The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-19

shock and collapses in front of us Red soldiers carry him up to the pri- son chamber. and bring a woman, who apparently was in the vicinity. and who, we are informed. is to look after him.
 When this horrible spectacle was over, we were taken to the very cold gymnasium, where a great heap of potatoes was piled in a corner They gave us knives and told us to peel the potatoes and to cut them fin slices into a huge kettle. They kept us busy until about half past eleven, by which time we had filled the kettle more than half full. We were then taken back to our prison room, where new prisoner, an old gentleman with white goatee, the painter, Professor Berger had meantime been brought He was arrested on the street for tear ing down a proclamation of the So- viet- He was greatly disturbed about his wife. who will not know where he is, because he was arrested on the street and brought at once to prison.
 We are not given the potato soup for which we peeled potatoes for our midday meal, but rice soup with canned beef. In addition, each one gets an immense piece of commissary bread. After eating. the guards smoke cigarettes and cigars. l inquire whe- ther I cannot buy a cigar, and am told that they are commandeered ci- gars which cannot be sold. However, the Slav from Moscow, after inform ing me of this promptly gives me one.
 Soon after luncheon one of my fel- low prisoners is liberated. As he leaves, I beg him to tell my wife where I ann and to do what he can to secure my freedom.
 During the afternoon other prison CTS have been arrested and brought in.
 The first is a sergeant with gold eyeglasses. who is handed over by two workers, who have taken him on the public street because he still wore insignia on his collar. 'Comrade. how do you happen to have this insignia?' inquired one of the workers
 T have served honorably in the army
 Do you know that only those men are promoted in the army who have abused their comrades?'
 No, that's not true.'
 Do you know who you are talk ing to? I served four years in the army
 This conversation was repeated with variations six or seven times, before the man who brought in the prisoner finally left the room. Then came a young civilian with an iron cross, ai- leging to have been in telephone com munication with government troops something that he vigorously de- nied
 The Investigations follow each other rapidly. Some are held in our room and others in an office on the first floor. About three o'clock I am call ed, and taken down to the office. The city commander had inquired by tel ephone if I was there. They said I was, and that ended the matter for the time being. I take the inquiry as a sign that my released fellow prf- soner had begun to do something for me, and that someone at headquar- ters had got interested. In addition, l had requested the black-haired, ed ucated man, who was in charge of the investigation to notify my wife, and he had assured me a little later that he had done so.
 Above, in the detention room, the sentries distributed books from the school library to the prisoners. Would the gentleman like something to read 9 take a volume of Herodotus and read how the Medes, after a period of anarchy, restored their King.
 My reading was interrupted by the entrance of man who asked for Professor Berger. This man was for merly an assistant salesman in a del icatessen shop, and had even served MT. Berger and his wife there. He now has a business in Muller Street and had chanced to see the arrest of MT. Berger. He informed his wife and now brings the old gentleman eggs, bread, and warm soup in a thermos bottle. Mir. Berger sends word to his wife that he had had a good meal that noon; that he is in good company; and that he will keep the food until evening. and that she need not worry about him. When the kindly messenger has left, the black haired man and the civilians from the office presented themselves again and took the names of nine of the prisoners on a sheet of paper. These nine were to be heard first. Among them were MT. Berger the police official, and the Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The fate of the young automobile driver from Reg ensberg and the aviator appeared to have been settled down already. They were taken below. The police official speedily returned, sat down on a bed in the corner and began to weep. 'Ah, it is horrible I can't describe it! If you could just see into my soul That is all that he could reply to the questions of his sympathetic fel- low prisoners.
 A Red Guard sought to comfort him. Nothing will happen to you; you can be at rest
 Are the others lost, or only some of them. Only the nine. or every 1 one?
 As a matter of fact, the police of 1 ficial was soon released. But that was only the signal for the worst of all. The school bell be- gan to sound an alarm. One heard l the sound of voices and commands ! in the courtyard of the school; then r one volley after another. They had l placed the prisoners. innocent or gull | ty, up against the wall. one after an- | other, and shot them down as repri- | sals for twenty Red Guards who were | alleged to have been shot at Grum-
 wald by the government troops-a ! rumor that was later proved to be ! false. This horrible massacre kept up | until five o'clock. While the Volleys ! kept crashing in the court yard be- WI1 NI,A