VISITING MUSICIAN.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 2498, 12 June 1920, Page 3

VISITING MUSICIAN.

ESCAPEE FROM RUSSIAN PRISON. “TYRANNY OF BOLSHEVISM.” Sydney, May 26. Mr Stefan Polotyniski, a Polish musician who was for 12 months a pupil of Paderewski at the Coinservatonium of CPacpw in 1912, and. during the war was bandmaster with Polish troops, the Second] Regiment of Chasseurs, in Siberia, arrived in Sydney yesterday by the steamer St. Albans.

He has witnessed) many incidents in the recent stirring history of his country, and has been obliged to endure captivity in a Russian prison. After his escape from this prison lie says, he reached Minusinsk, a town of 16,000 people in Siberia, on the Mongolian frontier, with only 10 roubles and 25 kopeks in his pocket. Ha spent the 10 roubles in securing board and lodgings, and spent the 25 kopeks in advertising for musicians willing to play in a symphony orchestra. 1 lhis handi lie himself trained, and the concerts made so great a stir in Minusinsk anil adjourning cities that he contemplated a tour of Mongolia.

Rut} this proved impracticable. However, his wife, formerly Miss Helen EziMiborn-Maleoka, an artist of note, and a gold medallist of the Academy of Paris, took a position as a scenic artist in a Japanese theatre. In payment for her services, Madame I’olotynski was presented with a huge bag of copper bars, the gold and silver supplies tor the currency haling giving out. A Mongolian, who rode a camel, was sent to take charge of thi- bag of copj>oi : and. oil the way back bo Siberia, accompanied the party as far as the frontier, where he blandly announced that his duty as custodian of the exelmquer was ended. Idle copper bars were exchanged for Siberian money; "and.” explained Mr i’olotynski, through an interprelaw (for he does not speak English). "we felt quite' imjjortant, for we found ourselves in possession of about half a million roubles. This elocs mu mean very much in English money, of course, for when in' left Siberia, it took over 6<HK> roub'es to 1 make £'l.” i

1 1 was w ith Paderew ski’.. best wishes for his suits'-, Mr l’olotynski state's. I hat, after his career at the Cr.now Consorva toriuin . In* embarked u l*oii a teiur of SwitziTia mi. France, and Austria. eo dm erg symphony row'ms; and the great pianist attended one of these concert.- in Switzerland. It was as a student <«f theory that he was a pupil of Paedorew ski. His piano teacher at Cracow was Zdin-ki, and he a 1 so -lull ol under Karlowit■/.. Mr l’olotvaski was train*, d as a <s>ndmtor, ami claims to have a knowledge of every mst rnnv.ut in the orchestra, lb ha- composed a number of ore.l •■-tral piti es. While making ari*:* 11 .■ 111r*!t - m Siberia for bis \ isit to ,1 apa a ami Australia, be received the sad news ot tile d-ath ot le.s wife and two eliidren at Harbin. Ills friend and secretary. Mr Mastew icz, wlio lias accompanied him to Australia, says that the peasant proprietors of Siberia have no sympathy with Bolshevism, but are terrorised by the Bolsheviks, and are patiently await iiio an opportunity to lid themselves of the tyranny. Those who suggest, that Bolshevism will gam world-wide support, am, he says, entirely mistaken.