PALESTINE’S FIRST MURDER TRIAL BEFORE A SINGLE JUDGE ENDED HERE TODAY WITH THE CONVICTION OF REUBEN SCHENZVIT, TEL AVIV LAND BROKER, FOR THE STRANGLING LAST MARCH OF HIS FORMER ASSOCIATE, JACOB ZWANGER, AN ENGINEER.
SCHENZVIT WAS SENTENCED TO A PRISON TERM OF 15 YEARS BY CHIEF JUSTICE HARRY HERBERT TRUSTED, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF PALESTINE. THE TRIAL OPENED JULY 12 WHEN SCHENZVIT PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
THE CASE HAD ATTRACTED WIDE NOTICE WHEN SENSATIONAL REPORTS ATTRIBUTED THE MURDER TO AN INTERNATIONAL ARMS SMUGGLING AND ESPIONAGE RING.
ORDINARILY, PALESTINE’S THREE CHIEF JUSTICES PRESIDE AT MURDER TRIALS. UNDER A NEW LAW HOWEVER A DEFENDANT HAS THE RIGHT TO SELECT ANY ONE OF THEM TO SIT ALONE.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
