Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-07
Anti-BOlshevik
Leader Held for
Debt in New York

| New York. April 6-Arrested here
upon his arrival from Washington in
Connection with a civil suit involving
the theft in Trans Balkalia in 1919
| of goods valued at S475,000 General
! Gregorie Semenoff, anti-Bolshevik
military leader in Siberia was re-
| leased on $4,000 bail shortly before
midnight after being held under
guard in the Waldorf Astoria hotel
/ for five hours.
| General Semencff was charged with
| the theft of wooden stuffs and furs
valued at about $4,000, property of
the now bankrupt firm Yourevata
Home 6; Foreign Trade Co. Inc. The
, theft was alleged to have been made
in or near Chita, Trans alkala, in
i1919.
The order of arrest had been request
| ed by counsel for receivers of the
| Yourevata company. Their request was
| accompanied by aftidavits from Major
| General William 5. Graves, commander
OF the American cXpeditonary force in
| Siberia. and Charles ii. Smith, Ameri-
| can representative on the intcr-allied
railway committee. Both were said
| to have denounced the general in their
affidavits, referring to him as a ban
| dit and a "ruffian.'
| The general when arrested was ac-
| companied by his wife. a beautiful
woman. eXquisitcly gowned and wear
| ing necklace ~ gems she said was
worth $4,000. and his secretary and
| interpreter, Misak Alvasoff, who was
| employed at Vancouver
| The charges against him he ans
wered as follows:
II have no recollection Of it. All
was chaos in Siberia at that time.
Everybody took what they thought
they could use or sell. The Bolshe-
Wiki stole from me. l stole from the
! Bolsheviki. Both of us stole where
| we found something to steal. How
am i to remember whether l took
these particular goods?"
| General Graves. the American
soldier and Mr.. Smith Of the railroad
committee he said. ARE alleged to
| have said in their affidavits that /
am . briGand. a ruffian, and that l
was recognized by none of the pow
ers. There is some slight mistake.
| Did not Japan and Great Britain and
France give me money - much
money-and supplied me three
months of 1917 and all through 1915?
! To be sure they did.
why am | come to America?
: All, if YOU were to sec but a portion
of the misery that is upon Siberia.
! the land that is nearest my heart
| you would not ask. | am come to
ask for money that the starving
women and children and the brave
men of Siberia be saved with bread.
VI am come as the humanitarian.
"Then. too. Madame Semenoff is
not well. She will undergo an opera
ton. She says now that she will go
to Jail with me. That will kill her.
All. Semenoff. the Gossack. the man
who has been painted red with blood,
/ is but woman at heart"
| Taken into custody by deputy
| sheriffs as he left his train in the
| Pennsylvania station, Gen. SemenOff
] was permitted to go to his hotel with
| his wife and secretary, there to seek
! bail While his secretary busted
: himself at the telephone, the Cossacll
; leader paced the floor. halting fire.
quently to learn if there had been any
J success.
] Madame Semenoff earlier in the
| evening had taken jewelled neck
| lace valued at $4,000 from her neck
and offered it as bail. She was told
| however, that it was not acceptable.
Shortly before midnight, NJ. Bel
senstein, of the Fidelity and Deposit
! Company of Maryland agreed to fur
| nish the $4,000. The papers were
| signed and the guards were with
| drawn.