Looking Back: March 16, 2012
100 Years Ago in the Forward
The horse-poisoning trial of cloak maker Jacob Cohen began before Judge Otto Rosalsky. The trial opened with the first witness, a Pinkerton Detective, claiming to have caught Cohen in the act. The detective testified that he was on a stakeout on Market Street in front of Rubin’s Grocery Store when he saw Cohen walk by Rubin’s horse, which was parked outside the shop. Cohen fed something to the horse and walked away. Shortly thereafter, the horse began vomiting. The detective and others immediately gave chase and caught Cohen. The detective also took a sample of the horse’s vomit and gave it to the manager of Rubin’s store. After having the material analyzed, the assistant district attorney said it was poison. Cohen, on the other hand, with his kind face and long sidelocks, doesn’t look like much of a gangster. His alibi is that he was looking for a job in the area when he was apprehended.
75 Years Ago in the Forward
In the wake of numerous attacks on Jewish residents, the Hebrew press has attacked the Palestinian government for failing to take the necessary steps to protect the Jewish population. The Labor newspaper, Davar, commented in an editorial that “if the government fails to make changes in their basic policies, the end result will be a complete slaughter.” The Palestine Post demanded that the government permit the Jews to defend themselves, since “the government provides no defense.” Dozens of attacks and robberies in which Jews were the victims recently have taken place. On account of these constant attacks, the yishuv is considering a general strike, among other actions.
50 Years Ago in the Forward
Dr. Rudolf Kastner died from gunshot wounds after an unknown assailant attacked him earlier in the month. Kastner, who was the head of Hungarian Jewry during World War II, had been accused of collaboration with the Nazis and was attacked on a Tel Aviv street as he walked home from his job at the Hungarian newspaper he edited. Kastner was accused of paying off Nazi officers in return for the rescue of a select group of Jews via Switzerland. A trial took place a number of years ago, in which it was determined that Kastner had indeed collaborated with Nazis. The police suspect that members of an underground terrorist organization were responsible for the attack.
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