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Hundreds of Jews Slain in Rumanian Uprising; 89 Murdered on One Block

January 26, 1941
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With Rumania’s 175,000 Jews caught helplessly in the middle of a violent battle between the Government and dissident Iron Guardists, hundreds were murdered during the first three days of disorders, it was reported here today.

While Jews were being attacked by the rebels, the Government said “Jews and Freemasons were partly responsible for the uprising and threatened reprisals against them.

Censored dispatches from Bucharest said 89 Jews were slain in one block in Bucharest alone. Iron Guardists, described by official sources as “gangsters and extremists,” herded the Jews into cellars and then massacred them. Jewish casualties in Bucharest have reached an “important” total, it was admitted in the Rumanian capital, although figures were not yet available.

According to reports from points on the Rumanian border, there were more than 2,000 dead in Bucharest morgues alone, including many Jews taken from their homes and slain along with Iron Guardists. The revolt broke out on Tuesday and by Thursday the authorities had only begun to restore order.

With sniping continuing in Bucharest, some announcements called the snipers “secret agents, Communists, Jews and professional trouble-makers.” Earlier, a Government official had told foreign correspondents that “Jews and Freemasons” were responsible for the uprising.

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