(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The consequences of a ritual murder accusation against the Jewish population here were prevented on the first day of Passover by the police.
Large crowds gathered on the streets of Minsk around a woman who was crying. The woman indicated her wounds which were bleeding. She claimed that she was dragged into a cellar by Jews who pumped her blood into bottles for Passover.
When taken to police headquarters it was found that the woman, whose name was Bital, was a professional beggar. During the first cross-examination she repeated her story, but later she confessed that she wished to die and slightly wounding herself she hoped to be executed by the authorities for spreading a blood libel against the Jews.
The police – inquiry continues. A suspicion exists that the woman was used as a tool of the reactionary forces. It was further found that the woman left an insane asylum three years ago.
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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.
