The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-12
REFUGEES IN AMERICA
Russian go Massacres Described by Jews
Who Reach New York.

0 ID. ~. :1ssA@N ASSsVNAA yHNVW-14VI -
New York, Dec. 12.-Five hundred
Russian refugees, many Of them eye
witnesses Of the massacres ii Odessa
and other Russian cities, have arrived
here. y KS rs, 81 ~ ~
Some Of them told graphic and pitt
full stories of their experiences. Jews
who had themselves lain hidden in
Odessa houses while mobs' searched for
them, Russian workmen Of the Chris
tian faith, strikers from the RAILWAYS,
newspaper reporter, and Germans who
had long lived In Russia, Joined at Ellis
island immigration station in declaring
that they had been attacked irrespec-
tive Of religion; that their assai1ants
were led by police disguised in citizens
clothing, and that the massacres were
not race prosecution, but revolutions.
While telling their stories, the men
sometimes burst into tears; for perhaps
the entire number had left behind them
wives and children who were either
dead or defenseless; in Russian cities.
Fled from Odessa.
. There weresthree Jews from Odessa,
ileofSwhom six weeks ago today. on
Monday, Oct. 30, the day that the ezar
proclaimed Russia's constitutions, were
forced into hiding to save their lives.
90 AAASAA
and of fine physique. One Of, them,
Abraham. Ghanoeh, an Odessa tinsmith,
who hesitated about describing the
+ Odessa massacres, was offered money
for his story, when he threw back his
head and exclaimed:
81 won't take money. eThank God,
I still have So, and that is enough
Then, without further urging, he told
what he saw Of the Odessa massacre,
from its beginning, when two rival pa
rades, which were celebrating the new
constitution, met and began to fight.
He told how little children were thrown
out Of high windows, how Russian stu
dents patrolled the streets in large
numbers, protecting Jews, while other
bands of men pillaged and murdered.
Workmen and students, he said, led
the peace parties, while disguised po-
lice usually led the hoodlums. After
the first two days he and two compan.
ions escaped from the city.
IS Started Massacres.
Two refugees from western Russia
said that there the Jew-killing was
started by emptying the jails Of pris-
oners who attacked and stole from the
Jews ~
A man from the province Of Kovno
fasserted that the police themselves read
in the emperor IS proclamation Of con-
stitution an order to kill all jews, and
cried this lie thru the streets. u
| AL stories agree that the emperor's
proclamation Of q constitution and
Count Whites stepping into power were
made the pretext for massacres.
Mackeniz, a Jewish candymaker of
the passengers, and he said:
uOn Oct. 30 was among the process
sions that were rejoicing and marching
and waving red flags in the streets. 4
large party Of loyalists was addressed
4 by a Clergyman, who said: TT is true
that the car has decreed liberty, free.
dom Of the press and Of conscience.
He exhorted faithfulness to the car
after which his followers marched. car
rying aloft pictures Of the car. When
| this procession met the other paraders
it was stoned and thus the. fighting be
| gan.
NDuring the next two days the
/ streets of Odessa were battlefield, )
repeating it bitterly several times, ani
adding, this is what theyzcall decree
ing liberty
Described Horrors
Chanoch, the tinsmith, took up tn,
. story at this point, saying:
During the first day after the mani
4 festo it seemed to me to be very quiet
for nearly all the Jews remained in
doors hiding. Tuesday night I wa
i with several other Jews in garnet Of .
4 house for four hours to escape the mob
i It was a three-story building AM
those who lived there escaped by crawl
ing along the rafters along the darl
il holes a few inches under the roof. Will
we were hiding in this house, men cam
4 after dark to escape from the street
1 and to tell us what happened in tn
3 other houses where the Jews wer
q caught.
81 "A man told me that one Of thes
|, houses had been entered where perhap
200 Jews were in hiding. The mem
j, bers Of the mob carried butcher knives
!: stone slabs, some Of which were re,
with blood, and which were used 70
| crushing and stoning people, iron bars
reviewers and clubs. Those in the hous
ran in every direction, many of them es
i Gaping, but the children ran with fey
u older nersnna To the third floor Their