The Jewish Persecution.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1514, 18 March 1882, Page 4

The Jewish Persecution.

The Daily Ncios publishes a vivid description given by a jßussian gentleman namedMyer Bankanovitch, who has just arrived from Smilla, in the province of Goborno,, in Southern Russia, of the scenes' there of which he was an eyewitness. He says :—The outbursts of terrorism occurred chiefly at the monthly fairs, when large numbers of farmers and peasants assembled in the town, and the townspeople incited the farmers to attack other Jews. The drinking houses were thrown open, and drink was freely given to the fanatical populace. Large numbers of the townspeople went round with the mob, and pointed out the quarters where the Jews lived. The public drinking-houses kepi; by Jews were first broken into, and the casks rolled into the streets, and some of them were smashed, and the people drank the raw spirits out of the streets. These acts were followed by the breaking open of the warehouses and places of business kept by Jews, which were wrecked, goods of all kinds being thrown into the streets and trampled upon in the mad prgie which ensued. Furniture and cupboards were broken into and ransacked, and in one warehouse alone, kept by a man named Berkowich, spirits to the value of 50,000 roubles were emptied into the street, except such quantities as were carried off or consumed by the mob. Many of the populace of the town joined the mob in their attacks ; while others, including even the police, incited them to continue their violence. They broke into many of the houses and plundered them in the sight of the authorities, grossly illtreatmg the inmates in every instance. One house was that of an old man named Abraham Miller, who was much beloved and respected by the Jews. He was over seventy years of age, and lived with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law and two grand-children. When the marauders attacked his house all the family took refuge at the top of the premises, and tried to hide themselves. They were discovered and fiercely attacked. The old man and his son, driven to bay, killed two of their assailants, but they were soon overpowered and dragged down the stairs, and cruelly maltreated. The women were outraged, and every member of the famity, including the children, was afterwards brutally murdered. I speak from my own personal knowledge of these facts; and, from what I saw and know, I solemnly declare that there were not less than fifty or sixty women and young girls outraged by the mob. One girl vrhom I knew ultimately died from the effects of this revolting treatment. It is impossible for me to give any idea of the number of Jews killed ; but the whole of the two thousand families were attacked, and numbers were killed, especially in those places where there was any attempt made at defence. The reign of terror in Smilla lasted on one occasion for thirty hours, there being no attempt on the part of jbhc police or military to quell the 1 iot.