At twelve o'clock midnight between May 19 and 20, shots were suddenly heard, and the members of the "guard," with perhaps some other elements, began shooting, and scattered over the settlements in the territory of the factory, crying, "Kill the Jews, save Russia" and the like; and, falling upon the Jews, they began to pillage and slay. In that night 42 Jewish employees were killed. Their property was plundered. Many of the members of the factory "guard" took part in the murders, so that in some cases it is possible to state definitely who killed whom.
On the next day the pillaging and killing continued, and seven
UKRAINE
more people were killed at the factory and on the road to it. Thus there were in all 49 human victims of the pogrom at the Sablino-Znamenka sugar-factory in May, 1919. Only two or three of the Jewish employees of the factory were uninjured, and also Bernburg's family, whom some threatened to massacre.
TOWN OF GORODISCHE ( F KlEV)
Pogrom of May 11-12, 1919
Communicated by the Authorized Investigator Deschinsky
The town of Gorodische is about 50 versts to the southwest of Cherkassy and forty versts west of Smela, on the railroad from Shpola to Fastov. Inhabitants, about 25,000; of these close to 3,500 Jews (800 families).
By the first day of the Jewish 3Rassover it became known to the local Executive Committee, though its agents, that some sort of counter-revolutionary outbreak was being prepared, having as its object the seizing of power and the perpetration of a Jewish pogrom. The Executive Committee knew the names of the persons who had charge of this and who had arranged a meeting outside the city, at which it was agreed: 1. To plunder the Jews, but not to kill them; 2. To begin the pogrom after the giving of signals agreed upon, namely, the violent ringing of a church-bell and a bonfire.
The Executive Committee made no arrests, but strengthened the guard and personally went around by night and inspected the posts that were established. In a panic of alarm the Jewish population looked for a pogrom during the second day of the passover, but it did not take place. This was the situation in which the Jewish population had to remain all the time until the Grigorievists arrived.
On May 8 it became known in the town that Grigorievist bands had occupied Znamenka and were advancing on the line Bobrinsky to Tzvetkovo. On May 11 the situation was still more serious. On May 11 the Executive Committee summoned the Jewish bourgeoisie exclusively, and after maltreatment, such as beating, personally performed by the finance commissar, and firing at one of those arrested, a contribution of 95,000 rubles was paid in full. This was the second contribution levied after the first one of 250,000 rubles, which was paid almost exclusively by the Jewish population. Towards evening of the same day the Executive Committee, taking with it all papers and the detachment which it had with it, left the town.: "The commander of militia remained in town with his militian having first
GORODISCHE:
agreed with the Executive Committee that the defense of the town against any outbreaks whatever should be entrusted to him.
On May 11 at 9 P.M., the militiamen who had remained to guard the town opened a violent fusillade with rifles on the main street. The first victim of it was L. Kahan. At the same time the ringing of the bell was heard. The pogromists flocked together. They set off a rocket (as signal) and plundered two shops, and then started to besiege the homes of rich Jews. All night long they raged. During this night L. Trigub, R. Sosnovskaia, and E. Dinerstein were killed.
On the morning of May 12 it became known that local Grigorievists had seized the power. At their head were Gritzai, a former officer, who, under the Central Rada, had served as ataman of the Cossacks and T n ruler of the town; and Onischenko, former commissar cu Mleievo village (seven or eight versts from Gorodische) under the Directory, and delegate of the inhabitants of Kiev at the industrial congress. On the same day the Jews paid to Gritzai 25,000 rubles and to the commander of militia 15,000, which was intended to pacify them and stop the pogrom. But the pogrom not only continued but became more violent. It is interesting to note that a local group of teachers and pupils in the gymnasium and the school of agricultural economics appeared as leaders of the pogrom. They not only inspired and led it, but themselves actively robbed and murdered.
Thus it continued until the 15th of May. On May 17 Soviet forces entered the town. The sum total of the pogrom: seven killed, three wounded, of them one mortally, and 135 houses wrecked. The losses were about three millions.