The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-10
THRILLING TIMES N
kAlAN UNDER FIRE

Paris, March s.---After heing undet
Boishevik and Czech bonhardmsnt for
months, Cyprus r. Mitchell. graduate
of the Missouri university and post
graduate of the University OF Chicago
has escaped from Russia where he has
been doing Y. NJ. C. A work since 1917
md now Is engaged in the quieter REQ
Triangle service among released Rus
sian prisoners in France Fifteen
months of hardship and danger have
not daunted Mr.. Mitchell in his desire
70 10 Russian work or in his fAieh
that the Russian eventually will work
out his own salvation
Mr. Mitchell, did most Of his 7. NJ
&c. 4. work At Kasan. On the ,voigs- an
old Tartar stronghold and q city Of
500. 600 population. Tho American
NJ. C. A sent him to Russia IN August
1917. I'm the frst party OF Red TIL
angle mon sent there after America
vostok In October. 1917. procssdsns
through Siberia to Petroerad and Mos
COW. In March. 1917. the German in
lvasion drove him from KhArkoR. hut
in July he was assigned to KAxan
whore riotinE and other tvfuult began
almost from the moment Of his arrival
About August .. the Cxscho- SlcvAiss
began bombardinE the city. From ths
roof Of the dom" or Y. n c. A. buila-
ing Mitchell watched the taking u
the city. Trying to walk homo. no wa
caught between Csechc- SlovAk and
Boishsvik fire. but escaped The fell
lowing period was ono Of peril with
the Boisheviks bombarding the sity
After learning that the allies were he
hind the Cxechs, the ''Y'' man o1srsA
his service to that section. agreeing
TO distribute food at cost. They stss
tried to do hospital work.
we were getting into shape fdF
this." related Or. Mitchell. Then the
Bolshsviks began 70 get the range Of
to stand on the dome OF the ''Dorn."
guessing whether the Bolshevtks would
get back. We had flung OLD Glory -
the breeze. The mechanic hung II
half-mast at first and we had to shiA
up the slender Flagstaff to get It into
must have seen II for one nns evening
! heard a vigorous pun from the volga
and a few seconds later pro1ectila
rrissed us by ten feet. Wa took to tbs
After y consulting with the t-rereh
mission. the Y. NJ c. A. men decided
stay in spite Of evacuation Of the
city.
Next morning the B.'sheviks were
back. There was a little shooting ana
a great many troops by our hiding
place. thoroughly armed and we'll dis-
ciptned.
. After a period Of hiding and dodg-
Ing, they communicated with the local
committee and were told to walt They
learned that tho majority Of the "y''
men ut Mimi had been Jailed or evict-
cd from Rolshevtk territory. Even
tually DR.. Mitchell and his associates
decided TO leave the Kazan work in
charge Of Russian assistant and 70
away.
TN the meantime We had gotten in
touch with the war prisoners who hHd
como back to Kazan. and eventually
obtained permission to war prison
work. We wired our headquarters ~
Moscow telling what We had done. we
received information on which we d.
c!ded to leave. At last succeeded in
eating . permit TO Moscow. While On
route was searched six times in about
four hours. In Moscow. 1 finally rot
In touch with the United States legal
representative. Three weeks later B.
was finally cleared"
DIR. Mitchell was born In Australia,
but spent his student days IN the
United states ana 10 American IN ~
ostiesk