The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-01
Government SIDE
II Being Presented in Trial Of
Jews ut Gomel.
Attempt to Put All Blame on
the Israelites.
ARMY OF WITNESSES.
S75 Present Out of l,1OI Who
Were SubpOenaed.
Trial Is Attracting Wide Atten-
tIon and Much Interest.

Gomel. Russia, Nov. 1.-The trial OF
the persons charged with being respon-
@ible for the anti-Jewish riots here in
September 1903 IS proceeding slowly
and with open doors and is attracting
immense interest There are eleven
defendants and 90 other persons who
are under the same charge nnd are
being held under bail Nine hundred
and seventy-five of the 1,101 witnesses
are. present. The governments wit
nesses are attempting to prove that the
disorders of September IL, 1908, were in
the nature of anti-Christian riots and
not of an anti-Jewish character. 1t is
claimed that the first riot was organ
ized by Jews to take vengeance for the
Kishenieff affair. while the rioting two
days after was a retaliation upon the
Jews. The government produced evil
dence to prove that the Jews were
thoroughly organized and armed and
had prearranged signals, regular lead
ers. adopted a provocative attitude
toward the Christians and acted over
bearingly insulting peasants in the
streets and jostling them off the side
walks.
The affair Of September IL, it is ad-
ded, grew out of a trI1ing quarrel be-
tween a Christian forester and a Jew
ess over the purchase OF a herring. The
Jewess spat in the forester's face,
fight followed and Jews ran up and be-
iabored the forester. Some Christians
from the bazaar hurried to the rescue
OF the forester. The free fight then be-
came general, the Jewish signal was
given and the whole jewish population
assembled, attacking the Christians re-
CARELESS of sex or age, a girl being
dragged along the road by her hair.
The peasants abandoned their goods in
the bazaar and fed. One of them was
stabbed in the neck and killed. The
police and a lieutenant and four SOL
diers tried to restore order but stones
were showered upon them and they
were fred at from windows of neigh
boring houses, the Jews shouting.
I'VE are going to be avenged; this is
not Kfshineff."
The police and soldiers finally escap-
ed owing to the interposition of a
rabbi. Two days later some railroad
workmen who had announced that they
intended to take vengeance on the
Jews came into the town at noon. The
pany of soldiers was brought in and
halted the workmen at the bridge. The
Jews assembled behind the soldiers, the
two sides matchmaking each other,
finally hurting stones. Appeals of the
police chief to the rioters to dispense
were in vain. At last a policeman was
struck by a brickbat, and the workmen,
shouting:
surged across the bridge Then there
were revolver shots from the Jews,
whereupon the captain commanding
the soldiers placed his companion be-
tween the opposing forces and the
Workmen finally were dispersed in the
direction of the suburbs But the Jews
would not even listen to a rabbi who
was present and the soldiers finally
charged them with bayonets and ac-
cess to the wealthy Jewish quarter was
closed.
III the meantime the workmen were |
on the outskirts of the |
town and began pillaging and a detach- |
ment of soldiers were continually en-
gagged in dispensing them, while the |
Jews elsewhere were attacking every |
Christian they could find. The first |
voiley fired by the soldiers was in the |
quarter known as America where |
two workmen were killed. In all the |
troops fired three volleys, killing two |
more workmen and one Jew. The total |
result of the rioting was three nom |
commissioned officers, two soldiers, two |
Jews and two Christians killed and four |
Christians and four Jews wounded. A |
number of policemen were also killed or |
wounded. About $50 houses and shops |
OF Jews were pillaged. The rioting con-
Ginued all the afternoon and only ceased |
mt nightfall