New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-01
Mrs. Harrison, First To Be
Released, Reaches Riga;
Refused Pledge Not TO
Talk About Bolslleviki
Says She Was Not
Held i'm Dungeon
Lost W eight in 10 Months,
but Food Was Good as at
Soviet Tables Outside

RIGA, July 81 (By The Associated
Press) The release of ali Americans
still in prison in Russia may be ex-
pected within few days, according to
Mrs Marguerite f. Harrison, of Balti-
more, who herself passed many months
in imprisonment at Moscow, but who
was released and came here under the
protection of United States Senator
France, of Maryland. She was informed
before leaving Moscow that all would
be out soon
No formal notification of the re-
lease of the Americans mas yet been
received at Riga, and the American Of
.ficials have not been advised as to
whether the prisoners will be freed
one at time or in a group.
Mrs. Harrison related her story to-
day and pictured her life in. prison as
differing far from sketches Of her suf-
fcrings drawn from time 10 time by
travellers arriving in the Baltic States
from Russia. Although under close
confinement for considerable time,
Mrs. Harrison gave an nemotional
statement of her experiences. She was
thin and frail, and her recital was inter
rupted occasionally by a deep cough
from the day of her arrest to her
release.
Worked Six Months Unmolested
~ was first arrested on April q,
1920, two months after 7 arrived in
Russia by way Of the Polls, frontier -
said Mrs. Harrison to-day. ~ was de-
tanned two days for cross-examination,
tfen was released, and for SIX months
was permitted to work unp.olested in
Moscow.
"In October I was again arrested by
order of the Cheka (tha Soviet inquisi
tion). I was charged among other
things with having come to Russia
without permission, with having sup.
piled food Illegally to American and
British prisoners and with having beer
in communication with people hostile
to the governm ent all of which was
true. The examiners were polite, but
they made me realize the seriousness
of my position.
"Then | was put in solitary confne-
ment for six days-not in d dungeon
but in room like a small single room
VI iObcl. ~ uO lNukc was III q
dungeon, and this was my only solitary
confinement in Russia. I was removed
on my own request to q general room
with the occupants varying from seven
to eleven, where | spent nearly eight
months. This building was not orig
inally a prison, but was an old rooming
house. 1t was primarily used for de-
tention only, and the physical discom-
forts there were due to this fact.
Generally speaking, the rations
were as good as or better than in the
Soviet dining rooms outside, but T.
like the others, inside and out, lost
weight op them. Food packages from
outside were permitted weekly, and in
were periods of several weeks when I
got nothing from outside and some
packages sent apparently never reached
me.
Told of Prospects for Release
"I had one more hearing in Novem-
Der, which was without result At
intervals after January was in
formed officially that there were pros
poets of my release if the American
government formally demanded it on
the basis of trade negotiations or in
exchange for Communist prisoners in
America.
con June 6, by order of the prison
physician, I was removed from Cheka
detention to the hospital in another
and better equipped prison especially
for women, where I remained until
released, receiving every care and at
tention. The first word of immediate
prospect of my release came through
Senator France, who called on me on
July 23, and J was finally freed and
taken to railway station, arriving
just seven minutes before the train
left for Riga"
Mrs. Harrison declared she gave no
pledge to the Bolsheviki not to talk
fCnntinued an next narel