The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-07-25
Dol SHEVIK ATROCITIES DESCRIBED
BY PROMINENT RUSS N0BlE W0mAN
Hundreds Persons Tortured the Most huan Fashion Before
Being Put to Death and Their Estates PlIaged and
Mansions Razed-Thousands Die From
Hunger All Over Country

I The despair to which bOlshevik mis-
rule has reduced Russia Is thus epito-
mized by \ Russian nobiewoinan wide
Iy known throughout her country, In
remarkable picture Of events In her
country contained in letter received
recently in New York. Her castles
and estates plundered or RACED. her
fortune vanished and her friends and
family murdered, this titled woman Is
moved TO remark that "three years
ago, my second daughter and her hus-
band died, he having caught cold Ia
the trenches. Then l was In despair;
now envy them"
Il beg Of you never to mention my
name; I wrote frankly to you counting
on your discretion" Il The plea which
fear Of boishevtk tyranny povc;; !he
unfortunate woman to place d the
close Of hef letter to her friend. 1 New
York woman Of prominent aud 1n|luen-
tial family. EXCUSE the incohercnces;
write with MY heart bleeding, know.
ing that shall never be able to give
you the faintest idea Of the sufferings
that thousands are enduring"
A graphic tale Of the misery that
spreads Itself over Russia is unf"lded
in the letter. Wholesale pillaging and
murder by bolsheviki, Germans, Films
and others swept the land clear Of it's
wealth.
Both the noblewoman who wrote the
letter and the woman who received 1t
are well known. The danger involved
fer the former makes it'advisable that
not only the names Of the persons but
the names Of the localities mentioned
be withheld from publication. The let
ter in full reads as follows:
"My very, very, dear Mrs. d:
AT last ] am able to write to you
and to hope to hear from you.
Il will endeavor to tell you briefly
| the personal events OF these terrible
last years. But how to begin? How
TO give you the faintest Idea Of the
unimaginabie atrocities committed by
the bOisheviki? Speaking OF our
selves. will tell you that we have
| lost everything. The bOlsiievIki have
! stolen all our fortune. boxes Of silver
ware. precious objects. personal re-
membranes which undoubtedly are
now destroyed.
Freed to Flee FROM Home.
| ''Three years ago my second daugh-
ter and her husband died. he having
caught cold in The trenches. Then !
was in despair, now ! envy them. The
year 1917 in autumn. we had to fee
from NJ. and come to the city.
where we lived under the reds regime
until the arrival Of the Germans.
you have probably reud in the pa
pers that the reds had sent to Siberia
3UO Russian barons, and also some
| b0urseOisie; some died and the others
returned two months after.
"AIthOugh under our roof lived a
military guard of bolshevikl or reds,
good luck Kept us from si,uring their
lot. l cannot describe the last days.
! After the arrival Of the Germans
! list was found Of about a thousand
persons. In which we were. who were
to be shot the very next day.
1.-The reign OF the Germans lasted
exactly seven months; they annihi-
lated all our hopes. they accumulate ed
taxes upon taxes carrying away all
| the food to Germany, leaving the peO-
ple'Of our cities to starve.
"No discipline, corruption every
where. no administration. Only those
who deliberately closed their eyes to
evidence failed to see that country
thus plundered and so badly treated
was not to remain long under their
rule. But. alas! How many were
blind!
'Then came the great catastrophe
the German troops fraternizing with
the bolsheviki at w.; surrenderlng
to them cannon. war ammunition, and
| refusing to fight. The Germans even
damaged the cannon they lief, to the
Esthes troops, which had been formed
hastily and were incapable of defend
| ing themselves, having nothing, abso-
lutely nothing!
Reds Rule Was Worse.
Then, for another year the country
was at the mercy OF the reds. and 1t
was worse than the first time.
"The Bolsheviki had with them Chi
nese and Red Lettes who were ter
ribly cruel. and those formed the
guard of the unfortunate emperor and
his family.
"On the 2Sth Of November we
| learned that W. had fallen; that
the Germans were leaving US in haste !;
| and, as the German general command.
| Ing at R. had, ut the request Of
| the Lettcs, refused the formation Of
troops with the men Of the country.
we were left without any defense.
"Thc lights Of the electric projectors
Of the enemy's ships already iluminat-
| ed our shores; from the castles tower
! we could see everything; there was
! not minute 10 be lost. The trains were
! running only for the Germnn troops !;
1t was then necessary to risk travelling