El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-16
ACTRESS IS Held
PRISONERO Of WAR
Miss Griel Horn Held BY
Russians 16 Months Be
cause 'of Military Age.


Vienna, Austria. Feb. 16.-The well
known Austrian actress, MISS Oreh
Horn. has just described her surfer
ings as prisoner Of war in Russla-
After II months Of hardships she was
liberated and sent 10 Rumanua. FROM
Bucharest she returned home BY way OF
Budapest. She said; ~,7,,
we were playing at the ComcuS
fheater in Riga when the war between
Austria and Servia broke out we took
passage on a steamer which was ABOUT
to sail for Sweden Zen MINUTES -
fore our boat left, ponce olllSlals
bearded her and we We're ordered TO
return 70 our hotel. what Dtt@tic "
me members Of our company I do nor
know. because they all disappeared
II was permitted to stay at Riga for
R.month, but the police kept rue undeI
constant surveillance as SUPPOSE
Spy When / received poslclr,u i'O ~
my brother an ro-HungaTlah o.
ficer 1 was arrested and ordered 10
Kologriew, i'm the province OF h0ItroI
ma I had to pay for the rallroau
ticket Ny journey took elGht uaE
and I was continually lnsulted and
threatened by Russian travellers ana
soldiers only my knowledge or the
Russian language saved me from Sc
Ce4KS and washes fO7 Prisoners.
when I arrived at Kologriew ! was
almost without means, but the autnorl-
ties informed me that l would nave 10
support myself After much trouble !
succeeded i'm persuading a farmer 10
rent me n small room of his hut Dur
ing 16 months ] supported myself by
coodng. washing and se,Ting LOT my
hungry most Of the time. as provisions
We're scarce and very dear.
Three months after my arrival at
Kologriew We were allowed to write
Tot a
we had tc use the Russian language.
Even the letters written in French or
English were destroyed by the OIL
Gals The mail which arrived Tor us
we never saw Although my mother
sent dozens Of letters to me 1 only
received three postal cards
Almost daily more prisoners ar
rived. Many of them were men, wom-
en- and children who had been dragged
from eastern Prussia by the Russians
The condition Of these unfortunates
was pitiful. They possessed nothing
but the clothing on their backs ana
we had TO divide our already short ra-
Put in cen with Criminals.
"If we left our houses we were
generally attacked and illtreated by
the russians. Sometimes the ponce
and the soldiers interviewed, but in
these cases We were Invariably ar
rested and locked up for disturbing the
peace ] was sentenced 20 two weeks
Imprisonment with a water ara bread
diet. because I had given a few cigar
cts to captured Austrian soldier who
was being transported to Siberia with
several hundred other prisoners. J bad
to share my cell with two Russian
criminals during the entire term OF my
imprisonment.
Considered Army Material.
MY mother made many efforts
through neutral diplomatic channels 10
bring about my liberation. Last July
7 was informed that my release was
near. but a few days later the CHIEF |
OF police decided that 1 could not be
given my liberty. as J was Of military |
age. when I expressed my astonish-
ment over this decision I was gravely /
told that the AustrO Hungarian gov
eminent was pressing all women into
service. He showed me !
newspaper report which stated that I,
a mong members OF the Polish Legion, |
volunteer organization, two women
had been found.
When ] had almost given up all |
hope OF freedom before the end OF the |
war a fellow prisoner gave me some
money. This enabled me to procure /
certificate from a Russian physician. |
who pronounced me unfit for military
service on account hOf some imaginary |
internal malady Three days later ! !
was allowed TO start on my long jour
ney 20 Vienna