Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01

I cant tell you what some OF my iriehuS
went through My poor son, Aaron, was one
of the unfortunate ones. He was living near
me at this time. The mob caught him, beat
him until they thought he was dead, took an
his money and clothes, leaving him only his
shirt collar and then went to his house ana
destroyed all his furniture.
| am afraid that l can't describe the horrors
of this time. The trouble was started in the
town by gangs of thirty or forty boys who
armed with stones began breaking the win
dows Of all the houses where they thought
there might be Jews living. These were soon
Joined by hundreds of others mostly members
of the BLACK Hundred" assisted by police and
officials in private clothes. They paraded the
streets shouting:
Kill the dirty Jews! Destroy the dogs."
Full of vodka and with their passions ex-
cited TO the utmost they did not know what
thew were doing and they seemed more like
wild animals. Then all the windows OF
house smashed. they would break open
the doors, rush in like set Of maniacs, steal
all they could carry and break the rest. They
would hurl pianos to the street from the fifth
and sixth story windows and yell with delight
when they heard them smashed to atoms be-
low. not caring if anyone were killed
Their chief joy when they found drink
in house. They would then drink them
selves to a state of mad ferocity, and then the
real orgy would commence The most hor'
ribIe tortures would be inflicted on any Jew
they found
When they had killed enough men to satisfy
themselves they would begin on the women.
Any so unfortunate to fall into their
hands would be brutally assaulted Often be-
fore they left her they would mutilate her and
then shrek with delight.
Little girls outraged in dozens, many
before the eyes of their parents, death often
coming as a swift release from their tortures.
They drove nails into the women's nostrils.
They seized little children out of their
mothers arms and tore them into pieces.
Every act Of this kind was accompanied by
cries such as. "Iiurrah Down with Jews!
Students Liberals, interspersed with cries
like those of wild animals.
These orgies of slaughter and outrage con
timed for three four days Police in the
streets made attempt to interfere with the
mobs or stop their work III any way. They
would stand and watch them enter jewelers.
shop, steal all they wanted. and throw the rest
into the streets, and made not the least at
tempt to protect him. They would only see
If there was anything left for themselves, and
laugh when they saw the man. half killed II
not dead already, thrown out into the street.
Four Days of Murder.
only on the fourth day, when even this mob
was satisfied with blood and slaughter; when
their human sacrifices were complete; when
dozens of women had been outraged and thous-
ands more left homeless and penniless; when
many children had been left orphans. and when
scarcely a Jewish family had not lost one or
more members, and when the streets were
actually running in blood-only then did the
word go forth a-d the police take steps to in
terfere and stop the massacres.
And oh. Those awful days afterward. The
DAYS when we collected and buried dead.
The days when nothing but weeping and lamen-
tations were heard. ] shall never be able to
forget them Even my two years imprison-
ment and my own terrible sunerings and tor
lures did not awaken in me the feelings OF
these times.
But vet | was one of the few who escaped
] often wonder what be the feelings in the
hearts of other Jews, those who lost father.
mother, wife child. In my case only my
brother was hurt We managed to pull him
around, but his wife and two children, who
;5r three days lay hidden in cold, dark cellar.
all took pneumonia, and were i'll long after
ward. We escaped lightly.
When this over they left us alone for
a time. However, it becam2 harder than ever
10 live In Niev Police demands increased.
The ordinary people became more unkfnd to
us, and life became more OF a burden They
did not do us bodily harm, but in the streets
members Of the BLACK Hundred" often spat
upon us and cursed US, and We we're only
safe from insult indoors.