A cablegram received from A. Revutsky of New York, former Minister of Jewish affairs in the Ukraine. created a stir when it was read in the courtroom by Henri Torres. Schwarzabard’s counsel. In his cable Revutsky protests against the misuse of his name by the Petlura witnesses at the trial and authorizes Torres to state that Revutsky is convinced of Petlura’s responsibility for the pogroms.
After the cable was read by Torres, Cesare Campinchi, the Petlura party counsel, arose and exclaimed: “We never mentioned Revutsky’s name here. This is a pre-eventive measure.”
Torres replied that Revutsky’s name had been mentioned in the act of indictment. The contents of the act was cabled by correspondents to the New York Jewish press and brought forth Revutsky’s cable. Torres also read a letter from Pinchas Krasny, former Minister of Jewish affairs in Petlura’s cabinet, in which Petlura is directly accused of the pogroms.
At this point Campinchi, in an attempt to override the facts presented by Torres, claimed that Torres was acting unfairly in not telling the jury that Krasny was Petlura’s minister until 1923. To this Torres replied that Campinchi had withheld from the jury the end of the documents published by the Schwartzbard Defense Committee where Palienko, one of Petlura’s generals responsible for the Zhitomir pogrom, was referred to.
The two attorneys faced each other, Campinchi crying “Torres has insulted me. I must rehabilitate myself.” Holding the book containing the documents of the pogroms compiled by the Schwartzbard Defense Committee, Campinchi approached the jury. He was followed by Torres. A tumult arose in the courtroom.
Campinchi shouted, “You have not acted as a socialist.” Torres replied indignantly, “You cannot expect me to discuss my political views in this ##
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
