Ivan Mussak, the head of the Russian secret police, is responsible for the murders of thousands of Jews and the forced exile of thousands more. Isaac Gruenstein and his infant daughter Miriam are the only members of his family to survive one of Mussak's massacres, and Isaac is exiled to Siberia. Miriam, however, becomes Mussak's ward and is raised by nuns in a convent. Eighteen years later Isaac dies in Siberia, but before he does he writes a note to his daughter and gives it to fellow prisoner Rachel Shapiro, who manages to escape and, by chance, finds Miriam. However, circumstances have changed in the past 18 years--and Miriam is now Mussak's mistress.—[email protected]
Ivan Russak, Chief of the Secret Police of Russia, incites a massacre of the Jews and those that are not killed he has exiled. Among the number is old Isaac Gruenstein, whose family is killed, but one, little Miriam, and he places her in a convent to be reared. Isaac is sent to Siberia. Hard work and age soon tell on him, his old bones cannot carry the load of life any longer, he falls, and the whips of the cruel guards cannot make him get back to his feet. Rachel Shapiro, a young girl, sees them whipping the poor old man and goes to his rescue. Her denunciations of the Lieutenant in charge of the Cossacks moves him to shame, and he orders him taken to his shack, and before dying, he gives a note to Rachel to take to his daughter, if she is lucky enough to get out of Siberia. Ivan Russak, whose ward is now in her 18th year, decides to send to the Convent and have her brought home. Miriam leaves for her new home, where everything that is beautiful is given her, and Ivan makes her his mistress. Rachel Shapiro is loved by Alexis Mavok, who is a Lieutenant in the Commissary Department. Alex has resigned his commission in the Russian army, and decides to join his brother in America. He wishes to take his sweetheart with him, and, accordingly, he designs a packing case, and placing her in it, with the aid of a few of his friends, she makes her escape. At the end of her journey, Rachel tells Alexis of the message to Miriam from old Isaac, and she leaves to deliver it. She is met by a party of Cossacks, and refuses to tell her destination, and where she comes from, is searched, and the tube is found on her which harbors the message from old Isaac to his daughter, Miriam, and after repeated commands to open it, and her refusal, she is being severely whipped, when Miriam, who is out for a walk, comes upon the scene. At her command they desist, and with reprimand she sends them on their way. Miriam learns from Rachel that she has a message from her father, and opening the tube Rachel gives her her father's dying words, which read: "Miriam Grunestein, My beloved Daughter: I learned recently that you were alive and the protégé of Ivan Russak. Shun him my daughter as you would the plague, for he incited the massacre that lost me your mother, deprived me of you and made me an exile. Your loving father, Isaac Grunestein." Miriam denounces Ivan as a murderer and tries to kill him with the paper cutter on his desk. He at first tries to reason with her, but after a fierce struggle, he picks her up, and locks the door and makes her a prisoner. Miriam, through her maid, sends a note to an old rug merchant, Abraham, telling him that she is a prisoner in the home of Ivan Russak. He calls all the Jews together in a cave where they have their meetings, and they assault the Castle of Russak, and take Miriam away to where Alexis and Rachel are awaiting her, and they board a ship for America. Eight years later, Miriam has married Feder Tomsky. A little boy has made their happiness complete. Fedor and Ivan Russak are cousins, and one day a letter is brought him. telling him of a visit of Ivan, who is being sent on a secret mission to America by the Czar, to look into a colony headed by Alexis. Ivan arrives, and Fedor brings him home to stay with his happy family. Ivan and Miriam meet; they recognize each other. Ivan continues to bother her, and one day, Fedor having to go to the village for supplies, tells Miriam that it will be impossible for him to return until after midnight. Ivan writes Miriam a letter telling her she has to leave with him, otherwise he will expose her to her husband. Miriam promises to meet him in a deserted hut that night, at nine o'clock. Miriam tells Rachel, and Rachel goes to Alexis. He goes to the Jews and tells them. They call a hurried meeting, one of the number, an expert in bombs, promises to arrange one that will go off promptly at nine o'clock that night, telling Alexis to forge a note keeping Miriam home until midnight. Alexis is off, writes the note, and gives it to Rachel to give Miriam. Miriam reads the note, but her heart is broken. Ivan leaves for the rendezvous. The Jews have arrived at the old shack, have placed the bomb in the drawers of the old table. Miriam is putting her little boy to bed. Ivan arrives at the shack. It is five minutes to nine. He seats himself on an old box and begins to smoke. The Jews are watching, there is a puff of smoke followed by a terrible explosion. They run to the scene and only the mangled body of Ivan Russak remains. They tell the news to Alexis, who starts back to tell Rachel. Fedor and the half-breed return earlier than expected, hear the explosion, and madly gallop to the hut. Fedor finds his cousin in the ruins, they gently lift the body into the wagon and he takes it home. Miriam is ready to go to her meeting with Ivan. She is bidding her chum and mate goodbye. Rachel goes to the door and looks out. Fedor and the half-breed are bringing in the body of Ivan. Rachel quickly shoves the half stupefied Miriam into her room. Fedor and the half-breed carry the remains of Ivan into his old bedroom and Miriam coming in meets Fedor. There is a rush to his arms, a breakdown of tears. Fedor believes it is the sorrow for the death of his cousin, but Miriam knows it is the gladness of her heart.
