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Permit Christian Boy to Drown in the Danube, Believing Him a Jew

August 5, 1928
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(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

A fourteen year old Christian boy, struggling in the current of the Danube River, was left to drown because of the anti-Jewish prejudice of the group of his co-religionists who were swimming in the vicinity and witnessed the tragedy. They failed to come to his rescue because they were of the belief that the drwoning boy was a Jew.

The incident occurred yesterday at Waitzen, on the banks of the Danube. A Jewish vacationist who was walking along the river bank called to a group of Christians swimming in the vicinity, pointing out the drowning boy. Because the call come from a Jew the swimmers believed the drowning boy was Jewish and swam away shouting, “Let the Jewish boy drown, there will be one less.” The police later succeeded in recovering the body and his identity was established as the son of a poor Christian working woman, resident of Waitzen.

The local press comments on the incident. Indignation was expressed by residents of the town.

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