The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-29
Graphic Description of the Massacre
of the Jews at Kishinef..
How 1t All Came About and the Care
full Preparations Made.
Appeals to the Governor for Pr0tec-
ton Were of No Avail.
Poison Administered 10 the Children
After the Awful Affair Is Over.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
In the following letter written by a
friend in Kishinaf to VI. 5. Winthrop of
the municipal court staff in Minneapolis
Is described the awful slaughter of the
Jews in Russia. 1t is the best told tale
of that terrible affair yet published. 1t
appeared in The Minneapolis Journal of
last night.
''Kishinef, the heart of Bessarabia, a
city built by jew and not by Gentle, is
now no more \ crime mas been COM
mitted so black that it casts a shadow
upon the sunlight. When the world shall
hear what has happened humanity will
sicken at heart, civilization will despair,
liberty will vow vengeance. From the
Street of Gold on the north to the Odessa
road ON the south; from the abatoir on
the east to the highway leading into
Roumania ON the west, all has been de-
stroyed. Here and there you may see
a house untouched; it is the house of
Gentle. No fire, no plague, no earth
as the madness of these Russian mons
tiers.
For two weeks the Jews have been
dreading a massacre. As the leaves
tremble before a storm, so our people
had been shudIering.
What led to it all is easily told In
the little town of Debosar, east of Kish-
inef, lives Baron Cozlovitz. He is very
rich, as you remember. Having no chill
dren, he had adopted youth named
Ivan. But he has two nephews. They
realized that, as long as Ivan lived, they
would inherit nothing from their uncle.
''Now, after killing the youth, they
threw his body into vineyard owned by
Jew. The police, together with the
guilty nephews, the baron himself, and
a band of ruffians, were present at the
discovery of the body. They all raised
the cry that the murder had been COM
mitted by Jews who wanted the blood of
a boy for use in the ceremonies at Pass
over.
The matter was perfectly plain to
these savages; the guilt of the Jews was
manifest. Therefore bands of Slavs gath
IN ofK inc 70
ganize massacre. A massacre was nee
essary, they argued, and they went to
work coolly, as Systematically, as if
they had been planning a reception in
honor of the car. Trembling Jews ran
to the governor of the province and beg
ged him to protect their race. He prom
ised that all would come out well. At
last, about three days before Easter, an
nouncement was made in one of the
principal Russian churches that ON the]
first day of the Easter season and to
commemorate the resurrection, all the
Jews much be massacred.
'Our people soon heard the direful
news and wept; our women wrung their
hands; our children chung screaming to
their mothers. Hundreds of pallid Jews
marched to the governors palace and |
implored him for their lives. He promis !
ed once more that he would quell prompt |
ly any outbreak.
But when midnight sounded, at the |
first minute of Easter, church bells began l
tc toll throughout the city-it was the
signal for slaughter! Ut was so a mid
night bell pealed for the knell of Hugue
nots 300 years ago!) Immediately walls
were seen to crumble, flames burst forth
on every side! The storming of city
was never planned more Systematically
by the great Napoleon. Everywhere
Slavs, armed with clubs, knives, spikes,
even with spades and with the branches
of trees, rushed simultaneously upon the
Jews. Workshops, warehouses, factories,
schools and synogogues were plundered
and destroyed. When the mob came up
on a building strong enough to resist
their fury they resorted to the torch.
Within few minutes pools of blood
stained every street. Groans, prayers,
shrieks resounded through the darkness.
Terror stricken women begged for pity.
Murderers shouted in reply that they
must have more Jewish blood.
Before the massacre, it appears, all 6
the Gentiles had been instructed to put ,
big crosses in their windows so that
their houses might be saved. And so,
during the carnage, the rabbis, observ-
ing this emblem, ran from house to house
and urged the Jews that their one hope ,
of safety would be found in exposing !
similar crosses. Some of the less pious 4,
Jews consented, and their houses were {
passed by. But the great majority of our
people steadfastly refused to betray their !
religion. They prayed instead, and re- /
signed themselves to die the death of |
Never have / seen men die a
so peacefully. Many a victim when the |
mob approached, would not move an
inch from where he was standing, fac \
ing the east, as is our custom, and COM r
nending his soul to the Jehovah of our /
forefathers. /
Meantime the Russian rabble soul y