The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-10-05
AWF FUL HORRORS Of
RUSSIA TOLD. BY
MME. PQNAF|D|NE
Starved, Robbed and Insulted by
Bolsheviks
THRILLING STORY IS TOLD
No Mercy Shown to Educated or
Cultured People BY New
Rulers of Russia

fering, viyidly anu simply told by a
charming, intelligent woman was the
verdict of the audience who gather
ed at High School hall last evening to
listen to Madam Ponafidine.
The lecturer was introduced by Miss
Jennie A. Valentine, former school
friend. Madam Ponafdine Is an Am.
erican who married Russian noble
man. At the beginning OF the war
she was living with her husband and
three sons on their large estate in
Russia. between Moscow and Petro.
grad.
She began her talk by saying that
because OF the enormous size OF Rus.
sia and because OF her limited time
1t was most difficult to present .
true picture, as Russia Is now chaot
ic mass OF confusion but that she
would tell her own personal story.
When the war broke out the people
were full Of enthusiasm and fully de.
termined to carry on to victory. The
first revolution was not brought about
by the peasants but by thinking, in
telllgent people, but II came at the
wrong time. For two weeks there
was no government and during that
time there was no case OF lawlessness
in the territory about the Ponafdine
estates. showing that the people were
law.abiding and kindly.
A parish government was then es.
tablished, formed by peasants, who
were told that all the land belonged
to the people. They cut down great
quantities of forests. most OF the wood
rotting where 1t fell. All keys were
taken from Madam PonaHdine; pro.
visions were rationed and she was
told that whNs everything belonged
to the people, they would not be mo.
Tested until orders came to that ei.
feet.
In November. 1917. came the Boil
shevik revolutions which Madam Pom
afidine said was purely German
paid for present to u.s. Their first
object was to denationalize the army
and desert the allies-and then TO
nationalize, sociallze and miEtarze
everything-and everything to be held
In common.
The shops were all closed and II
was impossible to buy anything. The
.Bolsheviks said they would empty
the pockets OF the capitalists but that
the revolution should be bloodless The
intellectuals we're put upon short ra.
tions, one eighth Of pound OF bread
each day. few frozen potatoes: peo-
pie were forbidden all traffic unless
In government duty and there were
no hotels or restaurants In the cities
to which citizen cou'd go.
Madam Ponahdne said they were
deprived OF all foreign newspapers
and she was In absolute ignorance OF
what was going on outside OF Russia
from 1917 until october 1920. There
were statements In the Russian papers
to the effect that all the world was
turning to Bolshevism and capitalism
In America was In its last strong.
hold
In October, 1920. they saw an Eng
lish newspaper in which Lloyd George
had made a speech telling OF the hor'
rors in Russia. This paper was Sc
cretly passed from one to another.
but six people were shot as result
of having read 1t. No calendars wer-
printed. The government gave ont
work.books. for so much work people
were entitled to receive so much food
or clothing. ta4a
In 1918 a large party Of Bolsheviks
came to Madam Ponafidine's home.
They remained six days, searched the
house for gold, spirits, firearms, and
counter revolutionary literature.
The Bolsheviks upon coming into
power had abolished law. saying that
the revolutionary conscience SHOW
be the only law. The result OF this
was, OF course, that in some localities
crime might be punished by death,
and In another, II the conscience hap
pened to be little more elastic, the
offender went free.
In searching the home of Madam
PonaHdine they came upon the law
books and lecture notes which belong.
ed to her son and also they found
many papers belonging to her hus'
band, containing government seals
and coats OF arms. Thes papers were
all put together and she was told that
there was evidence enough to bring
death to the family. The man in
charge said, however that he rather
liked her and didn't want to bring
this tragedy upon her family,
He was going to the next estate for
the same purpose and told Madam
ponafdine that II she would burn all
these papers while he was away ac.
ton would not be taken. Upon his
return this had been done. Valuable
papers including letter from Gather
Inc the Great, personally autographed
to one of the Ponafdne ancestors,
were all destroyed When the Boil
sheviks left them, they carried away
all that twenty horses could draw.
It was decided soon after this to
take the entire estate and make u
model farm of II and the Ponafdlnes
we're given a small bungalow in which
to live, one horse, and COW and what