Whether Schwartzbard expressed joy and satisfaction when he was told at the police station that Petlura had died from the bullets fired by him or that he was simply glad that he had not killed an innocent man, mistaking him for Petlura, was the question in the court of Assizes this morning which brought the first clash between the defense and the prosecution.
Three policemen testified regarding the circumstances of the murder and Schwartzbard’s behavior in the police station when he was arrested. The policemen testified when Petlura had fallen to the street he cried, “Enough, enough,” while Schwartzbard continued firing, exclaiming “Murderer!” Commissar Mollard declared Schwartzbard was overjoyed.
Schwartzbard declared that he was only happy to learn that he had avoided any mistake and for that reason he embraced the policeman. “Don’t you remember,” he exclaimed. “I said I would commit suicide if I had harmed somebody else.”
The Commissar declared that he did not remember.
Campinchi, head of the counsel for the Petlura party, asked Schwartzbard: “Did you want to kill Petlura?”
“Yes,” Schwartzbard replied.
“Are you still glad you killed him?”
“Absolutely,” Schwartzbard declare.
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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.
