Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-06
RUSS|A'S EXPLANATION
Gear Officially Tells of Kish-
enef Massacre.
JEWS BLAMED IN PART
DIRECTOR OF POLICE WRITES
CHRISTIAN HERALD.
Says Anti Hebrew Sentiment of Peas
ants Exceeded American Lynch
ing Passions.


Spouse to cabIegram sent to the car.
asking for an official report Of the occur
renee at Kishenef received the following
reply from the director of the Russian
police department.: -
ST. PETERSBURG. June 4.
'The Christian Herald New York:
"Russia's agricultural and laboring popu
lation Is Ill at ease, living the common life
with Jewish inhabitants of widely develop
ed commercial instinct; hence there is con-
slant antagOniSm, the material differences
in racial and religious character coming to
the verge of frenzy at the least possible oc-
casion.
'The strained relations existing between
the Russians and Jews Of Bessarabia were
made worse by the fact of finding in an
outlying village a murdered Christian boy.
The murder is attributed by the population
to the Jewish ritual habits. Official denials
OF the ritual murder were not given credit
by the peasants. who attributed other muir
ders of Christians in the town of KEW and
Kishenef likewise to the Jews.
Jew Struck Down Woman.
ION Easter day, in the market place of
Kishenef, the workers while holiday max
ing, saw the Jewish proprietor of carousel
strike a Christian woman, who fell to the
ground. letting go her infant baby. This
incident was the immediate cause of an
outburst.' The workers began breaking
windows and pulling down Jewish stores
as sign of protest. The police, who al
ways leave much to be desired in provincial
towns. failed to make efffcacious interven-
ton. many thousands Of the mass of on
lockers and holiday makers approving the
riot and hfndering the policemen's actions.
Afterward demonstrators became plum
derers, the outbreak lasting from 8 in the
afternoon to 10 in the evening, and leay-
ing nine Jewish bodies on the place. Night
brought the disturbances to an end.
Worse Than Lynching Negroes.
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 inflict
punishment on the Christian workers, be-
gan assembling on the market place in
groups. armed with sticks and other weap-
ons- The Jews being the more numerous,
had the best of 1t in the two first encoun-
ters, and a Christian was seen to fall, re-
ceivfng bullet wound.
This called forth the popular passion in all
fts abject force and abomina ton, the Russian
peasants, when driven to frenzy and ex-
cited by race and religious hatred. and I'M
der the influence of alcohol. being worse
that the Americans who lynch negroes.
The Governor Lax.
Unfortunately, the governor Of Bersar-
abba did not make his appearance in person
on Easter Sunday, and on Monday he gave
over the command to military men. which
he had no right to do. as he in consequence
laid the police aside and. on the other hand.
left the military forces without actual guild
ance. Troops can take towns by assault,
but cannot carry out police duties without
special instructions.
I'm the end the town having been divided
into districts. with q special military COM
mand in each, the disturbances ceased on
Monday evening. By this time the minister
Of the interior had ordered by wire the
proclamation of martial law, and Ian I'M
precedented fact) had sent the director of
the police department to investigate as to
the responsibilities of the local officials In
consequence the governor. the chief of the
missed outright, many hundreds of rioters
are in prison and hard work in the Siberian
mines awaits them.
The Government Firm.
1.-The minister of the interior has issued
circular to governors all over Russia au--
thorizing them to make immediate use of
firearms in cases Of anu-Jewish disturb
ances. The Russian government is the first
to disapprove Of such horrid acts of vio-
requests of a radical and revolutionary
press, give the Jews new rights Of citizen
ship, as this would be sure to drive the
Russian population to new excuses against
the Jews, who are hated by the peasants
with such extraordinary force.
(Signed) 'LOPOUKHINE
Director Of Police Department"