The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1920-05-13
; ofush can paint the horrors they suf-

pul one OF the many, painted red and
piack as the villages were ruined by
IRE, and at night the flares from the
burning stacks marked the course of
the .Mongonial-Buriat regiment, under
the command of Cossack officers. rob-
nlng homes, stealing stock, numbering
White women and children, innocent
pables torn from their mothers arms
and butchered, their dead bodies left
ON the hillside to be devoured by the
vultures, wolves and wild dogs. In the
valley there is silence of DEATH brok-
en- only now and then by the screech
OF some bird as. it sweeps from it's
flight to an easily won feast, or by
thefighting of wolves over their grue-
some meal. 1t was a hard thing for
the peasants to be alive in these days
with nothing but murder and death
treading after them, waiting to spring
at their throat or to trip them and
send them flying headlong into the pit
OF death. Every night if you had the
sight you could see the twin sisters
disease and dispair- -grinning and glib
bering at each other over tthe noun
tains surrounding the valley. Around
| the ruined hearths you could hear the
swish of the death wings; when the
black night was broken by the advance
guard of the spirits of the morning in
the cold, gray dawn, you could see the
legions of the dead chased away over
the edge of the world, only to return
when the wings of night had swept
their giant circle around the earth.
This is but picture of all that vast
country Who can blame them for
fighting for their homes, for right
to live, and only meager living at
that9 Not you and I, my friends.
The railroad there is run by the gov
ernment and in each station there is
a station commandant whose duties are
similar to a station master in this
country. In addition to his railroad
duties he is also sort of secret SER
vice man and he is supposed to take
the name of each and everyone who
makes any remark detrimental to the |
Imperial government. Ever so often |
an armored train is run up and down |
the railroad and will stop at the diff
ferent stations, the officer in charge |
gets the list from the commandant, |
sends guard out to get those whose |
names are OIL the list, they are put |
aboard the train and whipped and in
all probability killed and thrown from
the moving train, this without trial
and. regardless of whether they are
guilty or not guilty. No secrecy is
maintained regarding these killings;
in fact it is given wide publicity in
order that the people will fear their
superiors. Nine of these trains are in
operation most every day and the peo-
Pile they have killed during the past
year is estimated around 25,000 Their
policy seems to be to make the people
love their government through fear,
but instead it is making them hate and
despise it.
When the Americans took over the
sector of railroad from Verkne Udinsk
to Mysovaya in May year ago, Sc
menoff ran his armored train into
Verkne Udinsk, and Col. Morrow, our
regimental commander, knowing the
depredations the train crew committed,
Immediately notified the train COM
mander that he could not run his train
over the American sector, and gave
him "a hours to leave town. The COM
mander sent word back that he would
not move his train, whereupon Col.
Morrow moved out his machine guns,
pompoms, one Founders, and several
companies of infantry. A detachment
was sent east about two miles to take
charge of the railroad bridge over the
Uda river, with instructions to blow
the bridge if reinforcements attempt
ed to cross. A company was also sent
to the wagon bridge connecting the
main city with what is know is Forks
Barracks, where Semenoff had troops
stationed, with orders to let no one
cross the bridge into the city. Mind
YOU, this was the army we were sent
there to assist in every way that we
could and the only trouble we had IN
that country we had with them. We
were supposed to remain neutral, but
the handwriting ON the wall when our
government refused to negotiate with
the bolsheviks and supported Kolchak
with guns, ammunition, etc, showed
plainly where we stood.
WE'LL after everything was ready for
action, Japanese general came to Col.
Morrow and asked him if there was
not some way to avoid trouble, as
many innocent people would be killed,
the armored train being in the railroad
wards and many houses would be IN
line of fire. Col. Morrow replied that
there was only one way he knew OF
and that was for the train to get out
of our sector and. stay out. The Japs
said they would have to take part with
the Semenoff troops against the Amer
.4.u+oJ hut fhav would