Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-08
nEHRENn. THR BUTCHER.
Murder in Prussian Posen and Hatred
of tIse jews.

IA 1A&E @EhSs
BERLIN, May "a murder which,
from the horror of the surrounding
circumstances connected with it. has
created a great sensation, has during the
past few days occupied the attention Of
ceuft and jury at D&ntslc. In the early
morning of January -, 1884, the two
lower portions of the legs Of body were
found 10y passersby under bridge Of the
village of Skurz, near Prussian Stargardt.
Soon afterward tue rest of the body, winch
was entirely nude, was discovered. The
corpse was recognized as that of a boy,
Ia years old, named Cybula, the son OF
tailor. The throat was cat and there
were seven cuts on the head. The upper
parts of tie legs Were skilltully separated
from the trunk and at the knees. The
body was found TO be entirely without
blood.
Very soon the report was spread In the
community that tse Jews had killed the
boy for ritual purposes. A Catholic
butcher named BehTend made himself
aspecially busy in circu ating this report.
In proof of this theory the seven cuts on
the mead were pointed out, the number
seven being of considerable Importance IN
Jewish symbolism. When, finally. a Young
1ab0rer named MOnk0wski testified that
he had seen a certain JosephsOn, formerly
Jewish veterinary surgeon and at PEE
sent a merchant of SkurZ, early on the
day in question, near the place where the
body was found, with sack on bis back,
public opinion jumped to the conclusion
that he was the murderer.
Josephson was arrested together with
his grandfather and his son, in whose cell
lar pot filed with blood was found. The
chemical analysis showed, however, that
the blood was that of a horse. The pris-
Oners proved by trustworthy witnesses
an alibi, and were discharged. But the
insinuations against the Jews spread, and
a new impetus was gwen TO the Judep-
hetze from an incendiarv fire that broke
out in the synagogue of Siolpe.
These circumstances induced the Secre-
tary of the Interior to send skilled de-
tectiye from Berlin to the place. The
dOings of the butcher, Behrend, who had
shown such OverZeal0nsness in accusing
aud prosecuting the Jews, was inquired
into. 1T was soon discovered that Beh.
rend on the night in which the murder
was committed bad not been at home,
and that be bad off red money to a num-
Der Of witnesses in order to induce them
to make damaging depOstiOns against
JosephsOn The witness MOnkOwsH
made a highly contradictory statement to
the detective, and finally admitted that
the man whom he had seen on the MORN
ing in question Was not Josephson, but
Behrend. He s@ ia he had been mistaken.
There We're Other very suspicious cir
cumstapces connected with Behrend. He
was arrested and has Just been tried for
murder. seventy-seven witnesses were
summoned, Of whom many showed the
greatest prejudice against the Jews, and
an undue favor for Behrend. The trial,
which lasted six days, demonstrated how
firmly the superstition about the Jews
shedding Christian blood is rooted in the
minds of the common people. The trial
was conducted verv impartially by the
presidIng Judge The jury, however, ac-
quilted Behrend by a vote of against 3.
In view Of he unrel able nature Of the
testimony the verdict is not a surprise.
But public opinion regards Behrend, who
is a drunken r0wdv, as the murderer, or
"a asst an accomplice Of the murderer
The Jews appeared as harmless, peace
a8le citizens.