Barshay Trial Concluded in Minsk, Anti-semitic Hoolicans Are Imprisoned

The spectacular Barclay trial, staged by the White Russian Soviet authorities as a demonstration against anti-Semitism, was concluded in Minsk late Saturday aftermost. The four major culprits who were found guilty of anti-Semitic mistreatment of their fellow worker, Miss Dreize Barshay, in the glass factory “Octizb(###) ” at Bob(###) were given prison terms.

Tochifin, the chief culprit, was sentenced to three years imprisonment with a recommendation to the Zik, not to apply to him the October amnesty.

Gr(###) and Tulizkoff were sentenced to two years, but because of the amnesty their sentences were reduced one-half. Glackoff was sentenced to two years, but the term was reduced to one by the amnesty. (###) was sentenced to six months, but the amnesty was applied to her, effecting her release. Krasnyansky, the factory policemen was sentenced to two years, but because of his illness, the amnesty was applied and the sentence reduced in one year, but released under the amnesty.

The central issue at the trial was whether or not the defendants were guilty of an act of a counter-revolutionary nature, the defense contending that the defendants were not educated sufficiently to grasp the full significance of their act. Mazur, the former chairman of the factory Committee, Maslovsky, director of the factory, and Tishkevitch, secretary of the factory Communist group, submitted testimony asserting that the defendants were not so stupid as not to know the meaning of anti-Semitism and counter-revolution. The judge sought to establish the connection of the defendants acts with the influence of the Kulaks, wealthy peasants, and Nepmen.

(###) and Maslovsky claimed that the anti-Semitism displayed by (###), Grudger and Tuliakov was due to their association with the (###) and other counter-revolutionary elements, declaring that the defendants sent their evenings in dissipation with these elements, who preach hated of the Jews, saying that the Jews bought on the revolution and all troubles.

The public prosecutor, Polonkin, in an impressive address outlined the history and causes of anti-Semitism, terming the defendants “objective” counter-revolutionaries, as subjectively they are probably (###)ware of the political significance of their act.At the close of the trial Miss Barshay collapsed in court. Screaming (###) she tore at her clothes.