The Litchfield County post., 1827-06-14
JEWS IN INCoNsTANTINOPLE.
Their consistency under seuere persecution

I'heir constGncy under seveTe persecution.
 Some weeks since, we gave an account of seven Jews in Constantinople, viz. Chain Castro; his brother Menahem Castro, Jacob Levi, Mentish Baruch, Missim Cohen, and David Bechas, Ia Rabbi,) who had embraced the Christian faith; all of whom were seized about the first of Dec. 1926, and thrown into prison,-the seventh accepting the alternative which was offered to them all, of returning to Judaism. In the Jewish Expositor for April, we find a letter from the Rev. J. D. Leeves, Missionary in the Mediterranean. containing some further and more recent particulars, un- der the date of Jan. 5, 1927. t
 N. Y. Obs. B C1sron.
 After their seizure, the Jews had used all their influence to obtain the execution of one Ofthem. Sentence of death was passed upon Chain Castro, by the Grand Rabbi and his three assisfarts and petition was presented to the drasoman of the Porte, (himsef for merly Jew.) offering large reward if he would obtain for them it's being carried into ef feet. We demand" they said, "the death ofthis accursed man, whose blood be upon us.' This circumstance is the more remarkable, as the Jews never allow, if it be possible to pre- vent it, any one of their nation, whoever he may be, or whatever crime he may have been guilty of, to be put to death by the Turks To prevent this, their national purse is always open, and thousands and thousands of piastres are given on such occasions. Here, however, was crime similar to that which our Saviour and his apostles had committed and they were prepared to avenge it with a similar blindness and obduracy. May the veil, ere long, be taken from their hearts! and I trust in God that the time is rapidly approach ing
 The dragoman of the Porte. to his honour, refused to dip his hands in innocent blood and, in a conversation with Mir. Hartley com pared their conduct tO that of their forcfa- liners before Pilate and all that their interest and money could effect, was to obtain a sen- tence that they should be sent to the Bagnio, the prison of the Arsenal, for the term of six months.
 During this critical interval, between the first of fDecember, the day of their apprehen- sion, and the 7th, when they were committed to the Bagnio, which they passed at the pris on of the Porte, they were cut off as much as possible, from all intercourse with their friends, aud were assailed by the Jews with every kind of temptation to renounce their faith.- A full pardon and immediate deliverAnce were promised them if they returned to their old religion and death was held out to them as the consequence of their perseverance. The young man was the principal object of these assaults, whose father, now returned from A. drianople, and intended father-n-law, Qor though so young he was already affanced in marriage, and the dowry paid,) left no means antyied to reclaim him. He has however shown, throughout, an admirable frmness, and al lively zeal {; nor does he appear to have had more than one moment of weakess du- ring the whole course of his severe trials.- This was shortly after his apprehension, when he was assured that if he returned to his pa rents and old religion, he would not only se- cure himself from punishment, but that this would be the only means of saving the Ar menians and his two friends ;--turning to whom he said,.' For your sakcs must yield" They, however, exhorted him not to be de- cciyed by the professions of the Jews, but to stand firm and, that, Unnecessary, they would all die together. His courage was immediate Iy restored; and he has ever since, by his example, been the main support and encour- agement of the little band. On one occasion, especially. their fortitude was put to the test; for the Jews, seeing they could not wolk up- on them by promises, had it finally announ- ced to them, that their fate was sealed. and that the next morning they would be led out to execution. Thus, for whole night. they tdA uI0 S1c" VT ucdth OeIOTe uicH cyCS
 and they spent it in reading the New Testa- ment with weeping and prayer. Two other Jews were left in prison with them, whom the bookbinder Chaim Castrol reproved for their unbelief in the Messiah. exhortng them to follow their example, and become martyrs for the name of Christ. These Jews, unmo- ved by their behavior and exhortations. wrote to the Rabbis. to inform them that there was no hope of their ever returning to the Jewish religion, and that the only course to be pursued with them was to get-th put to death.
 The punishment of the prisoners in the Bagnio consists in being chained, two and two, with heavy chains, and employed in the la shorious works of the Arsenal, under the su- perlntendence of the Turkish guards, who beat them ifthey do not perform the task to 'heir Gking. There are about 700 persons 1T