The anti-Semitic riots in Lemberg spread yesterday to Warsaw, Vilna, Cracow and the provinces.
In Lemberg the riots are on the rise and the memorial services scheduled for today for Jan Grotowski, the Polish student killed, are expected to provoke new disturbances of a serious character.
Lemberg today resembles a city in the throes of war. All the Jewish stores are closed and some of the non-Jewish stores as well. Increased police guards are stationed throughout the city with fire brigades standing ready to assist the police.
The press is prohibited from publishing any details of the anti-Semitic disturbances and only official communiques are permitted to be published.
School youths are prohibited from appearing in the streets in the evening after eight o’clock, while the Jews hide themselves behind bolted doors, fearful of appearing in the streets.
The pavements are covered with blood and fifty percent of the windows of the town are broken, says the anti-Semitic organ, “Gazeta Warszawska.”
A new and serious panic spread yesterday through Lemberg when a shot was fired upon a throng, estimated at 60,000, returning home from the funeral services of Jan Grotowski, and two Polish students were injured.
A Communist provocation is suspected, but in the meantime the opportunity was utilized to incite the mob against the Jews.
Witnesses were soon produced who pointed to the windows of a Jewish house as the place from which the shot was allegedly fired. The house, it was later proved, belongs to an engineer, Jeger, who lives there with a brother, former Deputy Jeger. The brothers were ordered to appear at the police station. Later in the evening, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned by telephone communication with the home of the Jegers, that both brothers had been released. The windows of their house were shattered.
The shooting incident was the signal for riots throughout the city. Jews were thrown out of trolley cars, the windows of Jewish stores and their equipment destroyed.
Among the injured is Rebbe Waritz, who was saved by the police from his attackers.
The windows of the home of the president of the Lemberg municipality were broken after the Municipal head had issued an appeal calling for the cessation of the disturbances. In this he was joined in individual appeals issued by the Union of War Veterans and pro-government students, who pointed out that the disturbances are aimed at embarrassing the government and disgracing it abroad.
The Polish Jewish daily, “Nasz Prszglad,” and the Lemberg “Chwila,” were confiscated yesterday for describing the disturbances.
In Warsaw many Jewish students were injured as riots spread through the University. Seven Jewish students were treated at the University for injuries sustained, by Professor Zambrowski. Among the gravely injured are David Gigletan and Moses Gudfield.
The disturbances spread to the Colleges of Agriculture and Commerce and the Polytechnic Institute. The Rector closed the University. The police did not enter the University campus but surrounded it to prevent the disturbances from spreading further.
The Agricultural College was closed as well, while the rector of the Polytechnic Institute warned that he would close that institution if the disturbances are renewed.
The streets of Warsaw are patrolled by increased forces. Special guards have been detailed to protect the large Jewish stores in the non-Jewish districts.
In Vilna the riots started in the Law School, where two Jewish women students and several men were injured in the attacks. Among the injured are David Faigin, Mayer Orlin, Jacob Wisotzki, Moses Alexandrovicz, and Wolf Regirer.
The rioting students then proceeded to the streets, smashed the windows of Jewish stores and homes and those of the Jewish Students House.
Chief Rabbi Rubinstein called upon the District Governor of Vilna, who informed him that the Rector had been instructed to close the University in the event of further disturbances. At the same time he assured the Chief Rabbi that order would be maintained.
Riots occurred also in Czenstochowa and Cracow.
In Czenstochowa excesses broke out simultaneously in several parts of the town causing injuries to many Jews. Ozer Freedman was among those seriously injured and was taken to a hospital.
In the evening the excesses assumed their most serious character, increasing the total of the wounded Jews.
Demonstrations took place in Cracow and the windows of houses of Jews were shattered.
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.
