The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
PLATFORM FELL ATOURLAND'S
PING JACOB ". SCHIFF AND
IORTY OTHERS IN A HEAP.
enthusiastic Jews stOrmed Speakers stand
10 shake m with Dr. Levin. .
MEMBER Of the Duma- sehin Helped
az Police Quiet the Crowd-No one Hurt.

~ NVlINN etuNNh ~
A Jewish mass meeting in Durland's
P,dinC Academy last night nearly ended
:, a panic when part Of the speakers plat
form collapsed, dropping Jacob H. Schir,
The presiding officer, and about forty other
rorsons in a heap on the tanbark floor.
Tho meeting was called for the purpose
ri welcoming to this country DR.. Shmarahu
levin. = Jew ish member of the late Duma
and a leader Of his people in Russia. DR..
LEVIN was among the persons who vent
down. as we're also Cyrus l.. Sulzberger and
Congressman GoldfogIe.
The hall was crowded to its utmost ca
racity. mostly by Jews from the lower East
side DR.. levin had finished his address
end Mr.. Schif was u~ttering the closing
word, of the meeting, when a rush for the
platform began. Everybody in the great
audience apparently wanted to shake hands
with the Jewish patriot. The crowd
climbed up on the reporters table and
,renped from it to the platform. The rush
was still on when there came a great crash.
The northern half OF the platform had
dropred TO the floor, a distance OF about
three feet. and nearly everybody standing
IN the collapsed part had been thrown on
IN. feet. There we're several women in the
Leap. a good many camp stools and a sofa.
One or two Of the women shrieked, but
hose who went down were. on the whole,
pretty calm,
The great throng that was in front of the
platform. though, began to show dangerous
signs of excitement. Those in the rear OF
the hall. who were headed for the exit.
heard the crash and turned. They couldn't
zee distinctly what had occurred and began
10 push their way toward the front. IT
rolice by this time had forced their way up
To the platform and. mounting the reporters
stand, they warned the crowd TO stay back
and leave the hall
Mr.. Schif was at the edge OF the heap
and he was quickly helped up on the part
Of The platform that was still standing.
lie was very cool, and stepping out toward
the crowd added his voice to the voices OF
the police in warning the people to leave the
building. Then he jumped Town on the
reporters stand and helped to straighten
out the tangle. DIR. Levin also landed on
the edge Of the heap and was one Of the
first to get out.
Everybody was out Of the mixup within
two minutes, and nobody had a mark TO
show, although there we're some dresses
torn and some bonnets crushed.
The platform was at the western end OF
the academy. IL was not a very substantial
looking affair. A section OF the platform
in Durland's vert down at the last Hughes
campaign meeting, but then it sagged
only a foot or so.
Others on the platform when it went
down last night were the Rev. DR.. Joseph
Silverman, rabbi OF the Temple
and the Rev. DR.. J. L.. Magnes, his assistant.
DR.. levin spoke in Yiddish. He said
among other things that his mission to
his country was TO sitter the sentiment
among the Jews for political freedom In
Russia. incidentally he wanted TO do all
he could to influences American bankers not
~ laau money to Russia until she had full
tiled her promises to improve the condi-
tion Of the Jews.
DIR. levin described the conditions in
Russia while the Duma was sitting. The
Russian Jew, he said, wants no favors and
asks for none, but he has been suffering so
long that he does want justices. DR.. levin
declared that Jewish bankers had often got
promises that there would be an improve
ment and had loaned Russia money, but
afterward the Jews had only been screwed
the tighter.
DIR. levin is not an extreme revolution
1T. He is a leading member Of the Con-
Atitntionsl Democratic party. He cherishes
no fantastic theories on the immediate social
reconstruction OF Russia. He believes in
practical political and educational meas-
,ires for the attainment Of equal rights in
Russia, and he favors the union OF all Jews
under the banner OF the Constitutional
lDemocra tic party.
Or. levin also is a Zionist. He said last
night that he looked forward to develop
ments in International politics which would
make the restoration of Palestine to the
Jews a possibility. He declared that the
real purpose Of the Russian Government
IN keeping the Jew question uppermost in
that country was TO cover up the fact that
there are millions of peasants in the country
starving.
The speaker was cheered roundly at the
beginning and the closing OF his address.
Mr.. Schif in his speech reflected the
sentiment which DR.. Levin had expressed
in regard to bankers lending money TO
Russia.
The banker who will give the Russian
Government m oney, " said NJ. Schif. will
commit a crime against humanity Mr..
Schif went on:
We hear 80 much about the promises
ol tho Russian Government. We are told
now that the conditions of the Jews will be
bothered. We have always found that when
tho Russian Government did not want to
do anything it said that the Duma would
do It. But why are the promises being
made? I can tell you. 1t is because the
Russian Government needs money. They
are made to appease the Jewish bankers
Of the world. They want to appease them
Ivy saying that the Jews will get their rights
Oh, what vain, vain promises
Mr.. Schif said that he had told his banker
friends in Europe and his friends in this
country that II Russia wanted the good will
Of the International jew she would have TO
remove the sentiment that now exists in
that country against the Jews.
Give the Jews the right TO move about
in Russia wherever they please and thu
Russian Jewish question will be solved, '
said Mr.. Schif.
NJ gnksH Ai.ola.aI thu fact that aniaa