HOW A RUSSIAN WOMAN DIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 109, 29 April 1908, Page 4

HOW A RUSSIAN WOMAN DIES

After many escapes and adventures. Sophia Percvsky, a young Russian revolutionary, who had liecii. inure, tlian once a guest of the Mjndun group, lias made au end iu the prison at Wilna. [ Sentenced to death by a court-martial, she wao fetched out of her cell in linearly morning, and walked gaily to the gallows, running lightly up the steps leading to the noose, iiefore an execution a sort of saek-like shirt is thrown over the victim's head and shoulders. Sophia Percvsky tore this from the exccutioner'ri hand uud tossed it away. Pushing aside her guards, she cried. " IjOng live the Revolution. This is hoar a Russian woman dies." Then, lifting th e noose to her neck, she swung herself from the platform. Sophia lVrevi-ky, although only 17 years, of ag.-. has been fur eight years ii revolutionary. She was lirst captured at JSielo stok iu 11)03 in charge of a secret print ing press, on which occasion she was near to blowing up herself and her captors by putting a lighted cigarette '." sonic explo-ives. From her gaol she escaped in broad daylight, making her way to England, where she was harboured uutil'the autumn, of PlUli. Alter another eight months of secret presweirk at Minsk, she was back again iu England, leaving for the last time iu September. PW7. "On -Wciiilivr -!»•' she wrote from a prison iuliriuary. "two policemen and a detective -topped me in the .street. I fired on them, wounding one. TTuL I could not kill myself, as a bullet had struck me in the side and another in the foot. At the police station I was cruelly ill-treated, the soldiers striking nic on my wounds."