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History
Mata Hari: Professional Dancer, Mistress, Courtesan, and Spy
She was forced into spying for France during World War I but was suspected of being a double agent. Her life began to spiral out of control when she met Captain Vadim Maslov and was unjustifiably executed in 1917.
The End
At 5:00 AM on October 15, 1917, Mata Hari was awakened in her cell in the Prison de Saint-Lazare outside Paris. Father Arbaux, two sisters of charity, Captain Bouchardon, and Maitre Clunet, her lawyer, came to tell her this was the day she would die.
“May I write two letters?” she asked.
Captain Bouchardon gave consent and had pen, ink, paper, and some envelopes delivered to her. She sat up on her bed and passionately but quietly wrote the letters. She handed them over to her lawyer. She serenely got up and put on her stockings, a low-cut blouse, and an elegant grey two-piece suit.
Finally, when the guards came to take her to the place where she would be executed, she put on an overcoat with a square fur collar and cuffs and merely replied “I am ready.” Her unflinching iron will stayed with her until her last breath.
