Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-07-28
GENERAL DOOMS
NEPHEW CAUGHT
AS A DESERTER
Russian Commanders Vote De-
cides Fate of Young Pole
Who Quit Regiment.
JOINED THE AUSTRIAN ARMY
General Radymno Had the Misfortune
to Preside at the court-Martial
Which Sealed the Fate of
His Favorite Relative.
BY Or. WOLF vow scHIERBRANo.

itaS GNNAfAN AhStNNsNSs
BY DR.. WOLF Won ScHIERBRAND.
Correspondent Of the New York SUM.
Vienna.-Doubtless the darkest ma
tional tragedy in this world war is
that OF the Poles. There one sees
distinct chronological entity. a people
whose tongue is the most musical and
cultivated of all the Slavic languages.
with a fine literature showing names
like that of Henry X. Sienkiewicz. of
universal fame. advanced in all the
arts, Paderewski being a fine exam
pie; the most gifted of all the Slays.
of high valor, of a quality both dis
tinct and elevated. Yet the curse OF
destiny has brought 1t about that this
people Of altogether about 22000.Q00
has been split up into three unequal
Professionally. 12.000,000 of them un-
der Russian rule, about 100000 I'M
der Austrian and about 100000 under
German rule And what results of
even the present giant upheaval will
be so far as the Poles are concerned
not even the wisest can foretell.
Tragedies Every Day.
Meanwhile every day tragedies on
minor scale are happening among the
Poles which, for the most part, will
never see page and printers ink. Yet
many are worth the telling. Here is
one In point | tell 1t just az it was
told TO me. without the slightest at
tempt at coloring the facts. Let the
reader Judge for himself.
Among the Russian prisoners taken
at Tarnow, Galicia, some three weeks
ago by the Austrian army was a fine,
dignified looking man, a general who
had not yielded without FIRST using
his sword. He was General Stephen
Rady mno, a Pole by race and Ian
euage. but a brave. undaunted soldier
of the car He is now recovering
from his injuries in one of the reserve
hospitals of Vienna. and later on win
be taken as prisoner Of war to one Of
the great camps in Bohemia.
Nephew a peserter.
General Radymno had the mlsfor
tune to be forced to condemn his ia
vorite nephew to death He presided
at the court-martial which sealed the
young mans fate. and his was the
deciding voice that doomed the young
man to immediate execution; for the
nephew. Jan Radymno. had committed
treason Although serving in one of
his unele's own regiments as first
lieutenant, he had gone over to the enc
my-to the Polish legion fighting TN
der the banner of the Hapsburgs. This
he had done in the middle OF the
night, and in his shabby quarters, a
short distance back of the trenches,
there was found the next morning a
slip of paper on which were few
lines addressed TO his uncle, the gen
eral saying he found himself forced
to choose between two duties-and
that toward Poland came first, Then
he had added a word or two to the
general himself imploring him to fol-
low his example "aud help free Poland
from the Muscovite yoke"
Poles Make Raids.
All this happened early last De
cember; the generals trenches were
held for five months longer. Back OF
his positions were woods, impene
trable. deep in snow. and into them he
was frequently Obliged to send skirin
ishing parties to attack the rear oil
the Polish Legion of AustIE WIZ
made frequent raids. The rumor some
how spread In the regiment 10 which
Lieutenant Radymno had belor ged
that he was with these legionaires and
that he even directed number of the
raids and sudden attacks. The Rus
SLAMS we're bitter, and many prison
ers captured were given short shritt
One Russian soldier named Destyatuk
who had belonged to the 'rotte'
squad formerly commanded by Lieu
tenant Radymno, swore he had rec
ognized his former officer in the rank,
OF the enemy on one occasion.
The general. his uncle, never heart
any of these rumors, however.
One night late in March, when tn,
snow still lay thick and a gale wa
blowing. the very company to which
the deserter had belonged was sur
prised The men had changed thei
quarters only the day before. hayinj
lost many in their trenches. and hat
been sent to the rear. This particula
raid was sngularly bold. rapid an,
desperate. The Russians we're sur
prised in their sleep. and before the,
could gather for a stand they wer,
badly beaten But at last there cam
succor. and then there was hard fight
ing. chiefly with the bayonet on &C
count Of the uncertain light. VIII
half the little force slain. the Rus
SLAMS finally got small band of thei
foes into the church, and there, afte
hand to hand struggle. took som
prisoners.
Uncle Condemns Him.
Among the prisoners was la
Radymno. or what was left OF him.
bayonet thrust had split his cheek an
cut his lips His blouse hung abou
him in tatters. In this condition h
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