The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-04-22
Town of 10000
Destroyed BY Fleeing Russians

enCron was born Of a family that has
estates In the Russian Baltic pro
yinces. lie singled out a Clean-Cut.
hlgh-headed man who stood at the
gate aud began to talk. Pretty soon
they shook hands.
odd" said SteltencrOn later. That
mans father gave me- my first com
muniOn when / was u boy, lie IL a
surgeon"
|Steltencorn had assured him that,
being Il surgeon, he would he ex
changed. The other man had shaken
his head.
Il shall never return to Russia, "
said he. Il have had enough"
The leading families In the three
Baltic provinces -Kurland, Llevland,
and Esthland-sre all Of German
blood. They were forced to serve in
the Russian army, VI course. II Is II
noteworthy fact that several Of the
better generals Of Russia -Rennen.
kampf and S%ieyers, for eXample-are
Of TeutOniC lineage.
To return to LyCk. We saw the
burned town and the burned church
and watched with Interested eyer tine
return " Il troop Of tired Uhlans. All
night they had been scouting for Rus
sian s%tragglers. We were very sleepy
Russians Left No Sleeping Quarters.
When we reached Lyck the night be.
fore we found there was no such
thing as sleeping quarters, Horses had
been stabbed by the Russ In the no
tells. Then the hotels had been burn
ed, for the most part The few
houses which remained unharmed wer,
either unbelieyably filthy from Rus
sian occupancy or were being used fol
headquarters purposes. For two hour,
We sat In the telegraph office Will,
Captain SteitencOrn-unfailingly help
ful aud kindly-hustled around FOL
beds. The office had been occupied by
Russians. The Germans had scrubbed
but the Russ OdOr was still there
Finally | identified II, or Il part " II
No man could Identify all that odOr
II liz something like the fragrance o.
q wet dog.
Sleepy, aren't your said an Off
Ger In excellent English i vas nod
ding at the table. Fox was snorinI
painfully ON the sofa. had suspicion
regarding that sofa. | confirmed tina
officers theory.
"Tm sleepy myself" said he. "Tv,
had no sleep In three nights eIcep
as | have nodded In my car. As sool
as | write a letter to my wife l shall
be of again"
"He had learned TO speak u tongu
IN New York. As soon as the wa
IL over he propOsed-DeOvolente-t
60 TO New York and stay. The op
p%ortunities are better In his profes
sion, said he.
Though l do not like Americans .
well now" said he, frankly. II one
loved them. and l thought they love,
M. But | have seen q brother dead
killed by ammunition furnished III
Russians by the Americans"
There seemed No reply 10 make I
that. | sat unsasily. He kept lOoi
Ing at me. Finally | brought out som
statement to the effect that the sal
OF ammunition Is permitted by Inter
national law. Germany sold ammuni
ton herself TO other belligereuts
other years.
Then both sides could buy" sal
he. Now only n can. Is that
square deal'r
Again my mental faculties bogge
down. This man had just lost
brother, remember. He bent over hi
letter 10 his wife-a handsome cleaI
cut, manly fellow-ln the dim light {
the oil lamp. His orderly came Il
said something. the letter was hastil
ended and dropped in the field POI
box, and he vas off, with u cherr
) smile and 9 snappy salute.
This is my favorite song" sal
he, Take Me Back to New Yor
Town"
Not q Bed In Town.
Steltencron came In, to report thu
no one even suspected the presen,
OF a bed In the ruined town OF Lyc
: We opened our sleeping bags dow
! upon the floor Of the Inner office,
, had been scrubbed--lt had been fair
l. ground-by the Germans, but a slice
+ ing bag ~elevates ones nose but a sligI
distance above the boards that hi
. been darkened by Russian NTH. Sti
we slept l suffered slightly fro
strangulaion Of the sleeping bag du