New-York tribune., 1921-03-06
Russian District
Ruled 2 Years
By Mad w oman
Takes Role of Magistrate and
Then of Executioner;
People Submit to Her
Own Reign of Terror
Murder Ends Her Sway
Shooting of Moscow Official
Finally Brings About
krashinskaya's Execution

LONDON, Feb. 20.--A strange story
Of how mad woman imposed her will
on whole Russian township and ruled
it automatically for more than two
wears is told by correspondent of The
Daily Telegraph. Scores of people were
executed at her insane bidding, and the
inhabitants submitted to this reign of
terror. AT last murder, more auda>
clous than the rest, brought retribu<
tion from outside. This incredible
thing happened in Soviet Russia some
time ago. 1t shows how the Bolshevik
regime, by destroying a nations will
and conscience, paves the way for the
most Infamous adventures.
In the town of Porchow, near the
railway line connecting Petrograd with
Moscow, woman named Krashinskaya
suddenly made her appearance Nobody
knew exactly whence she really came
But her Communist utterances were of
SO ardent character and her calm as
surance of her right to command was
so disconcerting that all the Bolshevik
authorities accepted her presence for
granted. Very swiftly the adventures
acquire dabsolute control of the local
executive committee, and even of the
Extraordinary Commission itself. In
fact, her attention was specially direct
ed to the latter. She made it a custom
to conduct personally all house-to
house searches in the town. She also
assumed the part of examining magis-
trate. The poor arrested wretches re-
ceived short shrift from her.
Becomes Executioner
Very soon Krushinskaya took over
also the duties of executioner.
Dressed in mans clothing, with Gig
arctic hanging from the corner of her
mouth, she would go down into the
cellars where the prisoners were hud-
died together. She did not trouble to
take her victims out of the cells, but
shot them down in the midst of their
comrades. Often she would put bullet
after bullet into the body of a man
already dead. The corpses of the vic
Tins were, by her order, carted through
the streets in broad daylight The
town lived in a state of the most ab-
ject terror. Citizens tried not to ap-
pear in the streets, everybody kept at
home. Those who could afford it left
the place.
For long hours every day Krashin-
skaya used to stand on the balcony Of
the house of the Extraordinary Com
mission, pale faced, staring vscantly
into space, and lingering superb
string of pearls--the result of plum
der, bly-which she always wore.
At last she overreached herself. There
came from Moscow high official of
the Central Committee on some i'm
portant mission. Krashinskaya took a
dislike to him, had him seized, tore up
his credentials, declaring them to be
forgeries, and then shot him out of
hand This outrage even the hard
enad criminals > in Moscow could not
condone. A detachment of guards was
sent down, who arrested the woman,
led her through the town with her
pearls still about her neck, and shot
her down, And she had been made all
the time, and went to her death as a
madwoman, staring vacantly into space.
This characteristic story of real hap
penings in distraught Russia has been
told to the Posledrija Novosti in Paris
by a gentleman who has just escaped
from his country.