The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-29

stabbed to death with spears. Women
were carried to the house tops and hurled
down upon the stones of the street. Old
men, their flowing white boards Grim
soned with blood, were set on fire. Mems
skulls were pierced with nails; their
tongues were torn from their mouths.
Legs were wrenched apart, hands were
sawed off. Even the conscience of a
Nero would have burned at such a scene.
"For a day and a half the massacre
continued. Then the killing ceased; there
was no one left to kill.
''The following morning the desolation
was CHASTITY. Wherever the eye looked
il saw smoke, ruins, blood, fragments of
food, tattered garments, broken, costly
furniture, rich ornaments, jewels-all
kinds of scattered wealth in confused
piles. And about each heap of what had
been a beautiful home stood groop of
survivors emerged from hiding, their
souls soaring with agony Until now
these survivors had been terrified. They
had no time for tears. But now their fear
had abated; they began to realize their
bereavement, their loneliness. For the
FIRST time their tears fell fast and hot.
Everywhere l encountered fathers that
had survived all they had possessed in
the world; mothers widowed, childess,
penniless. staring at vacancy; little boys
and girls left all alone
"Soon the children began to feel the
bite of hunger. They sobbed for bread
But all the bakeries had been demolished
Russians, whose faces reflected an APP
pearance of sympathy, were bringing
loads of bread through the ruins. The
children were served first. They seized
the bred eagerly. A few minutes later
they fell by hundreds to the ground,
screaming in agony, Lords of hosts the
men and women cried, our little ones
are poisoned A multitude of innocents
We're soon dying.
Next appeared wagons filled with
good bread brought in by Jews from the
neighboring towns. This bread was d.
vided so that each person should receive
one loaf. Then, for the first time, my
dear friend, felt my heart melting with
a new sort of anguish, as | saw those
who but yesterday were rich and power
full take each his place in line to await
the gift of a single loaf of bread! And
every jew as he received his loaf, mutter-
ed, with trembling lips, our prayer,
Praised be God who created the fruits
of the earth
Never, it seemed to me, was a scene
more sublime than these our people
praying so trustfully to their God in this
direst of Affections. l fancied l could
look back through the clouded ages upon
the whole story of our people. l could
See them praying, suffering, hoping in
Egypt, in Babylonia, in Rome, in Spain,
and, at last, in Russia!
yet we were delivered from those
other nations, and the same Jehovah will
deliver us from Russia. We may not
avenge ourselves on Russia with the
sword. But We can equally destroy her
by emigrating to the west, to the Prom
ised Land of America. When the Jews
leave Russia, her commerce, her finances,
her intellectual power will be ruinously
lessened. Little will be left except
souless, stupid, barbarious 'moujiks.'
MY thoughts are all westward bound.
Thousands of the Jews here are ready to
walk barefoot to take ship to your land
of equality. l ask in behalf of our suf-
ferers, including myself, that you will
try to bring us to America. Let the
spring of your charity gush FORTH