Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-08
IGNORANT AND sUPERsTIT1oUs
JEW-BAITERs BELIEVE TALE
l'hinh Bells Drained Blood from Vic
tim in Order TO Secure it for
Making Passover Bread.
IrNIrrp pREss LEASED VIM.

count OF the extraordinary Interest," tho
case has attracted throughout Europe,
the courtroom was packed by cosmo'
politan throng when Judge Boldyreft
and his associates mounted the bench
and began the impanelling of a jury.
The regular venire for the court term
from which the jury was chosen con
sisted of four men with university
education, fourteen with on interme-
date or elementary education, fifteen
who have not attended any school,
but who have received some domestic
education, and three who are quite IL
literate. More than 200 newspapermen,
from various countries, had previously
applied for seats, but so great was the
demand made by the friends Of both
local and st. Petersburg officials that
many of the correspondents had to
stand in the back of the room, and
some, although holding tickets, failed
altogether Of admission. Conspicuous
among the reporters was personal
representative of NJ. Stcheglovitoff,
minister Of justice, who had been in
structed to wire running detail ac-
count of the proceedings to his chief
in st. Petersburg. From the inception
of the case the ministry of justice had
carefully directed the activities of the
local prosecutors, Brandorf and Chap
insky. and it was with the full appro-
val Of the central government that
the charge of "ritual murder" was
made in the original Indictment.
Ignorant Theory.
Ever since the morning Of April l,
19l1,when the mutilated body of An
drei Kuschinsky, a 12-year-old Chris
tian boy, was found in an abandoned
brick-yard pust outside Kieff, the
prosecution has been endeavoring tc
establish the theory that he was slain
in accordance with an alleged Jewish
rite prescribed by the Talmud, so that
his blood might be used in making pass
over bread. For centuries the ignor
ant and superstitious jew baiters Of
Russia have clung to the belief thai
this "rite" is regularly practiced by
the Jewish race, and the government
has apparently done all it could t,
foster this idea. NJ. Krassovslly, chic
Of the Kieff detective department, wa
actually instructed to proceed on tn
theory that the crime was the worI
of Jews, although the only possib
pretext for the "ritual" charge WI
that the boys body bore AZ stabs. AC
cording to current superstition tb
"ritral murder" is accomplished b.
45 wounds. He could obtain absolutcl
no 9gidence along the required liue
but ON the contrary believed he ha
traced the murder to a gang of thievC
to which neighbors of the boys fan
ily belonged and who were known I
he fca;fu that Yuschinsky would b,
tray them 10 the authorities. He 81
cured evidence that one of the thievl
was seen with chisel shortly befcI
the murder and that this same impl
mont, covered with blood, was fouu
by two boys near the brick-kiln a
forwards The boys, upon orders
the thief threw it into sewer.
Persecution to Officers.
When Krassovsky made HIS first T
port to his superiors he was sternly re
rimanded. Later he was practical
forced by them TO arrest Mendel Bell
jew, 40 years Of age foreman of &
brickyard, in whose room one of t
thieves gang said he had found sor
Of the boys clothing. On produci
further evidence indicating the gu
of the thieves, and the innocence
Bells, Krassovsky was dismissed fro
office. when fresh investigation W
made under the direction Of his succ
sor, NJ. Mistchouk, he and his assistaI
quickly came TO the conclusion that
ritual murder theory was fantastica
untrue and so reported to the autho
ties. The result was not only the d
misal Of MistchOuk and two Of his m
but their arrest on charges Of &C. fab
eating documents favorable to
Jews" They were acquitted, but
crown appealed, with tho result Il
the verdict was reversed and they W,
convicted and sentenced TO yea
hard labor each,
Flinsy Evidence.
The direct evidence against Bells,
far as it has been disclosed, is Of ra
er a flimsy character First there '
a statement by lamp-lghter nan
Shakhhowsky, who declared that
gene told him few days later that
and yuchinsky had been driven Fl
the briclworks by man with bl
heard shakhowsky's wife depo
that an acquaintance, Anna zakhai
ava, told her that she saw Bells s,
Yuchinsky and drag him toward