(Signature) July 9, 1919.
IV. Testimony of losel Ekhil Solodovnik, Aged 50, Proprietor of a Drugstore, Literate
When the detachment of Popov and Koziakov came into our town on June 17, at 12 noon, one of the detachments entered my store and demanded the surrender of various goods, eau de cologne and other things. Another one joined him, and a boy of about 14 from the detachment. When I handed over the wares, they began to demand money. When I satisfied them with that also, they demanded that I, my son Ikhil, aged 30,
UKRAINE
my son Gershel, aged 22, and my wife should go with them to headquarters. In spite of all my entreaties, and my offers of money, we were taken off towards the headquarters. A violent rainstorm came up, and at the suggestion of our convoy we went back to my store. Then new pressure began and demands for money, and finally one of them, pointing with his finger at my elder son Ikhil-Idel, declared: 'I will kill that communist." Anticipating disaster, I cried: "Kill me!" to which I received the answer: "First I will kill him, and then you." And I had no chance to think before he struck my son a blow on the head with his bare sabre.
UMAN
Pogrom of July 29, 1919 From the (newspaper) "Kom. Fon." No. 56, of August 6
On Sunday, July 27, it became known that a part of the Petlurist regular army, under the command of Pavlovsky, had united with the bandits of Volyntz-Kazakov and Sokolovsky, and that both together were advancing on the station Kristinovka. On Monday, July 28, a band under the leadership of Volyntz began to shell the station. More than four hundred bombs fell. However, thanks to the disciplined part of the small Soviet force, the attack was stopped. The band retreated ten versts from Kristinovka to the station Sevastianovka, cutting the railroad line Kristinovka-Kasatin. But on the same day a part of the band broke into Uman. On Tuesday, July 29, the band encircled the city. In the city there was a small group of poorly armed and hastily mobilized local workmen, who tried to stop the attack of the bandits, but without success. The command lost its head and by its actions increased the panic of the population. The group was compelled to leave the city and retreat to Kristinovka because a band of thirty Gaidamaks under the command of Sokolovsky and Kozakov burst into the city and immediately started massacring Jews. A delegation from the former Council went to the Ataman Sokolovsky and asked him to stop the massacre. Sokolovsky announced to the delegation that they had declared a red terror against all Jews, and that they must put it into execution. The band was joined by all sorts of scum from the suburbs of the city, and a most frightful bacchanalia began. They went from one Jewish house to another.
SOKOLOVSKY'
stole the last remnants of property, violated women, and slaughtered men, women and children. Thus they carried on for four hours. One hundred and fifty-four people were massacred. Soon 80 regular Red soldiers and an armored train arrived from Kristinovka and drove out the bandits. On the same evening a Revolutionary Committee was organized, which took steps for hunting out bandits in the suburbs. Extensive investigations were carried out, resulting in the discovery of a large group of traitors, among them three Jews, who were in relations with the attacking band. It should be noted that the peasants of the surrounding villages did not support the bandits.
STATION OF POTOSHI (NEAR UMAN) (From the Same Correspondence}
On July 31 Sokolovsky's band arrived at the station of Potoshi, on the line Kristinovka-Tzvetkovo, and stopped a passenger train, separated the men from the women, shot all Jews and Soviet employees, and violated the women. Then some cavalry arrived, who tortured the survivors for four hours. They took away in carts everything that was on the train. Only on the arrival of the Soviet armored train did the execution stop, and the band dispersed.
REGION OF UMAN. TOWN OF TALNOIE ( F KIEV) Pogrom of May 13, 1919
Testimony of the Student Avrum Schwarzmann, Taken Down by Maizlish
Talnoie is a town in the canton of Uman, on the railroad line Tzvetkovo-Kristinovka, four versts from Uman. Its inhabitants number 15,000; about 8,000 Jews. Early in February the withdrawal of the Petlurist forces began to the line Znamenka-Tzvetkovo-Kristinovka. Under the Directory, with the permission of the authorities, a Jewish Night Watch, with 15 or 20 rifles, had been formed. On February 8 an attack occurred on the Jewish post, which was disarmed, robbed and beaten. Two days later four squadrons arrived in Talnoie. The soldiers went into the town and 'before the eyes of the whole population entered the houses of Jews and carried out all the property and took it to the station. After this there were