Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-20
MAD ORGY OF BLOOD
FOR SEVENTY HOURS
Scenes Left by the Massacre
at BiaIyStOk.
APACHE INDIANS 0UTD0NE
Narrative of the Associated Press
Correspondent.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES CULPABLE
Either Aided the Rioters and Stood
Idly by Not Preventing
the Carnage.

GRODNO, Russia, June 2p.-Owing to the
refusal of the censor at Bialystok to per-
NIT the free telegraphing of the result or
the investigation by the Associated Press
OF the massacre of Jews there, its corre-
spondent came here. The anti-Jewish riot
ms at BaIystok is now ended. The troops
are in full control. and In view of the out
cry raised il is certain that the authorities
will not permit renewal of the horrors
recently witnessed at Blalystok.
This entire region is greatly excited, ow-
ing to fear that the Bialystok massacre
was only the signal for general attack
on the Jews throughout "the~pale' and in
Poland. but If any such conspiracy existed
81 is too late to carry out the plans, as
the most imperative orders to prevent fur
ther outbreaks have been issued TO the
governors and governor generals from St.
Petersburg.
Mad Orgie of Blood.
When the correspondent arrived at Bialy-
stok Sunday morning the worst was al
ready over, but on all sides there was
voting evidence OF savage bestiaiity on
the part of the blood-drunken mobs, which
sacked and burned the Jewish houses, shops
and stores. For seventy-two hours with
a Slight abatement during the day time,
on unchecked. The inhumanity displayed
would have done credit to the Mongol
hordes of Genghis Khan in his conques.s
of China and central Asia early in The
thirteenth century. At first police and
troops urged on the mob, but finally, when
dismayed by the bloody deeds accomplished
they reluctantly sought to obey the orders
OF their superiors to put an end to the
work of the rapacious bands OF roughs
who were so far beyond control of the
local forces that regiment after regiment
had to be thrown into the city before order
could be restored.
During the rlotng the Jews were hunted
down by ferocious pursuers, who in the ma
jority of cases were not content with killing
mere victims, but tore them to pieces, like
wild animals And while this was in prog
ress the troops either stood idly by or,
as was more frequently the case, fired into
the houses and shops where Jews were con-
cealed, under the preteXt that they believed
them to be revolutionists, but really to make
way for the murderers and plunderers who
followed In the soldiers wake.
While II Is impossible to give the exact
figures the visits of the correspondent to
the hospitals and cemeteries enables him
to approximate the killed at one hundred
Jews and twenty Christians. and the wound
ed at one hundred and fifty Jews and seven
Christians.
Investigating the Cause.
The question OF the origin of the massacre
was carefully investigated. Although many
OF the Jews denied that a bomb was thrown
at the Corpus Christi procession Thursday,
the fact that bomb was thrown is es-
tabIished beyond a doubt, but the question
OF who threw the bomb remains unsettled.
The accounts of impartial witnesses, how
ever, demonstrate that an insulting cry en-
ragged the Jews who attacked the religious
procession Then from one end OF the city
to the other the police spread the report OF
the attack, thus tanning the religious fanat-
icism of the Christians and setting loose the
worst elements upon the Jews, on whom the
crowds watching the procession had al
ready turned. The Jews at first fought with
reyolvers and bombs and with these
weapons the majority OF the Christian vic
ttms were killed But the Jews were soon
overwhelmed and fed for shelter, like rab
bits TO warrens. into cellars or atttcs.
The soldiers watched this chase and
butchery sometimes laughing with in
difference but never failing to fire into
houses where Jews. sometimes to the
number of n hundred. We're making
stand against their assailants. The sol
diers said the Jews were revolutionists,
and that was their excuse for firing
them The authorities who wanted to do
something to stop the massacre were,
with the police and troops in open sym
pathy with the mob. utterly powerless.
Not Planned at st. Petersburg.
Although IL is freely charged that the
higher authorities of Bialystok deliber-
ateiy organized the massacre, or, II this
was not the case, that II was carried out
under orders from St. Petersburg. there
n no evidence TO support either charge.
According to the Investigations of the
parliamentary commission, whose mem
bers were especially anxious to elucidate
this point. NJ. Schepkin OF Odessa,
member OF the commission. said
I'VE wished especially to bring home
the responsibility to the government IL
the massacre was organized In ST. Peters
burg But out conclusions are that it was
not planned in st. Petersburg. Neither do
we flnd proof that Chief of Police Shero-
metiefr of Bialystok was party to the
Mot However, the responsibility of his
.uhordinates, together with that of the
rank and file OF the police and some OF
the military officers who fondly imagine
that the odious system OF Won Plehve and
Trepofr has not ended is clearly proven.
I'VE have failed 10 clear up whether
policeman or an anarchist threw the
bomb Our Investigations only demon
strate that the real cause of this and SIM
tIar tragedies is the position of the Jews,
which makes the ignorant Russians con-
slider them to be pariahs, outside the pro-
lection OF the law. The Jews everywhere
ore now organizing societies for self
defense, and as soon as they show the
sftrhtest resistance to persecution they
viii be treated by the troops and ignorant
uonuIace as revoIutionists for whom a
simple death 10 too good. Parliament must