The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-01-18

Following the Russian army in in
fight from the hotly-pursuing Ger
mans, with hundreds starving and dy-
ing by the roadside, with men, women
and children tramping barefoot for
hundreds of miles, was the experience
Of A. NJ Martus, who arrived in Ke-
nosha Tuesday TO organize American
LithuaniRns to help their unfortunate
fellow-cduntrymen.
From July II, 1915, when, with bull
let's flying over his head, and with his
neighbors dropping dead around him
as the result of the rapid fire between
the two armies, until November Z,
whan from 5000 to 1000 refugees en-
tered 0rtenburg, small village IN the
northern part of Russia, Mr.. Martus
suffered the hardships of war.
He returned to this country in the
spring, after waiting for months for
his passport, and is doing everything
within his power to help the refugees
left in Europe by doing relief work.
Mr.. Martus, while a resident of New
York, came of Lithuanian parentage.
He returned to his mother-country in
1914 for a visit. He was there when
the Germans invaded the country,
driving the Russian army before them.
The national leader of the Lithuani-
ans addressed a large crowd at St.
Peters Hall on Union street Tuesday
night ''The battle started at mid
night, July TO-" said Mr.. Martus. 81
was within half a mile Of it. There
were bullets flying over my head and
the houses were burning When we
heard tn army had fed, we fed, too.
We did not have time to take any
thing with us. Even my passport was
left behind.
"Before us were the Russians, burn
ing bridges, and bIockading roads. Be
hind us, about three and = half miles,
were the Germans.
Gotten we came to places where the
Russians had burned the bridge before
us and we had to swim the river. In
one river, very wide and deep, many
were drowned.
Food gave out. We had to beg to
exist. When farmers would not give
US anything to eat, we had to take it
by force. At one place, when we had
arrived with our horses painting from
thirst, the farmer refused to give. us
water from his well, so we tied him
until we had enough water, then un-
tied him when we were ready to leave.
Hundreds died by the wayside,"
Mr. Martus said. Every day the
refugees would pause to bury two or
three victims Of the flight
"Shoes gave out, too, and with
bleeding feet the men had to finish the
long fight, $50 miles, giving their
shoes, or what was left of them, to the
women"
A committee was organized to ask
the Russians to give them ten cents a
day toward food. Without money
nothing could be bought at the villages
at which the Lithuanians stopped.
While the Russian government prom
ised them ten cents q day apiece, and
kept the promise, Russian officials re-
sorted such graft that the money
was never received.
At Minsk the German pursuit stop
ped. But at Minsk the Lithuanians
were no permitted to remain and were
ordered out by the civilians.
At Smolensk their fight ended, and
the refugees were shipped in fiat cars
to Ortenburg, point on the mountains.
where they remained for months.
Mr.. Martus said that German rule
could not be worse than that under the
Russians. Civilization had been stop
ped by them, and whenever any citizen
became too progressive, or too wen
educated, he was exiled to Siberia, he
claims.
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