New-York tribune., 1903-05-19
WENT TO CHURCH ARMED.
PRAYED. THEN KILLED.
Second Kishinef Refugee Says
atrocities Haze Been Unde'rated.

Abraham Polovnick. a Hebrew tailor is here
from Kshineff after an experience that while not
SO terrible as that Of many of his fellows was one
that he will long remember. For fo-ty-eight hours
he and his wife and child his sister. her husband
and their children lay huddled oehe'ilh
3 pile OF barrels in the cellar OF their house
while the anti-Semitic mob Gid ITS "orA III
tbe streets outside That their hiding place
- not discovered was due TO the kindness
IF 2 Gentle who occupied the same house ana
who when the infuTiated rioters would nave ran
sacked it. induced them to 60 away on the pied
that the Mace was the home Of n Gentle only
As II was. the windows Of the house were snasheo
and ali OF the family's belongings oes'royeu-
Polo,nicb sent his wife AID child to Odessa. where
tbe1 xiu be safe with friends, and himself came
70 America =.
Polovnick left Kishinef on Thursday. April ZS'
tvro DAYS after the riots ceased he arrived mere
~ sunday on the Phoenicia. and yesterday was
met here by his aunt, Mrs Bessie Sregel' OF NJ
97S Toi1sion-st with whom he VIII make MS hote
At her home last night Polovnick was surrouil1eu
nv an eager circle of listeners He said the rnassa
ere was = complete surprise TO the Jewish popula-
+io, although there had been a deepening OF me
race hatred of the Russians for the Jews Ior soli
time particularly owing to the articles pupHsIleu
in the Anti-Semite newspaper ''Bessaraoitz- inc
outbreak came like a thunoerclap OUT "l ''eAi
sky.
II began at noon Sunday. after the Greek Church
service when the Russians were returning TO thelr
homes The cry started. no one knows WneTe' Lei
us have some fun with the Jews. anu lAe S14I'
5olze sr-eas quickly. POlovnlck thinks that many
Of the butchers were prepared for the massacre
and that they carried knives ana pistols TO church
with them hidden under their cloaks. He Is Ger
tain that their weapons were ready TO hand when
the time came use them
Foloynick saws that the reports OF mutllatec
lo5ies and OF the most horrible tortures have not
been exaggerated. but that they have been under-
rated and that the full terror Of the situation Tor
those awful three days can only be appreciated by
those whose wives and brothers and sisters ana
children fell around them
PoIovnick confirms the reports Of the indlher-
ence OF the authorities, both civic and mllltary'
and declares that the requests of the Jews for help
were ignored Some Of the better class OF the
Gentle population, ne says, would nave done ~Iat
:hey could to prevent the slaughter. but for the
fear that ignorant element OF the Russian popu-
lation would turn their fanatic energy on them
PoloVnick saws that the outrage viii cause the
emigration of a great many Russian Jews TO this
country for while of them have always
thought Of America a refuge from the persecu-
fions which have always been their lot IN hlSSlA,
this last calamity has determined them TO leave
Russia as soon as they are able. The lack q
money pay their passage Is the chief olflculty
it often takes many years savings TO pay Tor
the trip
PolDVniCk