Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01
Mendel Bells, After His AcquitaL at
Work Upon His Memoirs.

/ had settled down to do the best could
for my children as l expected to end my days
in Kiev. One of my wife's sisters had gone to
America, but had no money to do so, and 1t
seemed to me that must just go working al
ways and hoped that those coming after me
would have a better time than l had l did
nothing that could bring me into conflict with
the police, and | wanted nothing more than to
be left alone and be allowed to live quietly.
The Killing of Yuschinsky.
Then, like bombshell, came the terrible
tragedy of my life. I, of all persons In the
world, was arrested for the murder OF the boy
Yuschinsky.
l heard nothing Of the murder until several
days after it had happened. l had been very
busy in the brick works and don't think
had set foot outside Then one day heard
one of the workmen saying that this boy
had been murdered, and the body found in
the cellar of house about mile away from
where | was living.
After the burial of the boy, persons present
at the graveyard came back to the brick works
and said that proclamations had been dis
tributed by the woman, Vera Cheberiak. who
stated that Jews had murdered the boy for his
blood to- be used in the Easter Passover cake
A few days later, the owner of Cheberiak's
house, by name Zacharchenko, who was a
member Of the BLACK Hundred" called for
me. l knew him well. He said to me:
You know, Mendel, I certain, in spite
of the fact that Vera is telling everybody that
Jews killed the boy Yuschinsky, he was actu-
ally killed in her house. l know that just be-
fore his death Yuschinsky quarrelled with the
Cheberiak children who were his playmates,
and during the he threatened to tell the
police about the gang of thieves Of which ths
woman Cheberiak the leader"
l was startled at this news It was the frs(
time that it really came home to me thai
Jews were being accused of murder. Looking
back now, 1t is sad to recall that my friend
Zacharchenko, who became so ardent sup
porter of mine, that 1t got on his brain, and
he died before my trial. By his death l lost
one of my best witnesses He died with the
words on his lips: Poor YuschinskyI Unfor.
tulate Mendel"
heard nothing more for several weeks, and
then | noticed that number of spies-mem-
bers of the secret police-disguised tramps
We're beginning to pay visits to my house and
to question my children. When they did not
get the answers they wanted they boxed the
boys ears until they shrieked with pain, at
the same time shouting at them, You lie."
Soon after this friends came to me and told
me that Vera CheDeriak was going around the
town telling every one that l murdered the boy.
| did not know what to do. l was so much in
fear of the police that l was afraid to go to
them and ask them to stop her saying this
First Visit of the Police.
But l was not afraid. 1 had done no harm
just went with my work as usual Then,
one day, the local prosecuting attorney with
five policemen, paid me visit. The prosecut-
ing attorney, looking at the door, said to me:
You are very orthodox Jew are you notP
Then where is your Mazuza'?" (This Is a
talisman that almost every orthodox Jew has
in his house)
l was embarrassed, and replied:
Il am afraid that l am not a very orthodox
Jew. l cannot afford to be orthodox. / have
children and wife to keep, and am only a
very poor workman. At the brick works where
l am employed nearly all the men are chris
tians, and because of this / can only keen
Christian holidays"
They went away after thoroughly searching
my house.
have endured many sorrows and anxistfes
and have met with nothing but bad luck dur.
ing my life. But never did misfortune fail
SO heavy upon me as on the 21st of July 1911.
BY the side of this my other troubles seemed
nothing at all.
This is the story:
On that Thursday had come home from
work after finishing counting the bricks and
sending them away. Hungry, as usual but
glad to get home, l sat talking with my fam.
lily and wishing that they would live long"
AT midnight, very tired, fell asleep, know
ing that at o'clock l should have to go to
work again.
Suddenly heard a loud knocking at the
door l was afraid and trembling. My wife
and children were even more frightened and
began to cry. Never in the twelve years we
had lived in the house had we been aroused at
night in this way before.
For the sake of the children pulled myself
together, and tried to quiet them. Then ran
and opened the door.
Trembling, l looked up and saw eight men.
policemen and gendarmes, in uniform, with
long swords and revolvers. Before 1 could
utter word they seized hold of me.
Are you Mendel Beilis?" asked one of them.
YES" l added.
Then you are arrested"
My wife, who had followed me to the door,
gave one shrek and fell to the ground in a
dead faint. They would not let me comfort
her.
Next Sunday Mendel Bells VIII Reveal &c
cruelties Of the Russian Prisons and the Tor
lures Inflicted Upon Him to Force Him "