The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-06
RUSSIA'S REPLY
To the Christian Herald's Request
for Information.

Syev York. June 6.-The Christian
Herald in response to a cablegram sent
to the czar asking FOR an official report
on occurrences at Kischinen. has re-
ceived a reply from the director OF the
Russian police department. The reply
follows.
"The Christian Herald. New York
Russian agricultural and the labOrlns
population is i'll at ease. living the conf
mon life with Jewish inhabitants of
widely developed commercial instinct;
hence there is constant antagonism, the
material differences i'm racial and re-
HEiaus character coming to the verge
Of frenzy at the least possible occasion.
"The strained relations existing be-
tween the Russians and Jews of Be5-
sarabia were made worse by the fact
of finding in an outlying village a muir
dered Christian boy The murder was
attributed by the population to tina
Jewish ritual habits. Official denials OF
the ritual murder We're not given credit
by the peasants who attributed other
murders of Christians in the towns Of
kief and kischineft likewise to the
Jews.
"On Easter day. IN the market place
of Kischineff the workers while holl-
day making. saw the Jewish proprietor
OF a carOusing machine strike a Chris
tian woman. who fell to the ground.
letting go her infant baby This Incl
dent was the immediate cause Of an
outburst. The workers began breaking
windows and pulling down Jewish
stores as a sign of protest The police.
who always leave much to be desired in
provincial towns. failed to make effi-
caCious Intervention, many thousands
of the mass of onlOokers and holiday
makers approved the riot and hindering
the uolicemen's actions.
After the demonstration came plum
derers. the outbreak lasting from in
the afternoon to 10 in the evening ani
leaving nine Jewish bodies on the place.
Night brought the disturbance TO an
end
"What goes far TO prove the momentous
character of the outbreak in letting loose
the popular passions with the strength OF
natural forces is that on Monday morning
the Jews wishing to intimidate and inhici
punishment on the Christian workers be-
gan assembling on the market place ir
groups armed with sticks and other weap-
had the best OF 1t IN the first encounter
and a Christian was seen to fail. receiV
lns 4 pullet WoHllu. ~ Il, ~, Il ms Gane9 Ior tn'
popular passion IN an its abject form ans
Animation. the Russian peasants, whel
driven to frenzy and excited by race ant
religious hatred ana under the influence
Of alcohol, being worse than The American
who lynch negroes
unfortunately. the governor of Bessara
bia did not make his appearance in per
son on Easter Sunday and on Monday h
gave over the command to military men
which he had no right to do. as he il
consequence. laid the police aside. and ol
the other hand left the military force
towns by assault. but can not carry GU
police duties without special Instructions
IN luG euu LnC town. having teHI on
vided into districts with special militar
command in each. the disturbances cease
on Monday evening. By this time tn
minister Of the interior had ordered d.
wire the proclamation of martial law an
Gan Unprecedented facD had sent the di
doctor OF the police department to iuvea
tiEate as to the responsibility of the lt
cal officials. In consequence the governc
and the chief police and some other OF
ficials, were dismissed outright. many hun
dreds of rioters are i'm prison and mar
work i'm the Siberian mines awaits then
The minister Of the interior has issued
circular to governors all over Russia an
thorizing them to make Immediate use
firearms in cases of anti-Jewish disturb
anCes. The Russian government is 20
first to disapprove of such horrible acts
violence but IT can not in compliance wit
the requests of a radical and revolutionar
press give the Jews new rights of either
ship. as this would be sure to drive tn
Russian population to now eXcesst
against the Jews who are hated by tn
peasants with such extraordinary force
(Signed}. 'LOPOCktilNE
Director Of Police Department" ."