The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03

down a high porch and ran tn<Ous"
the streets dragging him after tneh'
the Jews white hair sweeping tne
stones of the pavement and painting
their sharp edges red with no"ins
blood.
And I was on my way to accept the
faith OF these two-legged beasts'
shuddered.
A frightful shrek made my blood
curdle.
Help. Help." A girl with dis
heveIed black hair. with her clothes
torn into shreds, rushed from a rlch
house, pursued by several rioters.
"Ah! ah! ahl" Lusty exclamations
came from all sides at the appearances
Of the maiden.
She was caught and thrown 10 the
ground struggling for her life. for her
honor.
"Stop!" I cried with all my might
and began to pull away the rioters.
They gave me no heed.
"Christiansl men! beasts-haie! L
shouted at the top of my voice.
XIII the Jew!' a cry went up. A
number Of bystanders dragged me
from the assanants, raining blows up
on my head.
Defend your down-trodden people.
a voice seemed to call from within me.
Clubs, sticks, iron bars Uttered the
ground. I seized a sharp iron and with
all my strength hammered the heads
bent over their VICTIM Some fell
bleeding to the ground. while others
were fighting to finish their diabolicaI
deed. 1 branlshed the iron right ana
left, up and down. furiously. Blood!
I muttered, frantic with the scene be-
fore me. 1 craved to see blood. TO
wash myself clean with blood. to sub
merge myself in blood. struck heads
and breasts and shoulders with tho
rage Of a demon. and blood gushsd
forth abundantly. 'Baptize your Jew
ish soul with blood" a weird-nke
voice whispered to me. And ala
bathe in fresh. hot human blood
'Soldiersl Cossacks!" rose a cry Of
warning. as a squad Of horsemen came
into the street.
Arrest that Jewi" ordered some one
in a shout
I turned and saw the officer whom I
had met at Bialnick's pointing to ms.
stop that Jew!" he commanded
again. But before any one could stop
me I fed to the next street.
There the fight was fercer. Feathers
and leaves OF books filled the air;
porches and balconies fell with explo-
sive roaring; massive furniture came
down upon the pavement with thun-
der-like crashes: on every side were
mangled babes, mutilated old Jewish
women, aged Jews with crushed
limbs and fractured skulls. lacerated
girls fighting for their honor. Here
and there fashionabIy dressed Chris
tian women bent down to pick up a
piece Of precious jewelry or a trinket
which the rioters had dropped IN their
wild excitement.
stopped before the synagogue. A
gang Of brutes were forcing an en-
trance into the house Of worship. It's
doors were soon stormed and the crowd
burst furiOusly IN. I pressed In after
them Before the ark that contained
scrolls of the Torah-the book that in
spired prophets and poets and sages-
stood an old Jew wrapped in Tails.
his arms spread across its portals and
begging mercifully:
Kill me, but save the holy Torah-"
Take him to the gallery" the one
who acted as leader commanded.
With a Jubilant shout the struggling
old man was raised In the air and car
ried up to the high gallery.
Throw him down!" demanded the
mob. az
,''Save the Torah-the holy Torah,"
family moaned the victim.
THE holy TOrah-the holy Torahl"
Knocked the rioters; and with a heavy
thud the martyrs body struck the
floor.
remembered the iron In my hand.
Blood! bloodl blood!" I muttered 20
myself as the violators began to tear
the scrolls OF the Torah in strips and
trample the parchment under foot. My
iron rose and fell mercilessly. 1 cleared
my way until 1 reached the door.
Finding myself outside. continued the
slaughter. But suddenly my eyes
dimmed, I became dizzy, and a hot
current passed through my body. The
iron dropped from my clasp and I
raised my hand to my forehead. Some
thing like a drop Of boiling water
dripped down my nose I wiped II
away, but 1t dripped faster and faster.
Tumult, confusion, shrieking, scream
ing, begging, imploring.