On the 7th of April I boarded the steamer "Baron Gunsburg" in Kiev. The steamer was going to the village Sukhovchi with a cargo of sugar. It was chartered by three Jews of Sukhovchi, who took passengers on board on their own account. To be exact, I was sleepy when I boarded the steamer and did not observe the passengers on board or how many there were. I found a seat in a corner and sat there dozing. I was awakened by a noise. The Jews were terribly excited and frightened. "Nothing can be done, they are shooting," I heard, and at the same time came the crackling of arms and bullets penetrating the ship's side. I lost my head completely. The whole unhappy occurrence that took place after this has remained in my memory only partly. I saw, heard and did everything as in sleep. I still recall vaguely that the steamer reached the shore and five or six brutalized bandits, armed with weapons, rushed on board, stamped their feet and gave the order, "Jews here, Christians there!" The Russian passengers stepped aside. Then came a new order, "Women aside." The men were apparently taken on deck. If I am not mistaken three women remained behind under the care of several bandits. Shortly after, the bandits who had gone on deck returned. We were then dragged on deck. We began to cry and lost our senses. The bandits first seized an old woman and threw her into the river just as she was. Then came I. I lost consciousness. I do not know how I succeeded in swimming down the river. I imagine I must have been carried down by the current. I felt swampy ground under my feet and clambered upon a small island covered with shrubs. How long I lay there I do not know. When I came to myself somewhat and looked around, I noticed that something extraordinary was going on on the opposite bank. There was shooting, cries and alarms. I crept deeper into the sedge and lay there. My clothing stuck to my body, my limbs were numb and I felt an intolerable dryness in my mouth. So I spent two days and two nights. In the early dawn of the third day I saw a boat with two peasants in it. It was clear to me that lying there I should die anyway, so I resolved to ask the peasants to take me to the opposite bank. The peasants agreed and brought me as far as the village Meshigorye. I entered the hallway of a convent and hid myself under
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the steps. How long I remained there I do not know. When I opened my eyes, I saw a nun tending me. She was very kind, led me to her cell, gave me warm milk, took off my clothing to dry, placed me near the stove, stroked my hair and tried to comfort me in the kindest way. She kept me several hours. Then she told me to go, for the whole convent might suffer on my account. I went, but was afraid to look for the village. So I hid myself in the courtyard of the convent in the pig-trough, which was empty. I lay on the wet dirty ground, but here too my rest was not long. A peasant came with pigs. He did me no harm, but told me to go, for he was afraid. Such were the tortures I was exposed to for five or six days. I crept from one trough into another and from one hole into another. What I ate I do not know, and if I know I cannot say it. In this way I was saved. In the village the bandits raged the whole time uninterruptedly. They shot, screamed, played accordions and sang merry songs until far into the night.
Signed for the witness, who cannot write, KHASSYA KARPIROVSKAYA.
b. Steamer Kazak.
Testimony of Bar Borukhov Mogulevich, 39 Years Old, Butcher.