South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-15
SAY RITUAL CASE
AGAINST BE|LISS
HAS FALLEN FLAT
Defense Asserts That ProSeCu-
ton Has Utterly Failed to
Connect Jewish Workman
With Murder.

KIEFF, Russia, oct. 15.-Counsel
for the defense in the world famous
ritual murder" trial of Mendel Bic
liss, charged with killing Is year old
Andrew Yushinisky, declared that the
prosecutions case had collapsed. The
prediction was made that Judge Boil
dierif would throw the case out of
court.
This confidence was gained after
the witness Smeerson swore on the
stand that he was the mysterious per-
son seen lurking in the vicinity of the
cave where the victims body was
found. but that he did not know that
any murder had taken place, until he
read of it in the newspapers.
BeiIiss On stand.
At a night session Tuesday BieIss
was on the stand. Letters written by
the accused man to his wife and
struggled out of prison were read.
The prisoner, emaciated from his long
term in Jail showed deep emotion and
his voice was almost inaudible. He
denied the charge of the prosecutor,
that while imprisoned, he attempted
to have two of the witnesses for the
prosecution poisoned. He admitted
communicating with his wife through
another prisoner, but denied that he
had done any wrong.
Mysterious crosses on the letters
the prosecution asserts represent in
quiries for news about the prepare
lions for the case.
At the continuation of the trial
Tuesday the entire prosecution con-
centrated their efforts on an en-
deavor to prove that the Jews
practiced ritual murder" on Christ
ians by the testimony of the Archi-
mandrite Autonomous. He is Of
Jewish descent but was baptized
when ten years Of age. He resides
in the Kiev monastery but was for |
merly attached to the monastery at
Saralov.
The archimandrite carried two doc /
uments relating to ritual murders in |
the eighteenth century and asked |
that they be incorporated in the rec |
ords of the trial. This request was !!
refused.
Had Hearsay Evidence.
Replying 10 questions. Autonomous |
declared that he knew of cases where ]
Christian children had been tortured |
by Jews He said From my child |
hood. my masters and teachers warn |
ed me not TO have relations with Jews !
because they tortured Christian chill |
dren."
He cited several alleged cases.
Once" he said, "a boy came to !
me and received baptisms. Some |
who helped them to remove the boy. [
Two years later the boy was found |
killed.
Another case was that Of a Jewish !
boy who had also been baptized by |
the Archimandrite and lived with |
him at the monastery. 1.-The Jews |
waylaid him and beat him." said |
AutonimiuS then took him away |
and locked MIN up for the whole win |
ter. The boy finally escaped and re- |
turned to the monastery"
In response to the question: |
What is the attitude of the Jews in |
general towards us?" ne rplied:
IF the bowels of the earth opened |
up one would discover many bones of |
persons tortured TO death by Jews" !
Questioned still fu Their he said |
that when he was Jew he had never |
heard that the Jews used Christian /
blood for ritual purposes.
Several WOrkmen and officials en-
ployed in the Saitiv works declared |
that Beiliss was working as usual on
the day of the disappearance OF |
Yushinsky.
beggar woman was examined |
concerning statements she was al |
legged to have made to another wo-
man, according TO the preliminary
examination duplicating Beiliss. She |
said she knew nothing about the af- |
fair, but possibly might have gabbled !
something when in her cups