Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-06-06
LIFE In A BOLSHEVIK PRISON
CAMP a MATTER Of ENDURANCE,
DECLARES A MAN WHO ESCAPED
Plight Of Seven Americans Held on Various
Charges Is Described By Captain Cooper;
Would Have Died Long Ago IF 1t Hadn't
Been for Outside Aid From Time to Time.
a. THE Ass0CIATED pREss.

Warsaw, June dis the Assoc
ciated Press The plight OF seven
Americans one Of them a woman,
held By the bolsheviki in prisons on
various charges. is worse to-
day than at any time since they
were taken into custody, i'm the
opinion of Capt Merton G. Cooper
of Jacksonville Fla, who escaped
recently from one of the camps
near Moscow Captain Cooper at
the time of his capture was com
mander Of the Kosculs2ko air
squadron Of the Polish army.
Life in a bolshevik prison camp
is a matter Of physical endurance
as to the length of time one is able
TO hold out if compelled to live
upon the food furnished by the
soviets, Captain Cooper said, All
Of the Americans would have died
long ago, Cooper believes if It
hadn't been for outside aid from
time to time,
Captain Cooper said he was on
the verge of starvation several
times. members of a British rail-
way mission who were also prison
ers coming to his rescue with food
iii one instance and. on other occa-
sions, eatables having been sent
him By foreign welfare orgauiza-
tons
Ration of the Average Camp.
The food ration Of the average
camp follows
Morning Imitation coffee, half
pound black bread, spoonful sugar
Noon-Two spoonfuls cooked
mush made of cereal resembling
bird seed
Night-Cup Of hot SOUP. A small
amount of potatoes and a piece of
meat usually not larger than an
egg, were served on an average of
about twice a month.
The black bread, according to
Cooper, who, as an aviator with
the First American army. was cap
tured by the Germans during the
Saint Mihiel drive, is far worse
than the bread served by the Ger
mans, even during the last few
weeks Of the war,
Mrs Marguerite f. Harrison Of
Baltimore, a writer arrested near
ly two years ago. is in the prison
where foreigners under investiga
ton by the extraordinary commits
sion are held. Conditions in this
place are said by the prisoners to
be the worst of any prison in all
Russia
Estey (unidentified) and Will
liam Flick, moving picture opera
tors, were in the same prison near
Moscow where Mrs. Harrison is
confined.
Thomas IIazelwood Of San Fran.
cisco, q United States soldier cap
tured In Siberia. was in prison
hospital Hazelwood has never
been sentenced as he has been un-
der medical treatment most Of the
time for frequent attacks of illneag.
Accused Of Being spy.
X p. Kalemantiano, a graduate
Of the University Of Chicago, ac-
cused Of being a spy has been held
nearly three years, most Of this
time having been in solitary con-
finement. Originally, kaleman-
tiano was sentenced to be shot,
Cooper heard, but later this was
commuted to twenty years impris-
onment and at last accounts the
htIllEliNt tiEtN bhtli tGAANtA ~ lANN
years Kalemantiano claims that
he went to Russia strictly in con-
nection with business
Another American held by the
bolsheviki is Royal G. Keely.
civil engineer, arrested early last
year after he had completed an in
dUstrial survey OF Russia for the
soviet government According to
various persons who have come
from Russia during the last year,
Keely was imprisoned because he
aroused the wrath Of the soviets
by writing the plain truth III his
reports although they We're sub
mitted to no one excepting soviet
authorities, Recent reports said
Keely had been sentenced 70 two
years imprisonment.
The last American to be arrested !
was Emmett Fitzpatrick Of Union
town, Pa, taken last fall in the /
Crimea. where he had gone as an
American Red Cross worker. Kill
patrick is accused OF being a mill /
tary observer for the United states !
government Fitzpatrick and Coop /
err We're prisoners together three |
months Fitzpatrick contends he
has never had a trial and that he
has been denied the privilege Of |
outside assistance
Fitzpatrick told me that he Yves
engaged in humanitarian work in
the Crimea as an official Of the .
American Red Cross and that he
carried an American passport Civ T,
ing him the right 10 travel in the \
~ ~ "a nth 2 on %