Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09
SOVIET PRISONERS
GAMBLED FOR FOOD
Certain Class Plotted for
"Honor" of Being Com
mandant of Barracks.
BY JUNIUS II. WOOD.
BY Radio to The star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright. 1927.

This is the Sirth Of a series Of dis
patches hU Junius b. Wood recoaatinG
The experiences Of ygtus G. Checa'ieT.
an american. IN Sorief Rass'dn
recently released.
BERLIN, January S.-~The prestige
of being comma ndant of the gruesome
Tchkerie Mountain disciplinary bar
racks of Solovetzky prison was the
goal of certain class of prisoners in
that abnormal outcaSt world, accord
ing to julius C. Chevalier of Texas
who now is breathing once more the
air of freedom
Unlimited authority over that horror
within horrors always brought retri
button, possibly due to the repugnance
of the higher authorities at the ruth
less slaughter inflicted there. There
was never a comma ndant of Tchkerie
among the several fitting incumbents
during Chevalier's confinement at So
lovetZky who did not fall from grace
and come to his end either by shoot
ing or being reduced to the ranks OF
the ordinary prisoners.
Two notable prisoners at Solovet-
zky last year" said Chevalier, were
one Cohen and one Mikhailovitch,
former members of the Tcheka in
wears at Solovetzky on the charge of
Was Prisoner of War.
Mikhailovitch. lame Hungarian
prisoner of war, remained in Russia
and became powerful with Cohen,
who hailed from Minsk. On account OF
their party standing, AIikhailovitch be-
came commandment at Tchkerie, while
Cohen was placed on the prison col.
Iegium. Neither lasted long, for
cliques within the prison changed and
thev lost grace Mikhailovitch was de-
posed as commandment and Cohen was
arrested on charges of intimacies
with woman prisoner. possibly
trumped up, and was himself sent to
Tchkerie.
when I went to Tchkerie to make
an estimate on certain electrician
work, another former hungarian
prisoner was commandant. He had
two nicknames. 'Pugnose' and Well
bred the latter resulting from an
incident when he overheard group
of prisoners discussing hogs, use
the expression wellbred' thought
they were referring to him in sar-
casm, and sent them to Tchkerie
for months. When the authorities
heard of his needless eruelties and
numbering Of prisoners, he was shot.
Another unusual prisoner was
the Czechoslovak, Philofogue kret-
itch Nemenitch, IS years old, who
spoke 10 languages. He resided in
Siberia and was sent to Solovetzky
on technical charge of military
espionage. He was made director
of the Solovetzky meteorological
station. making daily reports to Mos
COW on tides, winds, snow. etc.
Made Song About Him.
Among the many songs composed
bv the prisoners was one tnat went
roughly like this: Spring has come
Krevitch- Nemenitch told us so. !
saw the first gull arrive, but when L
looked outside | thought saw ohiis
the gleb boki.
. Like all the prisoners songs, some
of which were extremely gruesome
and profane, this song is not under
standabIe outside Solovetzky. Gull
90 nrison yerna cular for frigate birds,
which come to the island at the
earliest breath of Spring. Glen pokl
IS the name given TO one or the
steamers transporting prisoners 10
the island. Sitting Sfeet from the
shore in the ice through the Winter,
the gray steamer looks like an ILL.,
omened gull.
Another striking character at.
Solovetzky was an S0-year-olo lot
nner czarist general, who refused TO
desist from conspiring against the
government. He had COMPARE
lively easy Job as night Waterman
i'm our electrical shop.
WHY don't you quit fighting ana
accent the government as it Is?
son1e one once asked him. The merry
old man insisted he asked no quarter
and intended to die with his boots on.
Gambled for Food.
My own position at Solovetzky
was possibly unique. First, l dld nor
belong to any party and was not IN
VOWED in any of the cliques. Second,
my mechanical ability made me a dis
tinct asset to the prison and brought
ma privileges Prisoners involved in
clioues and unable to serve useful
purpose in prison undoubtedly had
a terrible time Famished men
gambled for food, knowing that to lose
a pound of bread meant starvation,
while the gambling itself might be
punished by death.
THE prison rations were divided
into eight grades, the highest of
which were allowed to the boat
men maintaining communication with
shore through the ice foes during the
Winter. They had abundant clothes
also. as well as a daily cup of raw
alcohol to drink. In contrast, the
lowest ration was issued only every
four days, and had to be eaten inn
mediately to prevent other starving
prisoners from stealing it.
" II never heard of any prisoners
dying in company barracks of illness.
they were always sent to the hos.
aIe though fhpK- al al 10,
work TO the last minute. But | did
see prisoners dying in agony after
eating raw rye which they had pick
ed from leaking grain sacks, and
which, swelling, stuffed their empty
Atornachs"