The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-05-28
1000 MURDERED
BY B [ !
U. S. Red Cross Agents Tell OF
Reds Atrocities in
Siberia. i.
~ t%Ea st&Ef ~. EASSs m
Dig own PITS; BURIED Ed J. alive
Murders Were Without sProvocation
and the Victims Were Largely OF
Thrifty or intelligent Glasses
or Servants of Church.

Omsk. evidence OF the
massacre by the bOlsheviki5 OF more
than 1900 civilians in and near the
town of .Osa has been obtained by
Nessrs. Simmonds and Emerson and
DR.. Rudolph Teusler of the American
Red Cross, who have just returned
from Perm, Osa and other re-occupied
Russian territory. approximately 500
persons were killed at Osa and LOCO
In the surrounding districts. r. Ie6qaj
Osa, which had q population Of 10,
600, was SO denuded Of males by the
bolsheviki that General Casagrande,
upon the occupation Of the town, was
obliged to telegraph to Dkaterinburg
for men to administer civic affafrs. III
.@,3& 4 Dogs Dig Up Bodies. 51s4 &5ls
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 were buried
sometimes several deep In graves re:
vealed BY the digging Of dogs. r. *s@sS
The murders were without provoca-
ton 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 exterminate. r..5s. -..,.
The evidence discloses almost tun-
thinkable atrocities. A blacksmith. by
economies, had attained a shop. he
was required to pay 5000 rubles; be.
cause he could not, he was shot. A
man was shot because he lived In q
brick house. All attorneys and jurtstS
were killed, and doctors, whose serv-
ices were not required for the moment,
were disposed Of in similar 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 repeating her
tisit several times she was Informed
that If she bothered the commissar
again she would be shot, as they had
been. fsN .@.@s. nv 4 a-tE%4
The body of a woman was exhumed
and identified in the presence Of the
Americans as the wife of general
through jewels sewed in the lining OF
her clothing. of which relatives were
aware. Another woman was compelled
to fetch a lamp and gaze upon her
murdered sons for the amusement OF
the Slayers,
A wife required to pay 600 rubles
for the release Of her husband bor
rowed 500 and paid it over; later she
returned with the remainder. and then
was informed that her husband had
been shot. There were scores OF SINH,
lar cases All were killed without any
form Of trial.
Victims Dig own Graves.
The soviet called a meeting and pre-
pared lists Of th0SeIo die. The houses
prescribed were visited by squads, the
doors were smashed in, and the VIC
tins dragged to the edge of the town
and forced TO dig their own graves.
Those who resisted were shot in the
streets. ..,-" 49,.
A survivor testified that he had seen
men thrown into pit and buried
nlivr. This testimony has been con.
ilrmcd by bodies eNhmncd, the clenched
hands of which we're clinging to the
mud at the bottom OF the pit.
Tho only spark Of humanity discov'
nhle was that in colfiScating the be-
ionginws IF The residents III some ill.,
stances where there was TantlN ut
small children. the family was permit.
ted so retain 1ne COW, out of several.
Occasionally peasant was allowed to
keep his worst horse.
Tie bnlShe,ik attitude toward the
church was uncompromising. Priests
were hunted numerically. The evil
,le,rre showed that men were slain
whose only offense was that they
werknd %as sections or caretakers Of
churches. .eEaa &a g ->.&. t@
.5.t ~.