Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-07
CHARGE RUSSIA IS
Prosecuting JEWS
Local Hebrews Join Protest
Against Ritual Murder" Case
of Mendel Bells.
MAN IS ACCUSED OF
STAYING CHRISTIAN BOY
Reverends Solomon Foster and
Julius SiIberfeId Make
Statement.

Members of the Jewish congrega-
tons of Newark are preparing to Join
IN the international protest against
the reported persecution of a Hebrew
in Russia. 1t is asserted that the
case will be ritual murder" trial.
Statements were prepared today
by two prominent Jewish leaders of
this city, Rev. Julius Silberfeld and
Rev. Solomon Foster. 1t is shown
that the Russian ritual murder"
case has been closely followed in
this city.
The defendant in the Russian trial
is Mendel Bells. He has been in
carcerated at Kiev, Russia, for about
two years. Recently the prisoners
sister-in-law, Rachael Rubin. came
to this country to plead his cause
and gave a version of the affair
which heretofore has not been heard.
She declares that ten-year-old boy
named Andrew Yuschinsky was a
member of a gang of swindlers who
had been robbing the entire neigh
borhood. After a quarrel the boy
threatened to turn informer, and to
protect themselves the other men,
Bells was arrested and charged
with the crime, although the author
tiles could show no motive for him
perpetrating such a deed. sit is
charged , that the Russian police
never sought out the members OF
the band which the boy belonged
to, but were content to charge Bells
with having committed ritual muir
DER during the feast of the Pass
over.
Following is the statement Of Rev.
Mr.. Foster, representing the local
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun:
Russia seems bent on giving no
respite to the Jews in her realm.
First on one pretext. then on another,
she makes the lot of Israel q sad one.
Just now it is the trumped-up charge
of the old blood accusation On the
most unwarranted and flimsiest of
evidence Mendel Bells has been held
for over two years awaiting trial Tor
the murder of Christian child whose
blood he is supposed to nave drank
at the Passover. In spite or the VIZ
orous protests of many enlightened
Russian citizens of the Christian
faith and in disregard of the recon-
mendation of a high official in charge
of the case that Bells be dismissed
because of insufficient evidence, still
the man languishes in prison. 1t Is
not at all unlikely that the Russian
authorities are aiming some dow at
the Jewish population of Russia. The
Bells case is but one of the incidents
in Russian inhumanity toward the
Jewish people.
'.Anyone acquainted with the laws,
customs and ideals of the Jewish re-
1igion will at once admit that the
ritual murder charge, the blood ac-
cusation,' is the last crime that a
Jew would commit. 1t is strange that
in this generation the Christians or
Russia should charge Israel with
crime which the ancient Romans
often charged against the Christians
SIT is my confident hope that the
protests that are being made in Ger
snany, England and France against
Russia's treatment of Mendel Bells
will have influence to soften Russia 8
heart so that she will not take pleas
tire in prosecuting an innocent man.
(Signed) SOLOMON FOSTER"
Rabbi julius Silberfeld, of the Con-
gregation B'nai Abraham. makes the
following statement of the case:
1.-THE Jew, standing on the threshold
of a new year, sees a land where the
great ajority of his people dwell
reeking with hatred and malice
toward them; he sees Russia still
bent upon it's task of DISCRIMINATING
the descendants of Abraham. Unable
to indulge in its former pastime of
melting massacres and pogroms, be-
cause the protesting voice of human
fly would be loud enough to pene-
trate even it's benighted regions, it's
powers of darkness are employing
more subtle means to bring about the
destruction of the Jew.
"In Poland Russian agents have in
stigated a boycott against the Jew
which threatens his whole economic
existence. This boycott plays more
havoc than either massacre or po-
grom, because it works quietly and
effectively, without exciting the at
tention of the world, and calling
forth no protest from any source, and
yet destructive and deadly in it's pur-
pose and effect.
I'm Kieff the government Of the
Gar is making strenuous attempts to
revive the mythical blood accusation
against the Jews.
1.-THE Bells case is the last resort
of the bureaucrats to discredit the
Jew and thereby justify their cruel
policy toward him. Think of the
shamelessness and brazen defiance of
all decency when a charge which has
been refuted again and again,
against which even Popes have is
sued bulls and edicts, is being ex-