The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-27
MASSACRE
OF The JEWS
Maxim Gorky Describes the
Bloody Scene
DULL ANGRY NOISE
Horrible Scenes in the Town
of VOIga
ANGRY
NOISE


Ii vas a hot day in June some fifteen
years ago. l was working in a certain
town on the VoIga, at the wharf, from
the early morning. pitching a raft. Din
ner time was nearing when suddenly
somewhere in the village behind me
dul angry noise resounded, IS if hun
CRY bulls were roaring.
too. was hungry and wanted to finish
nv work as soon as possible, and there
fo!e paid at first 10 attention TO the
distant sound, which grew louder ana
louder every moment, even as smoke
grows in the beginning of a fire.
4 heavy cloud dust hung in the hot
air over the village. l looked towards
the village. and II seemed 10 ne that L
could hear 1nany-voiced sounds filling the
Air. rising FROM the ground together with
the dust. The dust became ever thicker
and thicker. the sounds louder and more
varied the atmosFhzIe tTembled, and 20
gether with it ny heart beat quickly
forebodying evil.
Leaving my wor1 / walked up the
sandy bank and saw people Jumping out
from the gates of the houses, running
along the street. into the depth of the
village: dogs and children were running
after them; frightened pigeons scared
over their heads and hens swarmins
about az their feet Carried away by the
general confusion l also started TO run
"They Re fighting en- Eiizayetinskaya"
shouted some one.
A drayman on horseback was hurrying
along the unpaved street towards the
running crowd, fuIiously lashing his
horse with the reins. He kept shouting
AT the top of his voice
They're beating our people,
l turned into the narrow side street
and stopped. \ mass of people filed the
side street with their bodies 50 tightly
wedged that it looked like a sack filed
with grain. In front of US, far away
people roared and yelled. window panes
were rafting, heavy blows smote the
air; something was cracking and falling;
one sound drowned the other, even as the
autumn clouds cover one another, and
the noise hung in the air like a storm
cloud.
They're killing the Jews" said
clean looking little old man with ring
of satisfaction in his voice. lie firmly
rubbed his small. thin hands. and added:
1t serves them right
/ advanced towards the noise. Cbeying
Ats irritating power of attraction. l WIS
not the only one thus attracted; the ter
rible noise attracted everybody absorbed
everybody in "A swamp. The faces Of
the people spoke violent, dun rage; their
eyes flashed greedily; the entire crowd
moved forward in a close. heavy mass
ready to break the wallis and fences
which pressed them together; each was
ready TO knock down the man in front
of him, to walk over his body, to tram
pie it,
l rushed into the yard of one Of the
houses on the side street, jumped across
the fence into another yard. then again
and again. and I found myself once more
in the midst Of a big crowd. It filed the
yard of a large stone house-the crowd
seemed 10 seethe in the narrow yard. as
If the ground under their fest was quak-
Ing As If possessed by evil spirits, they
roared their heads lifted upwards. their
faces red. their teeth flashing IA their
open mouths. They hourished their
hands; they kept jostiins one another;
they climbed TO the roofs Of the neigh
boring houses. they fell. and climbed
again And notwithstanding the variety
Of the movements of each person. there
was something common in all; each per-
son became "a member of one huge bo5y.
animated by one and the anne mighty
power.
High above this raging crowd on the
roof of the house by the chimue~ stood
. thin. tail jew. lie tore bricks from
thu chimney with his fingers. and hurl-
Iog them down. kept CRYING I'm "a shriu
voice which sounded like the screaming
81 a sea-Euu- His LONG. gray beard quiv-
cred on his breast. and his white trou-
seTs were covered with red stairs.
1ae crowd below shouted to him mad
~ Shoot him Bring the SUM- Hit
VAIN stones" Through the windows of
the hCose dark figures were seen walking
hither and thithcr breaking the window
IN mes and throwing things into the
yard. The window rancs ratified and
p creaked. Now broad-faced shaggy
fellow brought looking glass over to
the window thrust il out ana shouted:
''Eh. iork cut tnere," And the mirror.
rehecti.,F the RAYS Of the sun. fen 10 the
Erouad- The fellow thrust out his heal.
his bread face bore an expression of
grief and seriousness. but not Of Nratl.
At the other window appeared black
bearded peasant with pillow in his
hands lie tore It orcn. and white
cloud Of feathers filled the air.
It's showing; see that your noses don't
freeze, fellows shouted the peasant.
looking at the white feathers falling up
on the heads Of the crowd
And in the yard they roared: Come
here, I've found the little Jewels in a
barrel,''
Hit them
Hit their heads against thu wau,'
'Hh. YOU old Jew Come down: we've
founI your grandchildren"
Get on the roof or Wen Kill your
family"
The shrill cry Of a child smote the air;
IT was a terrible sound; it flashed like
lightnina amidst the roaring ~ the mob
And the roaring Of the mob Gained down
a little
Don't touch them" shouted some one
Don't touch the chudrcn,~
''HIit the erown-up Jews"
The cry of a child VAS heard again:
shrill ard loud il pierced the heart and
drowned an other sounds
''0h, devil" some one shouted wildly.
his voise rising above the noise OF the
crowd
Did you Init him on the head2"
Il struck his legs
That's clever. old devil
..Anfin, Ief rs knox dnrn hat Len y,