The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-11-03
STORYOF HORROR
TOLD BY WOMAN
South Russia Is Far From
Being Paradise
Staying OF HUSBAND
Mrs. Philip Wiebe Arrives In
Mountain Lake After Thrill
ing Journey

Mountain Lake, Uvtooer 2S.-The
Mountain Lake View publishes the
follow ing story:
Her husband and oldest son muir
dered in cold blood by a gang of
blood thirsty marauders; the death
OF her only other son the same
month after a thrilling escape from
a robbers den; later hasty trip. 20
Constantinople where they were dc
layed for four months; and finally
setting sail for this country as they
watched the flames OF Smyrna lay
waste the large city and passing
through waters strown with the
bodies of the dead after the out
break in that section-these are
some of the thrilling incidents in
the life OF Mrs. Philip Eiebe the
last three years, who arrived here
from Russia accompanied by her
grow up daughter, Miss Helena,
and the later's fiancee, Abr. Penner.
leaving their home in South Russia
last January, this small party Of
refugees arrived here last week with
the financial assistance of local
relatives. tired, and almost penni-
less but with a smile on their lips
as they realized that their weary
journey had come to an end. For
the present they are staying at the
home of Mrs. Wiebe's brother in
law. Abr. Penner, Sr.
Woman Relates Her Story
Mrs. Wiebe, sixty five years,
with her snowwhite hair less sign
of age than of worry and hardship
talks freely of me incidents which
have transpired during the last few
years, but pathetic tremor creeps
irto her voice as she speaks OF the
cold blooded murder OF her husband
and son. 1t was one day in 1919,
shortly after noon, that the three
marauders had taken her husband
away to the home of his son, who
had wife and child. and there had
taken from both Of the men their
personal belongings. The son think =
ing that by giving them all he pos
sessed his life might be spared, went
so far as to dig up the gold and sill
yer, the savings of life time, which
he had hidden outdoors: But those
Tho steal will kill. and soon -FOUR
shots told the aged lady and her
daughter across the way that they
would see their husband and brother
no more.
Another Son Fared Little Better
Another son Jared little better.
Captured by gang of robbers, he
was confined lor weeks in their hid
den ,den, where he found himself
surrounded by innumerable other
victims. Day after day several OF
these would be taken out, mutilated,
sIashed and whipped and others
even murdered, to terrorize those
who remained. Several times, whlie
feigning sleep, young Wie6e teit MS
tormentors grasp him by the shoui-
der preparatory to taking MN OUT 70
be shot, but each time they decloeg
him IN for others whom they need
NOT take the trouble of waking. Lat
or he escaped. just in time for the
funeral of h siahtefE r-pJgM al
funeral of his fathcr and brother,
hut disease which he had con =
tracted in the robbers den culmln :
ated in his death the same month.
Finally Help Came
America, and Mrs. Wiebe and hei
"Then, finally help came iron
daughter. accompanied by the lat,
teTs inancee. fed to Constantinople
arriving there in May, after having
been detained over three months a.
one place en- route. At CONSTANT
nople they waited four months fol
their pass ports and the money with
which to complete IHeIE Jun my
And finally, just as the Turkish ant
Grecian war broke out, they sailed
out of the harbor at Constantinople
September Is, leaving the burnln&
Smyrna, plainly visible in the dis
lance. behind them. The waters
about them, strewn with the hrs
victims Of that terrible outbreak
revealed the dreadful dangers they
had SO narrowly escaped.
onceN On The Ocean
"Once on the ocean,. hound 10
this country, their troubles were
practically over for in New Iori
the American Relief Committees o
different kinds had made arrange
ments for the reception of refugees
of their kind, and their trip t.
Mountain Lake from the eastern
metropolis met with little difficulty
But they say in their native Ger
man tongue no one will ever knew
the terrors of the times through
which we have passed-no ore cal
realize the feeling N our hearts a
we saw that father ard brother shot