The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07
M BAEE <5NIGLlE IN TIE ]E71rISH .C0LOVK
ZHE CHI 2REW ERED2L7LlN4TE.
wRIrrns FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
In the Russian Jewish ghetto in the VI
entity or Ninth and Carr streets. the mas
sacres that have recently taken place in
Kishenev and Tarispoi are the one topic of
conversation.
Hundreds of letters have been received in
the ghetto depicting the scenes that took
place In Kishenev and Tarispol during
Easter week.
1t is not an uncommon sight TO see the
Inhabitants of the ghetto. grouped in fours
and skies, divulging the contents OF mes
sage from their former home.
Harry Sigel, who lives al No. 1885 North
Ninth street. Is member of the Russian
colony who only recently left Kishenev. He
escaped the nassac-es. but there were pros
poets Of one before he left the city.
letter from Sigel's wife depicts the
tragedies that occurred. This letter was
translated by Hyman Schiffre. a 1o-year-old
boy. who lives In the same house.
Hyman Schiffre reads and speaks English
and Hebrew, and he Is example of The
precocious youth of the ghetto.
ySigel read the letter IN Hebrew to Schiffre
end as quickly as it was read as quickly
did the youngster translate the words into
English.
Sigers letter was translated as follows:
The massacre lasted for three days and the peo-
pie on fifteen streets were MANNED and killed.
Women were ruthlessly thrown from houses. cut
open and in some instances burned. Babies were
torn limb from limb and their mangied remains
thrown into the streets.
Peasants with axes split open the heads of the
helpless Jews and killed ali that they came In
contact with The prayers Of the Jews Were of
no avail and the Russians dealt with them IN
mereilesa way.
Women with babies in their arms at
tackled and murdered. To make the crime moee
heinous the cruel Russians killed the babies be-
fore the eyes Of the mothers and then annihilatej
the parents.
Red-ho, irons were pressed against the MANNED
Jews and words cannot describe the extent oil
the torture. ! man take Jew and force
a red-hot iron into his mouth. seveiing his ngue
1t was the most barbaious treatment any people
ever received IN the worlds history.
The first attack made one of the jew
ish citizens who had 100000 rubles hid In his
house. The Jew killed and the house pill
iaged. The money was secured by the invaders
and taken away by them.
The attacking party took great delight In burn
ing the Jewish Bibles. They stole every piece of
valuable property they could lay their hands on
and stun they were unable to take with them
they burned.
SEVERAL SURVIVORS ARE
JOURNEy1NG TO ST. LOUIS
This letter says. as do all communications
received in the Ghetto. that the Russian
Jews see in America their only hope for
deiiverance.
Those there who have relatives in the
United States are writing for assistance.
And this assistance will be granted
Hundreds of money orders have been sent
to Russia by the Jews in the St. Louis
colony and already some of those who sur
vived the massacre are 1ourneying toward
this city.
The Russian Ghetto in st. Louis num-
bers about 12.eoO persons. not including
small children. 1t is an interesting colony
and compact one.
The ghetto covers a small area. the people
of 1t living in two and three story brick
houses. Each tenement Is Inhabited by
many families. who. though they haven't a
great deal Of this worlds goods. are salts
fed.
Big families are the rule. not the excep-
ton, in the Russian colony.
Hardly q family numbers less than eight
and some Of them count as many as four
teen and sixteen heads.
Children are in the front yards. the back
yards and on all stairways.
These children speak the Hebraic tongue
but they are Americans just the same The
boys know how TO play baseball and they
take as much interest in the score as the
gentle youngsters. They are healthy chill
dren, toe.
The boys and girls know what the camera
is. Their pictures have often been taken
Behind tho photographers machine there
is q mystery that they cannot fathom. but
they know that 1t is a device of strange
action. and when 1t snaps it makes a pic
ture.
The man with the camera has his troubles
tHefe. ADO moment ne Is SlBnteC the young
sters besiege him and there is constant
chorus Of Mister. take my picture?"
RUSSIAN FATHER
PROUD OF HIS CHILDREN.
And the Russian father Is proud of his
children. When the camera Is snapped an
elderly person will approach the man with
the picture machine. evince his pleasure
with broad smile and ask when he may
receive one Of the photographs.
Then he will probably remark: Mine
are bright children; very smart. Go to pub
lie school. Speak good English
Then the mother of the children may come
up and she will second all the father has
said and add to 1t. The Jew is here to stay
Until 1881 there were few Jews in the
United States.
The estimate as to their number In this
county In 1880 was less than $4,000 while
to-day the jewish population is estimated
at 100000
The Jews Of the eartn number over 10000
On while 500 .0oo-one-half Of the race-live
In Russia, the country where they are so
efuslly prosecuted.
It was after tho massacres IN Central
usHoda In 1SS. that the Jews began to flock
= - United StataA