The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-19

Sipek was sent by Professor Masaryk.
now president of the Czecho -Siovak!
republic. to rumania, to report on the
possibility of Joining the small
Czecho-Slovak army to the Rumanian
armies. AS Sipek was returning
early in March. 1918. from Jassy. he
had to cross Bo'shevik lines in order
10 reach the Czecho- SIovak headquar-
ters near Kiev. And the Bolsheviki
at that time were engaged in the
oastime OF killing Russian officers.
One night Sipek slept with fifteen
Russian officers in a hut in the town
of Tirospol. In Bessarabia. In the
morning he and one of the Russian
officers got up early and took a stroll
through the town. They were re-
81 s>ss 4~(ssA> -, 49, 7t.@
nns.y s5ip.F qpes thes. >Ssff1>i. ". go
tngs that the Bo'sheviki had visited
the hut. killed the fourteen officers.
and knew that two more were In town.
So Sipek hurried back to kishenefn
and saved his skin by a rather narrow
margin.
In his more than four years OF fight
ing Major John Sipek had many mar
row escapes and unpleasant expert
ences The one he will never forget
is his eight weeks long imprisonment
for the second time at Fkaterinhurg.
In June. 1918, shortly after lighting
broke out between the Cgecho-Slovaks
and the Red Guards, Sipek was sent
from Chelia binsk to Archangel TO
make a report on the situation to the
allied ambassadors and ascertain their
point Of view. The Bolshevik COM
missariat Of military affairs in Mos
COW gave him a safe conduct, but by
the time his train reached Ekaterin-
burg, Thotsky. in Moscow. changed
~ nI ~1n Aiu of
Sipek was placed In the common
tall, a mile or so from the house in
which the ex-czar and his family were
held prisoners. The Jail was pretty
crowded. and although the Bolsheviks
made room every night by ordering a.
few executions. new inmates came In
every day. They were mostly Russian
officers. socialist leaders and any
prominent men who did not look good
to the local com missary. Sipek says
that every night between s and $3.50
he felt a little nervous. for that was
the time for calling out the names 90
those who were wanted. None OF
those called out ever came back TO
Jail or to his family.
The Bolsheviki Forgot.
BY half-past . the suspense was
over for the night, and Spek fell
soundly asleep on his hard bed. He
WAS III lIdL jail lot tIElt FtShos anu
to this dav he cannot explain how 10
was that the Bolsheviki forgot to call
his name. When he finally got out.
the allied consuls at Ekater'nhurg
who took a lively interest in his fate,
were very much astonished to see him
alive. The same Czecho Slovak col
umn which FASTENED the Boishevikt
decision to kill the cz9r delivered
Sipek from captivity. 4 good many
OF his old command were in that col
umn, and they had sworn TO release
the major.
AS soon as II was known that the
C3echo-Slovaks were about TO attack,
the Jail guards came 10 Sipek. begged
for his intercession with the new mas
ters and turned over to MIN all their
weapons. The prisoners under
Sipek's command were prepared to
receive the Red Guard If they came TO
clean up the jail before retreating-
on that fatal night, however, the un-
fortunate car met his fate But tho
Czecho -Slovaks scattered the Bolshe-
wiki too fast for them 10 make an at
tempt upon the jail. and after oighc
weeks ior Sipek was enabled 10 re-
join his command. safe and sound.