The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-10-28
Jews OF POLAND
SUFFER BITTERLY
Russian Evacuation of Contest
ed Territory Marked by Pro-
misCuouS Executions -
Many Instances Cited.

hands OF the Austrtans and Germans i
appear TO have suffered, prior to the
Russian retirement. more than the nor
NAL amc4nt OF hardship imposed by |
war. An investigation by a corre-
spondent OF the Associated Press dis
closes that there was a rather promis-
cuous execution by the Russians or
Jews accused OF spionage, that many |
persons were subjected to physical as
saults OF greater OF less violence, COM
mitted with knouts or flats Of swords.
and that In many places, chiefly out OF |
the way villages and rural districts, |
there was some plundering Of Jewish |
shops and houses by the Russian
soldiery.
chief cities OF this district, Lodz and |
Piotrokow. His proposal to visit other |
cities-Kielce and Radon were named |
particularly--was met by the state
n1ent OF Jews consulted that nothing |
much happened in the cities" and that |
the proposed trip would not be worth !
while. He questioned some Jews from
the districts around Lodz and Plot
rokow but was not able to visit the
small villages and the rural districts
generally, where, the Jews allege most
OF the massacres, plunderings, VIOLA
lions, etc, occurred. The outstanding
feature howevr, of every case invests
gated was that, in the words OF one
Jewish scholar, nothing happened TO
the Jews without a previous deuncia-
ton" In some instances this feature
, of the, case was Immediately admitted;
In Others II was brought to light by fur
Their inquiry.
Jew Sacrifices Life.
A typical case of the latter sort was
that of n Jew named Kozlowski,
storekeeper at Malinitz, a village near
Piotrokow. The story first told to the
Associated Press representative was
! this: When the Russians came to
| Malinitz In November, they were angry
because II had come to their ears thar
some Jew Of the village had boasteo
4 that the Germans would make snort
work OF the Russians The Russians
! lined up all the male inhabitants OF the
| town and threatened to shoot or hanB
| them unless the man responsible Tor
| the words complained OF were delivered
up Thereupon Kozlowsld stepped for
4 ward, assumed responsibility Tor the
words In question, and was hanged.
Y The correspondent finally succeeded
| In having a talk with Kozlowshs son
/ and his father, both of whom witnessed
! the affair When the Russians first
I entered the village they asked Tor koz-
| Iowski. He had been hidden by =
| friend but was eventually found. he
| MANAGED, however. to escape from the
soldiers guarding him, and the COM
| rnander OF the Russian regiment there
| upon had all male Jews drawn up In
I q line and announced that all would
be killed unless Kozlowski was denv-
cred up. Koslowski informed OF the
| threat presented himself. He was taken
away by squad of soldiers and shot.
But how did the Russians know
there was a Kozlowsld in town ana
why did they want him." asked the
CORRESPONDENT. -..s .rs- .,if 49,.
4 "A rival in business had sent word
Ito the Russians that Kozlowslxi was a
spy and that he was storing up goods
! for the Germans" was the answer.
/ Accepting as true the story OF the
manner of the execution, as It was
told by the father and son OF the VIC
tim, il was marked by a specific
cruelty which frequently marked ex-
ecutions during the Russian raid into
! east Prussia last October. The As
ISOLATED Press correspondent at that
time found many instances in which
the victims were stood against walls
and, instead OF being killed by yolley
| fire, as is usual I'm such executions,
were killed by soldiers firing at Will
, Kozlowski appears to have been ex-
ecuted in the same manner, after nav
ing been bound to a tree,
Polish denunciations, according to
witnesses, were responsible Tor tne
only three cases Of atroctty or cruelty
found in Lodz itself. Russian soldiers
came to the home OF Abram Kochan
on the Baluter Market in November
and took him away. HIS wife was
prevented from following him. This
was on a Friday. The mans BODY
was found outside the city on the
following Tuesday He had been shoI
Finds Son 5ayoneted.
Israel Blockman, an old man, told
how the Russians took his son from
the house on a Wednesday, and how
the body was found two days later
outside the city. He had been shot
and bay oneted.
Meilach Filenberg, man Of about
IS, got into trouble with the Lodz au-
thorities in November by making and
| selling cigarets without q license. An
official visited him and Eilenberg paid
81 roubles as hush money. The fol-
lowing day soldiers, who, Eflenberg
said, had been informed OF the affair,
5 also appeared and wanted money. he
refused their demands, was arrested
| and brought to the Russian military
commander in the Grand hotel Ths
= commander who had not time to hear
the case through, told Eilenberg ia
consider himself under arrest, to re-
turn to his home and present himself
the next day. Eilenberg started out
but was stopped outside by soldier
Lied into a garden back Of the hotel
4 tied to a tree there and kept there fol-
is hours A rabbi, informed Of the
case, appealed to the commander, VINO
had Eilenberg released.
l. A few days later the Russian COM
mander having presumably tnvestt-
gated the case, compelled the return
Of the 81 roubles taken from Ellen
berg and caused the CRATER to be sent
to Jail for six weeks.
There was some plundering Of small
shops in Lodz by Russian soldiers, but
It appears to have been Of limited ex.
tent Some shops were pretty wei
cleaned out and their fixtures thrown
into the streets. AS a whole, however
the procedure seems to have been a.
described by the owner of a small to-
bacco shop. ... ,.s-..E .ra
The Russians would come into my
shop" she said, point to some cigar.
cts and ask, how much? When / tolt
| them, they took a handful sait
spaseebe' (thank you) and walked
| out" e.. ~
Some Jews told Of cases where thei
! countrymen had been badly beaten II
the streets
Soldiers Plumber Town.
In a number Of instances the Jew
appear to have fled before the soldier