The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-08
BOLSHEvIKI LEFT
DEATH IN WAKE
Murdered Civic Leaders and
Sacked Homes Before
Quitting Riga.
$4,000 I'LL FROM STARVATION
CAPTAIN Forman Makes an Official Re-
port on Conditions to the Ameri--
can Relief Administration
No Bread for Weeks.

New York.-Before the bolshevists
abandoned Riga they murdered most
of the civic leaders, played machine
guns on the persons in one prison and
sacked the homes of the wealthy. ac-
cording TO an official report received
here by the American relief Admins
tration.
This report, made by Capt. Howell
Forman, head of the administrators
Baltic mission, and forwarded by Her.
bert Hoover, director general of the
organization, asserted that Inhabitants
of Riga, heartened by the arrival OF
American supplies, had turned on their
oppressors and now were hunting
down bolshevists and executing many
daily.
The report warned that "a large rad
ical element is left in the population.
and failure of the authorities to pro-
vide food until the city can get on its
feet again might lead them, with the
assistance of the bolshevists still IN
hiding. to attempt another uprising"
Even with the arrival of American
supplies food conditions were pictured
MS distressing. Roof rabbits"
shevik for house cats-are bringns
almost prohibitive prices, as they are
virtually the only form OF meat avail
able.
5000 Persons III.
Captain Forman reported that 1877
900 persons--nearly $4,000 of whom
are seriously i'll from typbus. effects
of starvation and other causes-are
receiving meal a day from so Amer
lean kitchens, while American bread
is being distributed from 90 depots.
With an epidemic of dysentery feared
In the approaching warm season.
American medica, experts are study
Ing the situation to decide what foods
are most urgently needed.
Before the polshevlsts abandoned
the city they opened the doors of one
prison and drove the prisoners into the
yard, where machine guns played upon
Them" said Captain Forman's report.
1.-THE bodies of seven clergymen and a
number of women were found WREN
troops entered the city.
"Under the bolshevik reign occu-
pants of handsome residences ewere
moved into sIums and hordes of ruff
fans invaded richly furnished apart
ments. Houses OF the wealthy were
ransacSed and furniture, clothing and
lewelry shipped into the interior.
"To be well dressed in Riga today
Is dangerous. A grim local jest says
If a man Is well dressed he is a Dol
shevik; If In rags he is harmless
"The bolsheviks divided the popula-
ton into three classes for distribution
of food. To receive this daily ration
applications had to be made for cards,
but as applicants were often thrown
Into prison instead of receiving cards
many were frightened into staying
away and starving.
No Bread for Weeks.
"Feeble men and womeA stood In
line for hours to receive their rations
and often there was no bread for
weeks. When there was any extra
food, such as meat fats or vegetables,
bolshevik commissarles were the only
ones to benefit. No food was to be
had in open markets.
'aThe bolshevik ration being Insult.
Gent the inhabitants either starved,
or If they had property exchanged
jewelry or clothing for bits of food
struggled into the city by peasants
from the country, Exorbitant prices
were demanded. Frightened boishe-
vik currency, printed in vast quanti-
ties. was thrown about in the streets,
being practically valueless.
Curious crowds still gather on the
water front at Libau watching white
-four unloaded from American ships of
the American relief administration.
Women and children in warehouses
pinch flour from the floor and eat it
raw from their finger tips. Stevedores
scrape Jumps of wet flour from ship
decks and secrete 1t In bootlegs.
"a little meat is on sale at prohibit
tive prices. House cats are sold under
the more appetizlng title of roof rab-
Bit After five years of war and boil
shevism the population is reduced
from 1900 TO 1000.
THO &c WHY YnIl THIRST