Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Polish Court of Appeal Releases Jews Held in Ritual Murder Tale Riots

November 29, 1927
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

They Only Acted in Self-Defense, Higher Court Finds (J. T. A. Mall Service)

Declaring that the Jews who had been sentenced to long prison terms by the Plock court for having participated in disturbances in Dobrzyn, when a ritual murder tale was spread there, had acted in self defense, the Warsaw Court of Appeal ordered the release of the prisoners, binding them over to keep the peace for five years.

Arrests of both Jews and Christians were made in September 1926, when the disorders occurred in Dobrzyn, following the discovery of a dead gypsy child in the vicinity of the Jewish cemetery. For some days, attacks were made in the town upon the Jewish population. Jewish shops were looted and several Jews were injured. It was finally discovered that the child had been beaten by its father for having torn up a hundred zloty bank note and it had died of its injuries and the gypsies had thrown the body near the Jewish cemetery in order to remove suspicion from themselves. A number of Jews and Christians were given long terms of imprisonment.

The case came up yesterday before the Appeal Court in Warsaw, which declared that the disturbances had been caused by racial hatred on the part of the non-Jewish prisoners and that the Jewish Drisoners had only acted in self defence.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement