During the service last night at the Great Synagogue here in the Tabak Gasse, just as the Cantor Linezki had concluded the Amidah, shots suddenly rang out and four Jews, Ignatz Tauglich, Ignatz Pinter, Leo Kera, and Eugen Roth, were injured.
The shots were fired by Emil Zatloka, formerly a Roman Catholic, who has left the Church, however, and become Konfessionslos (of no religion). He was immediately seized by the Rabbi, Dr. Hevesi, who succeeded in taking his revolver away from him.
I am dying of hunger, Zatloka said when he was overpowered with the assistance of several members of the congregation, and I did not want to die alone. Fortunately no panic occurred, owing to the presence of mind of the organist, the President of the Synagogue, Bank Director Hajdu states. Immediately he heard the sound of the firing he began to play and calmed the congregation.
State Secretary Sztranyavsky, and several other high Government officials came specially to conduct the examination of the prisoner Zatloka, in order to show how seriously the Government views the outrage.
I decided to revenge myself on the Jews, because the Jews and the Freemasons have brought about all the misfortunes of Hungary, Zatloka is stated to have told the police. That is why I went into the Temple, and shot at its leaders.
Zatloka, who is 43 years of age, is a machine engineer. He is described as an epileptic, and obviously deranged. About 20 years ago, he was confined in a lunatic asylum, and he has now been sent back there as a homicidal maniac. A diary which was found on him is full of expressions of enmity against the Jews and against the Bible.
The Minister of Education and Public Worship, Count Klebelsberg, has sent a telegram to the synagogue authorities expressing his regret and his indignation because of the outrage, and his sympathy with the families of the victims.
The Roman Catholic Episcopate and the Protestant Bishopric of Budapest have also sent messages of sympathy to the synagogue authorities and the families of the victims.
The Budapest Rabbinate has proclaimed a fast day for April 27th. in commemoration of the outrage.
No deaths have occurred, but the victims are still unconscious and are stated to be in a very critical condition.
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