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ON THE FRONT LINE IN LITHUANIA, 1915:

STORIES OF JEWISH EYEWITNESSES

by Anatolii Chayesh http://www.jewishgen.org/litvak/1915fline.htm

The Town of Krasnoe, District of Vilieka 42

 

 

From August 1915, our troops began to pass through Krasnoe, behaving

themselves peacefully toward to inhabitants. However, starting with the

battles near Molodechno, Cossacks appeared in Krasnoe. On September 4

they began to rob Jewish shops: they plundered the colony store of Shlioma

Movsha Brudner, robbed and destroyed the property of the rich merchant Iona,

the flour shop of Iosel Gordon, and others. Some of the local residents

helped the Cossacks, and the latter gave them part of the loot. They handed

700 pounds from the steam mill of Getsel Bik. Aron Monin saw them rob the

crypt of Rakhila Gordon and pointed out four of the robbers to the commandant

of the town and to constable Bokhan.

 

In fear of the pogrom, Jews left town, some of the Christians also

left, frightened by the expected battle. Then Christians from neighboring

villages (Rekuvshchizna, Osovtsy, Ulianovshchina) came to Krasnoe and, taking

advantage of the absence of the owners, broke open one cellar after

another and plundered the goods stored in them. A certain Adam Mankovsky went

around town and noted who the robbers were. Two residents of Krasnoe, Aron

Monin and Movsha Brudner, hid in the house of the nobleman, Stanislav Targonsky.

 

On September 7th or 8th, peasants told the Cossacks that German spies

were hidden in Targonsky’s place. Cossacks went to Targonsky’s, but he

explained that he had neighbors as guests, and they went away. At that time, the

lame Varfolomei Bogachevsky said that Monin and Brudner were hiding Germans,

and that at all costs they should be gotten rid off.

 

The robbing went on for several days. During the night of September 14,

the plenipotentiary of the Society of Artisan Labor, Slonim, passed

through. There were no residents in the town. Captured Germans were put in the

synagogue. The Torah scrolls were torn and cut, and Cossacks rolled

their own cigarettes out of pages of the Talmud