaries. I. therefore. preferred
to sit quietly in my corner than move
about.
Finally, a pleasant-looking young
soldier became interested in me. He
walked up and asked:
why are you waiting here. sister,
Il am waiting for a comrade," an
swered.
what is his manner" he inquired in
terested.
"Oh, that is a secret" I replied in
an intriguing manner.
He sat down near me, questioning II
I had worked at the front. l said that
unfortunately 1 had been detailed only
to hospitals in the rear.
Why was that man arrested" ]
ventured to ask.
Because he had no papers from the
Soviet" was the reply He will be
shot Immediately"
DO you execute everybody who has
no papers?' wanted to know.
Everybody, without distinction
Even women?' inquired
Yes, even women" came in answer.
This is a war zone
Holy Motherr / exclaimed with
borrow. How terrible, You slay them
all. ah? without a trial, even?'
There is little time for trials here.
Once fallen here. there is no escape.
Our firing squads finish all suspects
on the spot" he informed me kindly.
grounds right near here?"
I followed him reluctantly. Several
hundred feet away from the station
we stopped. I could not go further.
The field in front of US was covered
with scores Of mangled. half-naked
corpses. It made my flesh creep.
There are about two hundred of
them here. mostly officers who had
Joined or sought to join Kornilov." he
explained.
1 could not help shivering. The
dreadful scene nearly shattered my
nerves and had to strain all my ener-
gies not to collapse.
"Ah, you women, women" my escort
nodded sympathetically. You are all
weak. You don't know what war is.
STILL" ne admitted. there are some
who can compare with men. Take
Botchkareva, for instance, she would
not shudder at sights like this"
who is she, this Botchkareva?"
was curious.
Haven't you heard of herr" he
asked in surprise. why. she was a
soldier OF the old regime and organ
lied the Women's Battalion OF Death.
She Is for Rornilov and the bourgeoise.
They gave her an officers rank and
bought her over to their side, although
she is Of peasant blood"
1t was all very interesting. this the
ory Of my corruption had heard 1t
before, but not in such clear-cut form.
At the same time the picture of those
mangled bodies occupied my vision,
and the thought ranked in my mind
OF the treacherous Bolshevixi who had
opposed capital punishment In the war
AGAINST GERMANY but introduced II in