Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-11-02
Witnesses at Gomel, Russia, Try
to Prove That Hebrews Caused
the Outbreak.
THEY WANTED REVENGE.
It Is Testified That Jews Attacked Chris
t;ars Because of the Kishineff
Massacre
ALL WERE ARMED FOR UPRISING.

Gomel. NOV. 1.-The trial of the per-
sons charged with being responsible 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 sixty
nine other persons who are under the
same charge are being held under bail.
Nine hundred and seventy-fve Of the 11Ol
witnesses are present.
Jews Are Blamed.
The governments witnesses are at
tempting to prove that the disorders of
September IL, 1908, were in the nature
of anti-Christian riots and not of anti
Jewish character. 1t is claimed that the
first riot was organized by Jews to take
vengeance for the Kishineff affair, while
the rioting two days after was a retalia-
ton upon the Jews. The government
produced evidence to prove that the Jews
were thoroughly organized and armed
and had pre-arranged signals, regular
leaders, adopted a provocative attitude
towards the Christians and acted over
bearingly, insulting peasants in the
streets and jostling them off the side
walks.
Attacked the Christians
The affair of September II, it is
added, grew out of a trifiing quarrel be-
tween Christian forester and a Jewess
over the purchase of a herring. The
Jewess spat in the forester's face, a
fight followed and Jews ran up and be-
abored the forester. Some Christians
from the bazaar hurried to the rescue Of
the forester, the free fight then became
general, the Jewish signal was given and
the whole Jewish population assembled,
attacking the Christians, regardless of
sex or age, a girl being dragged along
the road by her hair.
Peasants Are Murdered
The peasants abandoned their goods in
the bazaar and fed. One OF them was
stabbed in the neck and killed. The pc,
lice tried to restore order, but stones
fired at from windows of neighbOring
houses, the Jews shouting, eve are go
ing to be avenged, this is not Kishineff y
The police and soldiers finally escaped
owing to the interposition Of a rabbi.
Revenge on the Jews.
Two days later some railroad workmen
who had announced that they intended
to take vengeance on the Jews came into.
the town at loon. The police had been
warned and a company of soldiers was,
brought in and halted the workmen at the.
bridge. The Jews assembled behind the
soldiers, the two sides anathematizing.
each other, finally hurting stones. APP
peals of the police chief to the rioters to-
disperse were in vain. At last a police
man was struck by brick and the work.
men, shouting ''The Jews have killed a.
policeman surged across the bridge.
Soldiers Charge On Hebrews
Then there were revolver shots from
the Jews, Whereupon the captain COM
manding the soldiers placed his company
between 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 access to the
wealthy Jewish quarter was closed.