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Jewish Worker, Held in Death of Grotkowski, Released After 2â½ Months in Prison

February 19, 1933
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A Jewish worker, S. Keller, one of the four Jews arrested in connection with the death of Jan Grotkowski, a Polish student killed in a drunken brawl last November, which led to serious anti-Semitic riots throughout the country, was released today after spending two and one half months in prison.

Keller was released because of lack of evidence against him.

The charges against the three other Jews who are still imprisoned will be annuled in all probability for lack of evidence as well, according to their counsel, Leib Landau.

Keller and three other Jews, M. Katz, N. Schmer and Isaac Tune, were arrested after Grotkowski succumbed to knife wounds received when he and five other drunken revellers, returning from an all night party on November 27th, attacked Jewish passersby.

The death of the student was followed by violent agitation against the Jews on the part of the anti-Semitic National Democrats, which brought about a series of reprisals in leading centers of the country as well as the provinces, and caused injuries to more than 400 Jews and considerable property and business damage.

In cases where students have been brought before disciplinary courts of the Universities, the Jews who defended themselves received the severest sentences, being either expelled or suspended, while their attackers escaped with reprimands for the most part.

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