The Ely miner., 1914-02-20
position we corld command a view of
either side of the great square

The half-hour struck, and suddenly
murmur rose from the south corner.
low and like the humming of bees.
Then came the rhythmical tread of
men, strangely muical, but growing
harsher and heavier az it neared u.s..
And from the north corner came other
sounds, but louder and mc-5 dis
cordant for the Roumanians, less furi-
Gus than the Russians, lacked also
their cold stolidity. They were in
famed with vodka and their rage
found vent in cries and threats Their
leaders could with difficulty quiet
them. The Russians, on the other
hand, were silent as savage wolves
that wait for the killing.
1t was ten minutes before the hour,
and now the streets beyond the Rus
sian corner were crowded with a
seething mass. l saw the dreadful
banners of the Black Hundreds raised
through the semi-obscurity. The civil
governor had done his work well
Then scouts came Sinking through
the square, creeping from house to
house and from wall to wall. Op-
posite them, against the white walls
of their oatH edral, the Roumanians,
still disorganized, broke into tu-
multi of cries. The scouts ran back;
somebody fired, and then, with a con.
certed and spontaneous cry, just as
river bursts it's ice barrier in spring
the Russians swept forward to glut
their hate in the blood of their sup
posed enemies.
Leaders we're swept aside. They
burst across the square, one living,
moving crowd, filling it from corner to
corner. From the north side the Rou-
manians heard the challenges; they
saw their enemies and were no less
mistaken. With yell they broke up
on TEN. In the middle of the square
the forces met
For an inst;-rt I say the white paw
ing stones between the leading files;
then the two bodies dashed against
one another as two currents, and just
as conflicting streams toss up spray
so human bodies, forced forward by
those behind them, were hurled into
the air somersaulting upon the heads
Of the fighters. They were too close
packed to fire. They fell upon each
other with claws and teeth! the air
was filled with an animallike yelp-
ing and the fierce screams of triumph
| and groans of the stricken. The
square had become a moving mass
that swayed hither and thither, forced
on, drawn back, whirling into eddies
that spun and tossed up bodies and
and suddenly l perceived line of
fire spring up and fringe the combat
ants. Somebody had thrown the torch
that started the conflagration.
The flames spread rapidly from
house to house. They Gickcred on the
fierce faces of the combatants. From
every street more and more came
streaming into the fray and knowing
not friend from foe, they fought blind
ly and insanely till the ground was
haaped high with the bodies Of the
slain.
And then, when at last the Rouman-
| ians had given ground, and the Rus
slams poured in upon their quarter
with torch and axe, when Kishineff
seemed to have fallen upon itself to
gave the signal We dashed into the
streets, running from house to house,
and from each recruits of our party
came pouring out. At last we were
| too many to fear any attack, even had
the combatants had time to notice us.
Nikolai and the committee leader led
the way, and we burst into Rabbi
Jacobs home, aflame with ardor, mad.
dened with our abortive hopes.
There were sounds of singing from
within. And, as we entered the large
central room which was used as a
place of private worship, our passions
died away.
For he was seated upon kind Of
dais, surrounded, quite simply, by the
women of his family and few neigh
bors, all unarmed. Men and women,
none seemed to fear. He was chant
ing a prayer, and they, regardless of
us ALL Joined in the worship.
They neither looked up nor stirred
Afterward l learned that they had mis-
taken us for rioters, and having laid
hopes of life aside, were waiting for
death to strike them, fully prepared.
But as each man entered, he fell into
silence; and presently, one by one,
each took up the burden of the song.
1t rose and fell in the plaintive
cadence of world-old melody. drown
| ing the fierce, distant cries of the mur-
| dering Russians now sacking the Rou-
manian quarter, until it's peaceful in
| fuence fell upon our hot passions like
rain upon parched field. When that
song was concluded, the leader of
our band stood forth and very sheep
! ishly, and in stammering accents,
made his petition that the rabbi
should assume leadership of our
movement. The man on the dais lis
tened in silence, often looking from
the speaker to Nikolai and back
again. When all was silent he spoke,
but to Nikolai.
"You are not of our people," he
said. you say you have come here
to save us from massacre and tc
organize a revolution against the czar
For your good will l thank you.
but we are organized for defense
not for murder or battle. There has
been murder enough in Kishineff to
| night Do you think" he continued
sternly that would rise from prayer