Emanu-El, Weekly Paperurl (June 19, 1896)
[volunteer note: not very clear to read the article on the website, I couldn’t check the transcription for accuracy]
OUTRAGES ON JEWS IN ROUMANIA.
While I have often had occasion to complain of the piling up on the Jews of restrictive measures which almost make life unendurable, I hoped that it would not fall to my lot to have to report bodily outrages that would almost disgrace a barbarous country. I deeply regret to state that such is the case, and I will endeavor to place the cruel facts as clearly as possible before your readers.
The Chief of Police at Bacau (Moldavia), named Talinu, and two Commissioners, Munteanu and Janosoe, not being able to satisfy their extravagant habits with their salaries, determined to provide the means for their luxuries by exploiting the Jews, nearly all of them peaceful tradesmen or industrialists. From some, amounts ranging from 100 francs to 200 francs, were demanded for permission to continue the sale of alcoholic drinks, although licenses had been obtained and other legal imposts duly paid. From others the police officers demanded articles from their stock. Nearly all gave according to their means from fear of being summoned before the magistrate on some false accusation or the other, or of being inhumanly beaten by the myrmidons of the law. But there were some who did not always give, either because they could not or would not, for these demands were being renewed continually. It is a case of this kind that l am about to unfold.
One morning during last winter, Commissioner Munteanu entered the shop of Moses Rosenfeld, a tailor, and asked to be measured for a suit of the value of 200 francs, but for which he did not intend to pay. Rosenfeld replied that he was a poor man and could not afford to make valuable presents. Enraged by the refusal, Munteanu threatened the Jew with his vengeance, and warned him that he would have to pay tenfold the amount in another way. Munteanu was true to his word. Nearly every day afterwards Rosenfeld was summoned before the Justice of the Peace on charges invented by the police, and was sentenced to pay considerable fines. Exasperated by such chicanery, and by being frequently convicted for offenses of which he was innocent, Rosenfeld himself had recourse to the law. The Commissioner swore once more to be avenged when a favorable opportunity should arise. He did not wait long. One Saturday evening, Rosenfeld was at the Cafe Daniel with several other Jews, and was seen by Munteanu. Again a fresh charge was trumped up, and Rosenfeld was ordered into custody. On his way to the police station, some of his friends advised him not to surrender, as Talianu and Munteanu had boasted that they would kill him. Rosenfeld accordingly returned to the Cafe and said to Munteanu: “I am well known. If you deem me guilty, take proceedings against me in legal form.”
On the following day Rosenfeld went to M. Cojau, Deputy Procureur, related to him the whole story and asked his advice. M. Cojau advised him to go to the police. Rosenfeld followed his advice, and as soon as he arrived at the station he was thrown into a dark and humid cell, where he was kept till midnight. At that hour the door was opened and Talianu accompanied by Munteanu, Janosoe and another policeman, entered and threw themselves on Rosenfeld like wild beasts. They beat him with sticks and other weapons until he became unconscious. As soon as he partially recovered sensibility - they resumed their torture until the blood poured from his mouth, his nose, and his ears. The same barbarous treatment was inflicted by order of Talianu on six other Jews who had been dragged from their beds during the night on the false charge of having outraged the agents of the police and having torn the tunics of two gendarmes The names of these Jews are Haim Josef Baueel, David Goldstein, Eeizer Sumer, Janca Petraru, Solomon Chelner and Schnlem Crausi. When their treatment became known through the indiscretion of a subordinate in the police, several prominent Christians appealed to the prefect of the district, M. Jean Eeca. He ordered them not to interfere in the affairs of the administration, and Talianu, to whom a number of Jews repaired, replied: “If you make me a present of a carriage worth 1,200 francs, I will liberate the seven guilty Jews.” In this sad situation, the Jews of Bacau wrote to the newspapers in Bucharest and Jassy, and from a neighboring station they telegraphed to the Minister of the Interior, who demanded information by telegraph from Prefect Leca, his favorite. The latter replied that the statements were exaggerated, that the Jews were rebellious, had outraged the public authorities, and had insulted the agents of police in the exercise of their duty. In the meantime, the independent Roumanian Press commenced to denounce the barbarous tortures inflicted on the Jews of Bacau and the unjustifiable abuse of power by the police authorities at Bacau.
A deputy interpelled the Minister of the Interior in the Chamber, and demanded an inquiry into the affair on the spot, and that the guilty should be punished. M. Stolojau replied that it was true that the sub-Commissioner Janosoe had ill-treated some Jews, but he had done so in a moment of indignation and when a band of 150 Jews had revolted, outraged authority, and beaten the Commissioners.
The Minister further said: “I will send a commission to Bacau to hold an inquiry in the presence of witnesses, and I will expel the guilty Jews from the country.”
As the declaration of the Minister was false on all points, several newspapers categorically denied it the same day, ad 1 mg that his reply was made in order to intimidate the witnesses, as well as all the Jews who wished to complain to the authorities at Bacau. They blamed the Minister for protecting functionaries who are his favorites and election agents, and the papers added that they awaited the result of the official inquiry of which they demanded the immediate publication in extenso. This inquiry has been held at Bacau by M. Luca Jonescu, and the report as well as certificates of medical men has been published. Naturally the official report has been far from the sad truth, and screens the guilty functionaries; nevertheless, the Minister has replaced some of the officials, while Talianu has only been punished by a fine of a third of his month’s salary. M. Jonescu confirms the allegation that the Jews had revolted, that they had outraged and beaten police agents. In consequence of the denials and energetic protests of the Jews against the assertions of M. Jonescu and repeated demands of the Jews for a fresh inquiry, six newspapers published in Bucharest decided to hold an inquiry at Bacau by their own delegates. A Christian who remains anonymous, placed 600 francs at their disposal for the expenses. These delegates convinced themselves of the black-mailing practises on Jews, of the fact that Munteanu provoked the scene at the Cafe Daniel against Moses Rosenfeld, and they obtained the admission from the police that Rosenfeld and the six other Jews were tortured without pity and with a most indescribable barbarity. Hundreds of Christians declared that the Jews had not revolted, that they had not outraged anyone, and that the torn tunics exhibited by Talianu as evidence of their guilt were two old tunics which had long since been disused. Briefly all the statements of the Jews have been proved well founded, and all the police accusations against the Jews had been declared by the six delegates of the Roumanian Press to be calumnies. The Minister of the Interior has been compelled to dismiss some police officials at Bacau and to accept the forced resignation of the Chief of Police Talianu. If this is a satisfaction for the Jews it is very insignificant, for we know that the tribunal to which the matter has been referred will hesitate to condemn the favorites of the Government, the more so as the accused are relatives or friends of the judge.
I have described this affair very incompletely, in order not to abuse the hospitality of your journal; but it will suffice to give your readers an idea of the daily sufferings of the Jews in Roumania, which boasts of being the France of the East, while in reality it is the most barbarous country in the Balkans.— Jewish Chronicle.