American Tells
Of Miseries as
"Red" Captive
forestry Expert Saw the
Death Warrants of 71
Signed Without Reading
?Common People Victims
jpeasants Pray to Wilson for
Help, He Says; Armed
Foree the Only Remedy
New York Tribune,
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON', Feb. 15..Life inside
I Kussian prison under the Bolshevik
terror, as seen by an American official
vho, almost without hope himself,
watche men go forth daily to death,
while those inside starved and could
get neither trial nor permission to
"communicate with their friends, was
described to the Overman cocmittee to?
day?
' ' Few of the men who suffered were of
the ric hor noble classes, against whom
the revolution is supposed to be direct?
ed. Peasants, priests, mechanics, sol?
diers--these were the victims. Only
one man escaped and he was a rich
Coble, who could pay the "friends o?
the people" for his life.
Two witnesses were heard -Roger E.
??Summer:4, of Hagerstown, Md., a for
estry expert, who was gathering infor?
mation for the War Trade Board, and
William W. Welch, a member of the
itaff of the National City Bank's Petro?
grad branch. From them the committee
_eard detail after detail of the horrors
??-horrors to every one in the room ex?
cept the "Reds" present, who smiled
tolerantly because, as one expressed
?t, "people seem to think a revolution
,can be nice and tidy" heard of the
Vast hopelessness which has settled
ever Russia, of the hatred of neighbor
for neighbor which is being system
. ?atically fostered by the Soviet leaders,
;|Ujd of the despair with which the suf
'. fering people are looking to the Allies,
gnd especially to America, for help.
Peasants Pray to President
"They even say the peasants are
fclaying to the American President
"now," Mr. Summers remarked.
Both witnesses told of the threat to
the rest of the world which the Bol?
shevist propaganda holds, of the num?
ber of Jews from America they had
encountered, of the lies about Russian
conditions which they had found in
?^_??
America and of the fundamental sound?
ness and goodness of the Russian peo?
ple, which they believed gave assur?
ance that with a fair start they could
build a good and stable government.
Mr. Summers' story of his imprison?
ment, and the men who shared it, was
the most vivid picture of the exact
conditions under the terror which has
been told. He had been left behind in
Volodga when the other foreigners
were driven out because he was too ill
to move, and when recovered went to
KedlotY, the chief of the city commis?
sion, for permission to leave. Letters
ordering all soldiers and officials of
the revolution to give him every assis?
tance were given him by Brouski, Chief
Commissioner of Commerce, Krylenko,
Chief Commissioner of Agriculture,
and the assistant commissioner who
had charge of forestry. Kedloff looked
at these, said he could go anywhere
and was told he would be given a pass
in two days.
But the next day Kedloff issued a
decree calling on all soldiers to shoot
on sight any Americans, Britons or
Frenchmen, saying these capitalistic
governments were enemies of the rovo
lution. Summers, however, went back
for his pass and was turned over to
Eiduk, a Lettish Jew, who tried to tear
up his passport, and had him arrested.
He was confined in a car on the train
Eiduk used, which was very gorgeous
and was said to have been the Czar's.
Portentious Threat Returned
Four hours later Summers' secretary
again reached Eiduk, but returned
greatly depressed. He had been told
that all American officials at Moscow
had been thrown into prison (which
was not true) and said "as to the
cause of your arrest, all you will ever
know in this world you will learn at
6:30 to-morrow morning."
In the prison to which Summers was
sent was a young Russian, an Oxford
graduate, who had come from England
to visit his parents, and had been
arrested because he was heard talking
English. Three guards took him out
about dusk, leaving his coat, and he
did not return. Later Summers learned
he had been shot.
Summe-S?.'? secretary finally got to
Kedloff with a kitter telling of the sec
retry's work for the revolution, eleven
years' exile, and service both to Keren
sky and Bolshevik officials, and giving
references to high officials at Moscow.
As a result Summers was sent there
for trial, but the secretary also was
arrested and sent along. This secre?
tary, Mr. Summers added, had worked
for Albert Rhys Williams, an Ameri?
can now lecturing in America, and re?
ported that Williams was hired by the
Bolsheviki for this work.
In Moscow both Summers and his
secretary were thrown into prison,
where eighty-five men were confined in
a cell intended for thirty. A few days
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later they were taken to another prison.
The food they had with them, their
blankets, toilet articles, everything but
the clothes they were wearing, were
taken away. In the prison their daily
fare was thrce-quarfers of a pound of
bread and two servings of soup made
from dried fish.
Tried to Bribe Guard ,
Altogether they were in the prison
about eleven days. During this time'
they were unable, to reach any friends,
and finally Summers decided to at?
tempt to bribe the guard, a Lett, who
had been in America. Eighty rubles
had been smuggled in a loaf of bread
to one of the sailors, the secretary had
succeeded in keeping 10 rubles from
the searchers and another man had 10
rubles. This 100 rubles he put in an
envelope, with a letter to the Swedish
Consul General, still believing the
American officials were in jail.
The Lett at first refused to take the
risk, stating that shortly before a
guard and a man who had attempted to
bribe him were both shot. But, after
some argument, in which Summers pro?
tested his innocence, he came back and
departed with the letter.
"Thirty-six hours elapsed, and I was
one nervous man," said Summers.
"Then got a card from Dr. Huntington
(commercial attach? of the American
Embassy) on which was written: 'Keep
your nerve. We'll soon have you out.'
Four hours later he came with the
Swedish and American consul generals
and was released.
"In the first of these prisons I got my
first contact with the people the Bol
sheviki are persecuting, and I was sur?
prised. I had expected to find nobles,
men with titles, capitalists and people
of that calibre. But the great major?
ity were of the middle class, mechanics,
printers, peasants- many peasants -
soldiers, industrial workers, small shop?
keepers, and some foresters and mill
men.
Cause of Arrests Unknown
"I felt this was a chance to find out
what was really going on, and through
all the days I was there I was in con?
stant conversation with them. I asked
each why he was there. Not one in five
had been able to find out. The arrests
were made without any cause being
given.
"There was a lawyer named Valenkin,
who had been counsel at the British
consulate. He was a true patriot. He
had many chances to leave the city and
would not, because he said that Russia
?'.eeded all her educated men. He was
given one hearing. He was charged
with counter revolutionary activity,
though he had done nothing against the
Bolshevik!. But he refused to become
an agitator for them'. He was sen?
tenced to be shot.
"He came to my cot about 2 o'clock
one morning and said: 'Summers, for
God's sake talk to me. Tell me about
Siberia, Russia, anything to keep my
mind busy. I die at 6.' .So I went over
and tried to cheer him up. After a
while he wrote a letter, which I after?
ward managed to deliver to his broth?
ers in London. Then the guard ap?
peared in the formation we had come
to know meant an execution and he was
taken out. He walked to his death with
a resignation which was one of the
most pitiful things I have ever seen.
Prince Shot Without Trial
"There was a young prince there, anc
he was taken out and shot without a
trial. Few of them had trials. This is
not hearsay. You only read about thes?
things and perhaps do not believe them
I was there. An Italian official tells
me that he saw Peters, the chief com?
missar at Moscow, sign a warrant foi
the execution of seventy-one officers
without reading their names. Peters
was a nice looking young man, with ?
pleasant manner.
"One day whrle I was there they tool
out twenty-one?no trials. I heard that
was because they had twenty-six new
prisoners and wanted room.
"There was a priest. He hac
preached against the immorality of th<
Bolsheviki, though he knew it meant
his death?-a white-haired man of sixty
five. Before he was shot he told mi
the people of Russia were flocking int<
the church more than ever before. Hi
told me, too,, if ? could get back t<
America to tell them for God's sake t<
send help."
"What kind of help?" asked Senato
Nelson.
"Release from this terrible oppres?
sion?from the kind of men who have
come to the top.
Families Left Unprotected
"I could tell you any number of sucl
stories. I simply want to give yo
enough so you will realize the condi
tions. And what became of the fam
ilies of these men? They had n
money, and a man was always neede
to protect the family in those days.
"I wish I could make you hear, as
Ground Hog's Veracity
Substantiated by Geese
HPHERE seems to be no ques- j
-*- tion about it. The ground
hog was right recently when he
decided he might as well return to
his hole for a six weeks' nap be?
cause spring could not possibly ar?
rive before the end of that period.
However, we people were not
the only ones the mild weather
fooled into hoping that spring was
at hand. A flock of geese was
sighted flying over New York yes?
terday. These geese were headed
due south. They were winging a
pace which indicated that a radi- ?
cal change in weather might be \
almost at their very tails.
The geese, presumably, had
been deceived by the weather and
had come north. Their change of
plans means impending blizzards
and a very late spring, amateur
weather sharps predict.
heard, the terrible wail of the people
wherever I went, on the trains, in the
streets, in the homes, but always under
the breath. There was universal con?
demnation.
"Why do they not organize and throw
off the weight themselves? How can
they? The Red Guard is all about.
There are daily examples of what hap?
pens if one even whispers.
"This wail, this plea to us, cannot be
disregarded. We are Russia's debtors.
She had the biggest casualty list of any
of the Allies. And now she is in the
very throes of despair. They say the
peasants are actually praying to the
American President to help them."
"Would they welcome our help?"
asked Senator Sterling.
"They arc praying for it."
"Armed help?"
"There is no other way, for they are
ruled by armed forces."
Mr. Summers began his testimony by
a description of conditions as he had
found them on his trip from Siberia.
Mackay Predicts Early
Return of Cable Lines
Believes Public Dissatisfaction
Will Force Burleson to
Relinquish Wires
BOSTON, Feb. 15. ? Clarence H.
Mackay predicted to-day, at the annual I
meeting of the Mackay companies, that
public dissatisfaction would soon com?
pel Postmaster General Burleson to re?
linquish control of the telegraph, and I
cable lines. Speaking with reference j
particularly to the Postal Telegraph j
and the Commercial Cable Company !
lines, Mr. Mackay said:
"We look for an early return of our
lines. Under the act of Congress they
are to be returned to us at or before
the proclamation by the President of
the ratification of peace, and we do not
think that is far off. Furthermore, in
view of the recent increase of tele?
phone rates by the Postmaster General,
with promise of further increases to
come and the threat to increase tele?
graph rates, there is a strong demand
that the lines be immediately returned.
"The Post Office Department admits
it is losing money on its awards of
compensatio nto the companies, and
that this will have to be made up by
increasing rates. The public resents
rate increases to make up for govern?
ment mismanagement, and it, is quite
likely that if the Postmaster General
does not eercise his authority Congress
will vote for the lines' immediate re?
turn."
New Submarine Launched
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Feb. 15.?The
launching of the submarine .S-2 at the
Lake Torpedo Boat Company ways to?
day was witnessed Tby government and
state officials. The S-2, which is the
largest vessel of its kind built at the
plant, was named by Mrs. Philip
P. Brill, wife of the general manager
of the Lake company.
P. S. Board Says
Consolidatetl Gas Co.
Tricked the Publie
Commission, in Reply to
Suit, Says Lower Candle
Power Was Forwarded in
1918 Than Law Calls For
In its answer to the suit of the Con?
solidated Gas Company, which is at?
tempting to have declared unconstitu?
tional the New York City 80-cent pas
law, the Public Service Commission
charges that the company does not
come into court with "clean hands,"
the answer charges, that it supplied
consumers with an inferior grade of
gas while being paid for a better qual?
ity.
One this score the commission al?
leges that the company deliberately,
during 1918. violated the 80-cent law
by distributing gas of less than twenty
two candle power as demanded by the
statute. It was stated that this was
done in order to extract from the gas
tuluol, a principal ingredient of the ex?
plosive TNT.
"As a result of said failur of com?
plainant to comply with the statute,"
the answer states, "consumers received
gas of lesser heating and lighting value
than they were entitled to under said
act, and were obliged to, and did, pay
more for gas necessarily consumed by
them than they would have paid had
complainant complied with said act of
1906."
Tells of Increased Cost
In its suit to overthrow the 80-cent
law the company contended that the
cost of manufacture had so increased
as to almost nullify its profits. To
further this contention it intended to
charge to its operating expenses during
1918 the cost of manufacturing twenty
two-candle power gas. The commission
seeks to have this individual charge
omitted from the operating expenses,
as "the gas sold to consumers was of a
I
? !e?8 quality" than prescribed by law.
"Said acts of complainant were il?
legal and in fraud of the right? of
consumers under said t-tatute of 190G,"
the commission goes on.
Replying to the company's plaint
that its property had been undervalued,
the commission referred to a decision
of the United States Supreme Court
declaring the 80 cent law constitu?
tional, wherein a valuation of the com?
pany's holdings was placed at $55.612,
435. While the company contends thai
the valuation is far too low, the com?
mission takes the reverse stand.
Calls Estimates Unfair
The commission also objects to the
offering of the gross operating rev?
enues and the net income received by
the complainant during 1918? which, it
says, "are not a fair criteria of the
return heretofore earned and herrafte?4
to be earned." The wai conditions, it?
is said, created high expenses, but fig?
ures of other years show that the com
pany "earned a reasonable and fair
average return upon the fair value of
its property employed in the public
service."
"The hypothetical cost of reproduc?
ing complainant's property in the year
1918, during the existence of said state
of war," the commission continues, "is
not the fair value of the complainant's
property, and to base rates for gas
upon a valuation representing a hypo
thetical cost of reproduction in the
year 1918, or during the said was pe?
riod, would be unlawful and manifestly
unfair and unreasonable."
The answer was served yesterday
upon Shearman & Sterling, attorneys
for the gas company, by Godfrey Gold
\ mark, chief counsel to the commission
Attorney General Charles D. Newton
and District. Attorney Edward Swann
are co-defendonts with the commission,
but were not represented in the com
mission's answer.
Application has already been ma.de
to the State Legislature for an appro?
priation of ?100.000 to fight the suit of
the gas company.
Epidemic Feared at Sinp: Sinf?
OSSINING, N. Y? l\h. 15. Twenty
five prisoners confined in Sing Sing
Prison are suffering with Spanish in?
fluenza and have been isolated by the
authorities, who fear an epidemic. Sev?
eral weeks ago there were ninety cases
of influenza in the prison, but Lieuten?
ant Amos O . Squires, U, S. N., the prison
physician, and his assistant, Dr. A.
Kossoff, .-?aved all the patie4?ts.
?Imported French
VEILINGS
Just received the latest Paris veil
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SUITS for WOMEN
The Fine Precision and Finesse
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Strictly Tailored Suits... 45.00 to 125.00
Demi-Tailored Suits. 85.00 to 150.00
Costume & 3-Piece Suits.. 110.00 to 265.00
DAYCO?TS ond WRAPS
EVENING MANTLES
37.50. to 395.00
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The New Spring Modes
"BONTELL"
FOOTWEAR
8.50 to 12.00
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The Distinguished and Unusual in
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The Gown Department on the Second Floor
Features a Collection of Exquisite Modes in
WOMEN'S FROCKS and GOWNS
To the refined sense of the fastidious a frock or gown
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The Gown Department on the Third Floor
Features Refreshing, Youthful Fashions for
"JEUNE FILLE" and SMALL WOMEN
The engaging spirit of youth with its attendant charm
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French Modes & Bonwit Teller & Co.
Originations in/ an Ensemble of
Many interesting influences dominate the new
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turbans in infinite style diversions.
it
f
in
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Introducing the new
GILETS
Originations in waistcoats exclusive
with this shop?developed in salin,
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TAILORED SUITS
for the "Jeune Fille"
and the Small Women
32.50 to 150.00
Featured are cylinder, straightline, box and
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SPORTS APPAREL ?*/
COUNTRY CLOTHES
A more perfect understanding of the require?
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note of pliant leisure desired by the country
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in the country suits of tweed hand loomed
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RIDING HABITS
For Women and Misses
Models that are designed in >?xact accord
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BLOUSES and
"Bontell " SHIRTS
Amost comprehensive collection of ' Bontell"
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presented in the heavy woven silks?the kind
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