Evening star., 1947-04-22
i - 4. =
Blast
Palestine Train,
Killing Eight
Troops Are Attacked
After 2 Condemned
Jews Take Lives
By the Asseeioted Press


JERUSALEM, April 22.-Ter-
rorists blew up a British troop
train southeast OF Tel Aviv to-
day, killing at least eight persons
and then machine -gunned the
wreckage. The attack was made
two hours after two condemned
Jews committed suicide with ex-
plosives just before they were to
have mounted the gallows. J
Army sources said they believed
the Egypt Express" bringing SOL
diers from that country, had been
attacked by members Of the Jewish
underground group, Irgun Zvai
Leumi. Four coaches were demol-
ished, apparently by electrically de-
tonated mines under the rails.
Troops and guards were reported
to have exchanged fire with the
attackers, but no one was captured
One OF the dead was child, two
were civilians and five were soldiers,
Those at tie scene reported seeing
arms, legs and other parts of mutt
lated bodies IN the wreckage.
Probably two dozen other persons
were trapped in the debris. The
injured totaled at least $50.
Clasped Explosives in Oranges.
The doomed Jews, Meyer Fem
stein and Moshe Barazini, claspeo
explosives secreted in followed
oranges to their breasts and died in
mangled contortion in Jerusalem
prison just before they were to have
mounted the 13 steps leading to thu
hangman's moose. Both were un.
derground members and had beer
condemned for anti-British VIC.
lence. -Four other members OF
Irgm were hanged last week, ane
Irgun had issued threats of ven.
geance.
Tension was heightened by thu
official report that British nava
vessels were escorting to Haifa thu
refugee ship Shair Yishuv loadee
with about 800 Jews lacking immi.
grafton certificates. The ship wa.
intercepted and boarded off the
Palestine coast.
Much of the Palestine unrest ha.
stemmed from the deportation Of
such Jews to Cyprus.
Troops surrounded the wooded
section near the all-Jewish town o1
Rehovot, 20 miles southeast of Te
Ayiy, while rescuers dug into thu
debris Of the Egypt Express" fol
more injured.
A British spokesman said, eft Il
highly possible that the casualties
may be considerably more"
Rigid Curfew Imposed.
Military authorities refused te
comment on reports circulating ir
Tel Aviy that controls would be i'm
posed on many Jewish areas In the
coastal plain.
Police said from $50 to 200" per-
sons who were aboard the wrecked
train sustained cuts and bruises.
Tel Aviv reports said a patrol of
troops wounded a young Jew in that
city after stopping a vehicle and
interrogating its occupants. An
other Jew was wounded fatally dur
ing the night in Jerusalem while
clearing pedestrians from the cur
fewed streets.
Crufew to Be Reimp0sed.
In anticipation of the impending
execution of Feinstein and Barazini
British authorities late last night
had imposed a rigid curfew on al
Jewish quarters in Jerusalem, plac-
ing some 10000 Jews under virtua.
house arrest in an effort to avert
possible demonstrations.
The troops mounting guard to en-
force the curfew received orders
this morning to redouble theil
vigilance against an attempted
mass curfew break during the fu.
nerals of the suicides, who were
buried at am. in the Jewish ceme-
tery on the slopes of the Mount o1
Olives.
The curfew was suddenly liftec
two hours after the funeral, but II
was announced that it would be
reimposed tonight and would re.
main in effect on a dusk-to-dawn
basis until further notice.