The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-04
WIFE AND CHILD,
BELIEVED DEAD
RETURN FROM WAR
Mrs. Louis SamueIs and
Daughter Held in Lemberg,
Austria, Through Reign Of
Terror.

Lost for six years in the heart of
war-torn, shattered, shell-shocked
Europe, living in almost daily fear
of their lives and passing scarcely a
day not made horrible by the boom
ing of guns, Mrs. Louis Samuels and
her little daughter, Minnie, are safe
at last in Memphis. And Louis
Samuels, furniture dealer, 25S North
Main street, who for more than two
years had believed his wife and
daughter slain in the great war, is
as happy at their miraculous return
as they are to be with him again.
Mrs. Samuels and her daughter re-
turned to Memphis at the first op-
portunity. They left Lemberg, Aus
tria, where they were held during the
war and the troubles which followed
in Poland at the close Of the war,
and started home last August. They
arrived at the Grand Central station
Saturday night where they were met
by Samueis.
When little Minnie, then about 3
years old, left her home at 541 Mos
by street on that sunny July day in
1914, she clasped her baby arms
about her fathers neck and lisped
Goodbye, daddy"
When little Minnie, now grown to
the proportions of 8 years, arrived in
Memphis last Saturday night. she
did not greet her father in English.
Indeed. she did not greet him at ali,
but declared in affrighted tones to
Sler mother, THAT is not my daddy"
And she spoke Polish. Her six years
sojourn in Europe has completely
banished her knowledge of the Eng
Gsh tongue.
Minnie, however, Is now reconciled
TO the fact that Samuels is her fother.
She now consents to converse with
him in Polish, and she hugs and
kisses him. too, for she knows that
nobody but daddy who loves her
dearly could shower the attentions
upon her that Samuels does
Mrs. Samuels plainly shows the re-
suit of the terrific strain she was
under for more than six years. Her
nerves are shattered. her husband de-
clares. She will consent to speak
of her terrible experiences only brief
ly at this time. She shudders when
recounting only the merest details.
When Mrs. Samuels and Minnie ar
rived across the water, they pro-
CCSlSu W AuolIld' lHtS COliO IiOL
foresee, of course, that the United
States would be embroiled in the war,
and until 1916 they corresponded with
Samuels.
But when the muttering of the
European guns began to echo on this
side of the Atlantic communication
by mail ceesed. Since that time, un-
til two months ago, Louis Samuels
heard no moro from his wife and
daughter He came. after several
months had passed, to give them up
for dead.
Tales of the atrocities committed
upon women and children, which
Sceped into the american press,
caused Samuels countless nights and
days Of horror. He could see reflec-
tions of his wife and baby mirrored
in each such tale.
As the wears rolled on Samuels re-
figned himself to what he believed
was his fate. He gave up their home
on Mosby street and took up quarters
above his store on North Main street.
Then came a day, two months ago,
when a message came aS from the
dead 1t was from Mrs. Samuels, and
brought the wonderful news that she
and Minnie were on their way home.
Mrs. Samuels and Minnie We're in
Lemberg when that city was taken
after a siege by the Russians, early
in the war. Russian troops were
chartered all about the town and
atrocities were frequent, with women
and children as the victims. Mrs.
Samuels declared. Later. when the
German troops cantured Lemberg,
the treatment Of ciEiliaps became
bettAR. she said.
The parents of Mrs. Samuels both
died while she was in Lemberg'
brother WAS slain ON the Italian
.front.
Mrs. Samuels returned 80 America
on the Hollan&sAmerican liner Rot"
terdami She landed at New YORK
and camo straight home. She anu
Samucls were married in 1914
Minnie is a blue-eyed, red-haIreo
English now, soon Will be entered in
school, her father declared Monday.
Il believe it will soon come back to
her" he said Il am going to get
some OF the little children she used to
play with. and see if that won't help.
Minnie is a blue eyed, red haired
little miss, and although she cannot
understand English she understands
the universal language of a smile,
and she chuCkled happily when she
learned that she was to have her
nicture taken with her mamma. and
the daddy" she just has found