On Friday morning I sent my son, aged 18, into town to find out what the situation was. He 'soon returned and with horror told me of the death of Grenader and others. (Grenader lay in the arms of the student Naidich, both killed on the square.) We had no time to look around when my Tzalik was already gone; with lamentations he rushed back to find my other children, my daughter Esther, and her husband Motl. After a short time Tzalik came bringing a cart laden with the remnants of our goods. Putting the children on the load, we started to flee towards Ovruch. As we drove out of the town, we met S. B. Burger with many Jews. They shouted to us that no one was allowed to leave the town and that they had been turned back; we also turned back (at that time the cart upset, and everything was scattered). I took the little children by the hand, and leaving everything, taking only the valuables (silver spoons, forks, cups, etc.), all of which I threw into the nearest garden, I ran, driven from behind by bandits, into the town to find my other children (Esther and Motl). On the way I met Avrum-Ber Portny, much agitated, who told me how all exits from the town were closed, and ran off, observing that many were running to his (Avrum-Ber's) house. With the children I hastened there, too. It is hard for me to describe what we experienced in that earthly hell.... Yes, yes, all the rooms packed full of the Jews of Slovechno, old men, women, children; many had hidden under beds, tables, couches, etc. When the first shot from the street resounded in the house, all, as if at the word of command, lay down on the floor; after the shot followed a violent knock at the closed doors. They were at once opened. Kosenko with a group of bandits appeared. All began to entreat him not to touch them, and offered money. He at first refused, but finally accepted it. Having received the money (more than 40,000) he turned to the assembled Jews with these words: "I gave you a period of two days to get out of here; you didn't go; now I will settle with you." And he ordered them out of the room. First went my son-in-law Motl, then my daughter Esther; the third was I with the baby in my arms. At the exit a cordon of bandits was drawn up, who beat us and thrust at us, hit us with sabres, bayonets and gun-butts. My children Esther and Motl received severe wounds; I got off with one blow with a gun-butt on my shoulder. Before me were my children, all bloody and half dead; behind me, the cries of hundreds of my compatriots, whom the bandits were destroying in Avrum-Ber's house. From all sides they were driving the Jews in dozens to the square. On all the streets the bodies of our innocent brothers and sisters were lying strewn about. I saw a picture which reduced me to stupefaction. I shall never forget it. Among the slain lay the wife of the shames Irka, wounded, and a peasant was kicking her in the head. Oh, my God, can it be that Thou dost not see this? Why is it? Such pictures were repeated many times on that day. We were all collected in one group, the shoes were taken off the feet of all the men, shouts resounded in Russian. At one side two bandits, one from the village of Tkhorin, the other from Usovo, threatened us with chastisement. (Maxim Liukhtan with a gun in his hands stood near us.) I began to beg them not to harm us, and promised to give them all our valuables which I had thrown into a garden. They agreed, and we started out (at this time I thought — what will happen if someone has stolen them from the garden?). Thank God, everything was still there in the garden. I gave them all the valuables and begged them not to hurt us. One of them gave me three spoons, and said: "Well, take these, perhaps you will remain alive, and you will have something to eat with." But the other instantly tore them from his hand, took everything, and they went away, letting us go free. Happy in our freedom, we started on the way to leave that accursed place. My daughter Esther took off her smock, all bloody, and threw it on me, saying: "Mama, there is no blood to be seen on you, keep that on you, perhaps it will save you on the way." I did not resist, and we went on. I had my baby in my arms, and my children, dripping blood (they were wounded).
At the second verst in the direction of the village of Petrushi we were overtaken by two men who had taken our valuables, with a peasant lad of twelve or thirteen, the boy armed with a gun; and they demanded that we give them all that we had left. My son-in-law still had a silver watch; he gave it to them, plus some tens of rubles which we had with us. We managed somehow to drag ourselves to the village of Petrushi. The peas-
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