South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-11-11
BEILISS ACQUITTED
OF MURDER CHARGE
Jury Holds He is innocent But
Finds That Deed Was Per-
formed in Zaiteff Works -
Trouble is Feared.

KIEV, Russia, Nov. 11.-Mendel
BeiIiss was acquitted Monday on the
charge of numbering Andrew Yushin-
sky, two years ago. BeiliSS is not
guilty, but the murder was committed
III the Zaiteff works.
This was the verdict returned short
ly after O'Clock Monday night by the
jury after two hours deliberation.
The StricteSt precautions had been
taken TO prevent unauthorized persons
from gaining access to the court. The
police were in great force, both within
and without the building. While the
jury was celebrating a memorial ser
vice for the murdered boy, Yushmsky,
was being held in ST. Sophia cathedral,
within a stones throw of the court.
The cathedral was thronged with
great crowd and the bishop delivered
an allocutiOn in which he dWelt upon
the awful crime. He said that the
authorities had made a most minute
investigation and he urged the people
TO conform to the courts decision,
whatever il might be.
All afternoon the streets were
crowded and after the verdict was
pronounced the police dispersed num-
erous gatherings all over the city.
An uneasy 1eenng prevails, Tor il is
not know what capital the Black Hun
dred Will make out of the jury's find
ing that the murder was committed
IN the Zaiten brick works. Thus far
however, there have been no disorders.
The trial of Mendel Beiliss, which
began on Oct. s, aroused greater in
terest throughout the world than any
other criminal trial since the Dreyfuss
case in France.
Although intrinsically only an or
binary criminal case, the kieff trial
held the attention of the civilized
world because OF the religious and ra-
cial elements injected into 1t by the
Russian government. The anti-sem-
itic hostility of the government was
here given free play and the prose-
cutor sought to make ii appear that "A
Jew had killed a Christian boy for
ritual motives.
The body OF Andrew Yushinsky was
found in a cave on the outskirts of
kieff on March %, 1911.
NJ. KrassOVsky then chief of the
KEN police, investigated the crime.
His findings were duly reported but
shortly afterward he was deposed. A
short time later the successor of
Krassovsky announced that evidence
/ had been found indicating that a
ritual" crime had been committed.
Beiliss, an employe of a brick works,
was arrested on circumstantial evil
dence. he denied the crime and his
story was so plauslDle tndI q move
ment in his favor was started. GrOus-
enburg, one of the best known attor-
neys in Russia, was retained in his be-
/ half. other counsel. among them NJ.
Maklakoff a brother OF the minister
! Of the interior, was secured TO defend
the Jewish workman.
/ All were personally convinced OF
Beiliss' innocence and prepared a
strong case.
The contention Of the defense was
that Yushinsky had been killed be-
cause he knew too much about the
criminal operations OF a band headed
by a woman named Vera Tcheboriak-
! According to some OF the testimony
Andrew and two of Vera's children
had been used in some of the criminal
\ operations of the band. This woman
! became one of the central figures in
the case.
Beiliss was in prison for two years.
during which time he was subjected
/ from time 10 time 10 the third de-
gree" with ell the traditional severity
OF the Russian police. He remained
steadfast in his protestatiOns OF inno-
cence and his last words when the
case went TO the jury were: Il am
innocent OF any crime"