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JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Culture

Forward Looking Back

100 Years Ago

Jews in Manhattan’s Harlem are in fear after a terrible murder of a Jewish woman took place in her apartment on 101st Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. The victim, Rosa Zemkin, was found by her husband, who works in a tailor shop. When he came home at 7 p.m., he found it odd that his wife did not greet him and that all the lights were off. Only after he lit the gas did he discover the horrible sight: Rosa lay dead in the kitchen in a pool of blood, her head battered by a hammer. All the furniture had been turned over and the house was a mess. Missing was the knipl of cash Mrs. Zemkin kept around her neck and $2,000 in jewelry. Zemkin ran into the street screaming. Many of the couple’s neighbors ran into the house to see what had happened. Several women fainted at the sight of Rosa Zemkin’s battered body. The police say the main suspect is the couple’s boarder, 23-year-old Alexander Goldstein, who could not be found.

75 Years Ago

Brooklyn resident Samuel Shvayger was arrested yesterday and held under a $10,000 bond after his own mother, 84-year-old Jenny Shvayger, accused him of swindling her out of $20,000 by telling her that “Hitler will come to America and take your money and your house.” Jenny Shvayger, who lives with her son in Williamsburg, was convinced by her son to sign over her house. She gave him $20,000 to put in a safe place after he warned her that Hitler was on his way to Brooklyn and that he would confiscate everyone’s money. When detectives arrived at the house to question Sam Shvayger, they were met by his 20-year-old daughter, Marion Shvayger, who attacked them by punching them and throwing things at them. This allowed Sam Shvayger to escape out of a window. His daughter was arrested. While she was being arraigned, Sam Shvayger turned himself in.

50 Years Ago

According to reports from Middle East correspondents, riots have broken out among the Arab masses in the Jordanian half of Jerusalem, which are now being patrolled by police in armored vehicles. The demonstrations in the Old City have brought to the fore demands by the Arabs that they be given weapons in order to defend themselves against a new Israeli attack. Similar demonstrations have taken place over the past 10 days in other Jordanian border towns, and it is thought that the protests are intended to cause problems for the government of King Hussein. Jerusalem police strongly suppressed the protests in a number of locations where they battled with the masses. As a result of a number of arrests, it was discovered that a number of the activists were not local and, in fact, from other Arab countries that are unfriendly to the Hussein regime. For his part, King Hussein said that anyone involved in riots will be treated “without pity.”

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