The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-06-14
BRUTAllTiESAT ODESSA
Eyewitness Tells Of Massacre
Of Jews by Russians.
THREE DAYS AT MERCY OF MODS

Terrible Scenes of Carnage That Fol-
lowed the Proclamation OF the
Cars Grant of "a COnstitutiOn-Cru-
eIty of the HOOligans and Police
Was Unspeakable.
Solomon Brodsky, Jewish watch
maker of Odessa, who recently arrived
In London from that town, gave Lon
don Telegraph representative a graphic
description of the terrible scenes Of
blOodshed which occurred there few
days ago. Mr.. BrOdsky is a prominent
member OF the revolutionary party in
| Odessa, and it was because he took
prominent part in the defense Of his
coreligionists and thereby became a
| marked man that he fed from the town
In fear of his life, being provided with
| funds by the revolutionary party to
enable him to go to London to assist
! In raising funds for the revolutionary
movement.
| Mr.. Brodsky attributed the com.
mencement of the attack upon the
Jews to the issue of proclamation in
spired by the police asserting that jew
| fish revolutiOnaries were plotting to
take the life of the czar. At the time
| the proclamation was issued great
mobs of loyalist hooligans were parad
ing the streets, rejoicing over the czar's
manifesto promising a constitution
The hooligans at once raised the cry
Of 'DOwn with the Jews!' attacks on
the Jewish quarters began, and for
three days the whole city was given
up to scenes of indescribable horror.
early on Wednesday morning Oct
26," continued M. Brodsky, II was
awakened by a terrible uproar in the
street. Aiming myself with revolver.
I went out and found a great mob Of
hooligans and disguised policemen,
armed with swords and revolvers, at
tacking house where several families
of Jews resided, their object being
murder and robbery. The Jews tried
to defend themselves, but they were
soon overpowered, and nearly every
| person In the house was killed Or
wounded and the place pillaged.
''Then body of the Social Democrat
ic league came upon the scene and
called upon the people to bring out as
many arms as possible to fight the po-
lice and hooligans. Returning to my
house, I brought out two large dag
gers, one of which gave to another
person, keeping the other myself A.
desperate fight then took place. and 1
was in the thick Of it, revolvers, dag
gers and sticks being freely used. Hear
ing q cry for help, turned round and
saw a young girl Of about fourteen or
| fifteen being struck on the head by a
hooiigan with a huge stick. This got
my blood up, and, aiming nay revolver
at the man, shot him dead My act
was witnessed by the police. Several
Of them made a rush for me, and one
Of them tried to fell me with rifle.
ran away, with the police in hot pur-
suit, but after they had chased me
through two or three streets I man
aged to enter house unnoticed by
them and hid there for two hours As
soon as 1 ventured out, however, I was
arrested, but a number of revolution
aries attacked the police and set me
free.
Scenes similar to that in which
took part were enacted in every part Of
the city. 1t was as though thousands
Of wild beasts had been let loose. The
| authorities made no attempt to main
tain order. 1t was absolutely anarchy,
and the Jews were In state Of fear
full terror, fully expecting to be COM
pletely annihilated. The scenes on
Thursday were, II possible, even worse,
the greatest b1oodshed occurring In two
streets, Moldavanka and Pre0brazhen-
skaya. To describe the horrible slaugh-
ter which took place here ia quite i'm
possible. Bodies OF the dead and dying
lay on the ground literally In hundreds.
and the cutters ran ankle deep in blood,
the sounds OF the firing. the fierce
shouts Of the fighters and the groans Of
the wounded making it perfect pam
demonium. Fathers saw their SONS and
daughters killed before their eyes. and
sons saw their mothers ruthlessly
slaughtered by the hooligan mob. What
wonder that everybody lost his h1l-
mainly and fought like q wild beast!
The cruelty Of the hooligans and the
police was unspeakable. I myself saw
a policeman stamp savagcly on tho
face Of an old woman who was lying
on the ground badly wounded and saw
others who were wounded finished or
By the police with the butt end Of rifles.
The bodies Of horses and dogs lay mix
ed up Unfortunately with the bodies
Of men and women, So numerous were
the ivictims-it was impossible to count
them, for there were thousands that
the police could not cart them away
quick enough, and during the night
dogs and cats and rats actually fed
upon the corpses The bodies were
token away in thirties and forties In
dust carts, and there was no attempt
at proper burial. They were all thrown
together into huge holes, irrespective Of
nationality. and covered over with lime.
II became as one insane with the hor-