The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-27
CHILDREN FUGITIVES
BEFORE BOLSHEVIKI
There Were 200 of Them, Sons and
Daughters of Generals, Colonies
and Captains Who Fled Out
With. Wrangel.

New York, Dec. 27.--Two hundred
children of the officers of General
Wrangers staff, sons and daughters OF
generals, colonies and captains, were
among the 100000 Russian refugees
brought to Constantinople harbor by
ships of the allied nations when the
Bolsheviki broke down WrangePs de-
Tense and overran the Crimea.
Many of them were orphans, their
fathers having persisted while fighting
the Bolsheviki. One was the daughter
of the minister of finance of the Wran-
gel regime. All were nearly famished
when the vessels on which they had
taken refuge arrived here, for the ships
larders had been exhausted.
So hard pressed were all the refu-
gees to obtain food that they threw
diamonds and weapons or any other
valuables into the boats of traders
from Constantinople in payment for
anything eatable.
A graphic story of their arrival at
Constantinople and how an American
destroyer took the 200 children Of
WrangePs officers off the refugee yes.
sells and landed them at the trachoma
orphanage maintained by the Near
East Relief is told in reports re-
ceived by that organization in this
city. 1t reads in part:
"The harbor is wonderful and sad
sight. One hundred thousand Rus
SLAMS are on ships there, some of them
dying. The best of the old Russian
families are among these refugees,
the men who fought for Wrangel,
crowded and sick and without food
except what the relief people can get
to them and the bread and water
given to them by the French.
"0f course, natives are profiteering,
and little boats 60 to the ships and
the Russians drop diamonds, firearms
and other valuables to these traders
in exchange for food. The people on
these vessels represent the remains of
an old aristocracy with no country to
take them though the French expect
to send many to Morocco.
''The children were packed with
grown people like sardines on the big
ships coming from Crimea and most
of them were sick from fatigue, lack
of nourishment and lack of sleep.
Miss Gunther and Miss Hastings ire
lief workers. went to the ships on
board United States destroyer and
200 children were tagged with the
names of their fathers and mothers,
and the fathers occupation. Many
said; Father died in Wrangel's army
fighting for Russia The destroyer
brought the children to the landing Of
the trachoma orphanage which is
located right on the Bosporus. Ten
mothers were taken with their young
children and babies and the other chill
dren ranged from five to Is years.
Most of them looked exactly like
well-bred American children. Some
carried their dolls tightly in their args
and one little boy Rugged a teddy
bear. A boy of II carried sick lit
tie boy of eight years because he came
from his town in Russia. He would
not eat until the smaller boy had re-
eeived soup. Most of the children
could speak French.
First the mothers with little babies
were fed and then the children, first
the girls and then the BOYS One boy
ate six bowls of soup and all the chill
dren ate as if they were starved
There was no noise, no crying, no dis
order. They were like little soldiers.
All the boys removed their hats upon
entering the orphanage. The mothers
and babies were first given bath and
then the boys and girls"