Child Found Murdered in Neighbor’s Barn

On June 29, 1891, five-year-old John Hegemann, son of a cabinetmaker in Xanthen, was found murdered in the barn of a neighbor. Police were immediately called, but failed to find any clues to the criminals. A strong anti-Semitic group in the town began to circulate rumors that the little boy was killed by Jews in performance of religious rites.

Suspicion centered on Adolph Buschoff, a Jewish butcher and a former shochet. A local priest named Bresser lent color to the rumors by publishing a series of articles on ritual murders in a local paper.

On October 14 Buschoff and his family were arrested. The evidence against him was so flimsy, however, that he was soon discharged.

BRIBERY CHARGED

The anti-Semites immediately set up a howl that Jewish financiers had bribed the officials to release the butcher. The affair became a “cause celebre” culminating in a heated debate in the Prussian Diet. The court chaplain, Stoecker, in the course of the debate, repeated the accusation of ritual murder and declared that Jewish money was being used to bribe police officials.

In February, 1892, Buschoff was arrested again and placed on trial in a Cleves court. During the trial it was clearly seen that the entire accusation was based on hearsay. The prosecuting attorney himself moved for dismissal of the charges, which the jury did at once. The real murderer was never discovered.

QUIT THE COUNTRY

The unhappy Buschoff and his family emigrated to the United States.

On two occasions during the Middle Ages, June 1 and 27, 1096, the Jewish community in Xanthen was the victim of pogroms. Twice hordes of Crusaders, passing through the town on the way to the Holy Land, brutally massacred the Jews. The Xanthen community dates back to early medieval times.