The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1922-04-27
LACE STORY RECALLED
~ sEMENoFF AFFAIR.
...,,.rance In America of Rus
'f. ...r butcher Prompts Mes
s.os from Capt. Chancey
wallace to Senator
Borah.

pu,,;an asv = Cossack leader, in Wasl
;nnton nato TO solicit aid for contir
na0ee nS'y Of his campaign against tn
SoIshevik government IN N
aeuutrv DyY created a sensation thru
eot ov+ tbe land, and Capt. Chance
Va Wallace of this city, who as a
floor in the American Red Cros
sontincent with the America
s0ldiers under Col. G. III. Nor
row IN the Verkne Udinsk secto
n eastern Siberia during 1915
and saw the blood curdling afro
eiities there of Semenoff's forces
was not one of the least surprised
at that butchers gall and assur
anee in comeing over here for as
sistapce With this feeling
Can't Wallace wired Senator Bor
ali and Col. Morrow as follows:
"Nezperce, Idaho, 4z13- 20
nTo Senator Borah-Col. G. III
Morrow, Washington, ID. c.
If you want to get rid of muir
derer Semenoff, / would suggest
that you turn him over to the
fathers and mothers, sisters and
brothers Of the American boys his
troops assasinated in Siberia. De-
pOrtation is too good for him
Send me official proceedings of
hearing if possible.
Chan. Wallace. F"
Five days later he received this
reply:
Washington d. c., 4-18-22.
"Chan. Wallace,
"Nezperce, Idaho.
"Semenoff in jail-too good
for him. Siberian soldiers owe
debt Of gratitude to Senator Bor-
ali. Good luck to you.
"Col. Morrow"
Much matter relative to the
Semenoff visit has appeared in
the daily press for the past fort
night, and Senator Borah has led
in the effort to bring him to ac-
count for his crimes against
American soldiers in Siberia, but
It seems he was protected by in
ternational law. He went to New
York from Washington and was
there Imprisoned and later releas-
ed on giving $685. 900 cash bond.
Since then he has kept well out
Ct public sight. The latest move
bv Senator Borah is an attemp.
to have the Russian ambassador
brought before the senate COM
mlttee to learn what he knows
about the fugitive general.
In the story of his Siberian ex-
told to Nezperce audi
ance and published in The Herald
n May 1920, Capt. Wallace made
he following reference to the
work of Semenoff's command:
When the Americans took
,ver the sector Of railroad from
1erkne sUdinsk to ,Mysovaya inI
Nay year ago, Semenoff ran his
lrmOred train into Verkne
Jdlnsk, and Col. Morrow, our
eglmental commander, knowing
ne depredations the train crew
,ommltted, Immediately notified
ne train commander that heI
ould not run his train over the
Amerlcan sector, and gave him "A
ours to leave town. The COM
lander sent word back that he
'Ould not move his train, where
pom Col. Morrow moved out his
lachlne guns, pompoms, one
and several companies
| infantry. A detachment was
mt east about two miles to take
large of the railroad bridge over
lie IDA river, with instructions
blow the bridge if reinforce
ents attempted to cross. A com
any was also sent to the wagon
..lldoge connecting the main city
lth what is know as Forks Bar
lexis, where Semenoff had
oops stationed, with orders to
no one cross the bridge into
le city. Mind you, this was the
my we were sent there to assist
every way that we could and
e only trouble we had In that
'untry we had with them. Wei
ere supposed to remain neutral,
q the handwriting on the wall
nen our government refused to
'gotlate with the bolsheyiks and
pported Kolchak with guns,
aImunition, etc., showed plainly
mere we stood.
Well, after everything was
ady for action, a japanese gen
al came to Col. Morrow and
ked him if there. was not some
dy to avoid trouble, as many IN
'cent people would be killed,
e armored train being in the