The New York herald., 1922-04-11
COURT PROTECTS
SEMENOFF'S GOODS
Only Property Named as
Stolen Held Subject to
Bankruptcy Action.
WINS AN ADJOURNMENT
Cossack Leaders Deportation
Will Be Demanded by
Senator Borah.
WINS AN ADJOURNMENT

Counsel for Gen. Gregorio Semenoff
won partial victory for the Russian
leader in the United States District
Court yesterday afternoon when Judge
A. NJ Hand, after a hearing In reference
to the examination OF the General IN
bankruptcy proceedings before Referee
Peter B. Oiney, decided that Gen.
Semenoff could not be asked regarding
what property he may have. but may
he specifically questioned in connection
with goods alleged to have been stolen
from the Youreveta Home and Foreign
Trade Company. Inc.
The examination was resumed before
the referee in the latter's offices. 6S VIII
lam street. e. s. Greenbaum, represens-
Ing John Melville Boyle, trustee In banE-
ruptcy, questioned the Cossack leader.
hut failed to obtain any information re
garding the alleged robbery of the stat
Eank of Chita by his officers when
/ 10000 rubles were taken. George W.
Glare and Ezra p. Prentice. for the RUS
sian, interposed an objection. claiming
the question was not within the jurisdic-
ton of the bankruptcy act. Mr.. Prem
tice said he would advise his client not
to answer and suggested the Federal
courts be appealed to for ruling MI.
Olney agreed and adjourned the hearing
to Thursday at o'clock.
Semenoff then was served with a
summons and complaint and attachment
in behalf of Oscar l.. Richards ana
others composing the firm OF z. 81
richards & Co. According to Walter I.
Kohn of Weschler e. Kohn, attorneys
for. the company. the Cassack leader
agreed to pay $1,000 gold rubles for.
shipment of furs. horses and other ner-
chandise which was billed at $1S0.0N.
Deserted KoIchak.
Semenoff was asked yesterday. among
other things, whether the Amur Govern
ment had not called his troops bandits.
Mr.. Glaze objected and was sustained.
Semenoff said he had first served under
Admiral Kolchek when he became head
OF the Omsk Government In 1918. he
admitted he later refused to cooperate
with Kolchak for political reasons. and
because Kolchak had ordered some OF
his men court martialed.
The Russian said these men were
known to him as fearless officers who
had fought well against Germany and
later fought the Bolshevist> aggression.
Kolchak had Semenoff investigated,
and gave him a clean bill OF health.
kOlCnak later gave otIHGuOLl COlilindHA
OF two army corps. Mr.. Greenbaum
reused the ire Of the Russian when he
asked IL 1t were true he had left his
troops in 1920. escaping by airplane.
IT never left my troops either on
horseback or in an airplane," he almost
shouted in Russian. He said he had
done considerable scouting by airplane.
Semenoff said he knew of no trouble
between his men and the Chita populace
in August. 1920, nor could he recall send
ing a note to the Japanese Government
concerning the withdrawal of Japanese
troops from that region.
The General told reporters he had
cancelled passage aboard the Aquatanfa.
sailing to-day. and would stay and fight
his arrest.
When the lawyers went before Judge
Hand, about 8 o'clock, the record of the
proceedings before Referee Olney was
read, and Mr.. Prentice explained his
client had refused to answer the ques-
tion regarding property he owned and
the alleged taking of the 1850, 900 rubles
from the Chita State Bank because he
believed the question was not within the
limits of an examination conducted for
the purpose of tracing assets but more
a query to determine the collectability
of judgments.