The Washington times., 1935-11-04
OGPU FORCES
/ MEN T0STAND
F0RDAYS
BY GEORGE KITCHEN
Chapter XLuI


return to UstVym. Eight prison
ers of the office staff, former
officers of the army, had been
arrested. The ninth member OF
their group, who had accompanied
us or our trip, was arrested as ne
was leaving our automobile.
Two weeks later we were told
that they had been arrested on
suspicion of organizing a group
for counter-revolution. They had
been watched as they assembled
at the house of a peasant. The
examination showed that they had
as a matter of fact frequently
gathered there, but for drinking
and not for plotting.
AS far as drinking was con.
cerned, they were really guilty OF
great excesses, but there was OBJ
viously a difference between drink
ing and counter-revolution.
Nikolayev, chief of the secret in
telligence department, saw the
point Immediately. He took the
examination into his own hands
and, being a confirmed drunkard
himself, had a fellow feeling for
the offenders and freed them. All
they got was a reprimand for
drunkenness.
Nikolayev was q former Lenin-
grad checklist who had been sent
TO the penal camps for correction.
He showed kindly consideration
exclusively for those prisoners who
shared his fondness for drink. He
was also benevolent to cookbook
ing women prisoners who were fire.
quently called to his apartment,
presumably for household tasks.
The four educated women pris-
oners were not sufficiently attrac-
tive. His chief interest, however,
centered on young peasant girls.
daughters of voluntary colo
nists" who had tried to run away
from exile and as punishment had
been sentenced to a year in the
penal camps.
Preys on Girls
The greater number of these
girls were assigned duties as wait
resses in the administrations din
ing room.
Whenever Nikolayev fixed his
attention on a new victim he in
Structed the superintendent to
send up his dinner to his house
and pointed out the waitress VITO
was to bring it over. He invari.
ably got what he wanted, by per-
suaSion or by force.
Among the women prisoners
there was Elizabeth, a very at
tractive tall and slender blonde
with a beautiful figure and lovely
lips. At first she was modest and
shy, but changed radically when
she saw herself pursued by the
attentions Of prisoners. checklists,
Nikolayev and even Commander
Dikiy himself. She began neglect
ing her duties and her manner be-
came fresh and overbearing.
She was the cause of many
quarrels among the checklists.
When Nikolayev became infatu,
ated with her, he began banishing
Elizabeth's other admirers one by
one to remote work posts. But
when Commander Dikiy became
one of the competitors. things took
a different turn. Nikolayev was
given leave of absence and never
came back. Our commander was
not to be trifled with.
It seemed as if Elizabeth'S career
were assured. But one day she
overStepped the bounds of discre.
tion and was insolent to Dikiy in
everybody's presence. The follow
ing morning she was deported to
the most remote work post, where
she went from bad to worse, be-
came diseased and finally hanged
herself.
One Of the last steamers Of the
1881 season brought a new group
OF prisoners to our camp. Their
destination was Ukhta, but they
were in such condition that the
doctor temporarily detained them
at Ust-Vym on the ground that
they were unable to march the
long distance to Ukhta.
It was a small group, about so
men, all former Red Army Off.
GERS arrested in Odessa on a
charge Of plotting counter-revo-
luton. Almost all of them had
received 10-year sentences. They
were dreadful to look at. Their
faces were gray and puffed, their
eyes tired. n comparison with us.
old timers at the camp, they
looked like miserable survivors of