South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-16
DIE
IN OSA MASSACRE
BY BOLsHEV|K|
Red Cross Men Give Report
After Investigation of
Startling Crimes.

OMSK, Saturday, April 5.-The in
disputable evidence OF the massacre
by the bolsheviki of more than 1000
civilians in and near the town of
Osa, has been obtained by Messrs.
Simmonds and Emerson, and DR..
Rudolph Teusler of the American
Red Cross, who have just returned
from Perm, Osa. and other reOccu-
pied Russian territory. Approx
mately 500 persons were killed at
Osa, and 1900 in the surrounding
districts
Osa, which had a population of
10000, was so denuded of males by
the bOlsheviki that Gen. Casagrande,
upon the occupation of the town,
was obliged to telegraph to Yekat-
erinburg for men TO administer civic
affairs.
In addition TO securing verbal and
documentary evidence, the American
Red Cross officials witnessed the eX-
huming of scores OF victims from
trenches, where they had beeD
buried sometimes several deep in
graves revealed by the digging Of
dogs. The murders were without
provocation and the victims were
largely of the thrifty and intelligent
classes or servants of the church.
which latter it was the announced
intention of the bolsheviki to exter-
inmate.
Commit Unthinkable Atrocities.
The evidence discloses almost un-
thinkable atrocities. A blacksmith,
by economies, had attained a shop.
He was required to pay 5000 rubles;
because he could not, he was shot.
A man was shot because he lived in
a brick house. All attorneys and
jurists were killed and doctors whose
services were not required for the
moment, were disposed of in a sim
liar manner.
A woman whose husband and two
sons had been seized. applied to the
commissar for information as to
their fate. She was told they had
been taken TO Perm. After repeat
ing her visit several times, she was
informed that if she bothered the
commissar again she would be shot,
as they had been.
The body of a woman was ex-
humed and identified in the presence
of the Americans as the wife OF a
general through jewels sewed in the
lining of her clothing. Of which rel
atives were aware. Another woman
was compelled to fetch a lamp and
gaze upon her murdered sons for the
amusement of the slayers.
Wife Pays Bribe.
a wife required to pay a thousand
rubles for the release OF her hus-
band, borrowed 500 and paid it over;
later she returned with the remain
der and then was informed that her
husband had been shot. There
were scores of similar cases All
were killed without form of a trial.
The soviet called a meeting and
prepared lists Of those TO die. The
houses prescribed were visited by
squads. the doors were smashed in
and the victims dragged to the edge
of the town and forced TO dig their
own graves Those resisting were
shot in the streets.
A survivor testified that he had
been thrown into a pit and buried
alive. This testimony has been con-
firmed by bodies eXhumed. the
clenched hands of which were cling
ing TO the mud at the bottom or the
pit. The only spark Of humanity
discovers BILE was that in conflscating
the belongings of the residents; in
some instances where there was a
family of small children, the family
was permitted TO retain one COW out
of several. Occasionally a peasant
was allowed TO keep his worst horse.
Attitude UncomprOmising.
The bOlshevik attitude toward the
church was uncompromising. Priests
were hunted numerically The evil
dence showed that men were slain
whose only Offense was that they
worked as sections or caretakers Of
churches. Al Osa a priest was
spared on the pleading of the peas
ants hint tho church was lOOfpd