Evening journal., 1922-04-12

Gl4N ialN4All NEMl4NOII
WASHINGTON. April - Omitted
Press) General Semenoff, Cossack
chieftain, was painted as a whole
sale murderer" by W S. Graves to
the Senate Labor Committee today.
Grim murder trains" which took
men out to be shot down along the
track side and buried IN common
graves; American soldiers ruthlessly
murdered; an American lieutenant
held virtual prisoner forty hours
these formed part Of the picture
presented by General Graves to the
committee with regard TO Semenoff's
actions in Siberia during the war.
Chairman Borah. anxious to see
semenoff put out of this country.
had called Graves. commander Of
the American Siberian expedition.
and had drawn from him a story OF
horror that made spectators shud-
der.
Semenoff had sent down New
York attorney to watch his inter
ests; and his oss-examination
tended TO show a desire 20 lay at the
door OF Kolchak. men or uncon-
trolled soldiers. the killing and bar
barlties Graves had painted. The
most graphic part Of Graves story
dealt with the murder trains"
This story came from Lieutenant
John ]. Mcdonald. OF the American
forces made to Graves aid, Captain
Hoffman. Mcdonald had seen the
murder trains" 90 out packed
with Bolshiviki prisoners. And
they had come back empty two
hours later. He trailed them and
found great common graves which
told the story-prisoners lined up
and shot beside the railway and
then buried lightly. Some had their
heads off: dogs might have done
that, said McDonald's statement,
but It didn't look that way.
There was evidence that Semen
of forces had virtually kept an
American lieutenant prisoner 40
hours because he refused to give up
rifles they wanted; also evidence
that Semenoff forces had fred into
an American train used as barracks
killing two soldiers and other tes-
tlmony that later five American
soldiers had been taken in murder
trains and dispatched.
Graves said he would have moth
ing TO do with Semenohf. whose repu-
tation was that OF a man with very
little, II any. regard for human life
or property"
Lieut.. Colonel Charles H. Nor
row testified that semenon's chief
Lieutenant Kolmatoff. had executed
men by hundreds. He told Of one
group Of 16 cut all to pieces with
sabres and bayonets and their bodies
left on the ground for several days
Feeling between the American
forces and the Cossacks became so
bad that It led to frequent clashes
Morrow said.
Later some Of Kolmatoff's troops
mutlnied, coming over and being
dlsarmed by Morrow's men. Later II
was discovered that the men had
been falsely stirred up against the
Americans.
The mutineers charged Kolmatoft
with more than 1000 executions and
! a reign Of terror which left many
women without husbands, many
children without parents"
In a clash between American
7 forces and a Russian armored train
a Sergeant Robbins was Killed, g
private. Montgomery. fatally wound
ed and another prlvete. Townley, suf
fered loss of a foot. Morrow de
manded trial Of the Cossacks re-
sponsible for the row but got In re
turn only evasive answers.
one OF the men taken off th'
armored train said he had wanted
TO commit suicide because OF tn
horrors" he had Witnessed whil'
aboard "the destroyer" a car 81
named. he said. because II literally
destroyed all In its path. One time
he related, 1 8 men and women wer'
whipped and thrown half dead "int'
an ice hole" People were whipped
e. and killed ruthlessly II they werl
suspected OF being Bolsheviks. thi
man said.
Another Cossack related OF strip
ping men and women. whippin
them. throwing them into the ic
hole and II their were still alive, fin
ishing them off with a bayonei
other prisoners corroborated thes
stories. adding details Of extrem
cruelty.
Hundreds OF complaints OF Rus
sian citizens and appeals for Ameri
can protection came into Morrow
headquarters.
Down in a peaceful valley-th
= home Of 100000 peaceful Russia
farmers-Semenoff sent one OF hi
, generals with the wild division whic
? killed. plundered and committe
crimes indescribable said Morrow
, The people then flooded him wit
? appeals TO save them.
/ Though Morrow's orders wer
t strictly only to guard railroads h
declared, II finally helped them;
had to-"