you let my papa go! That's why I sign paper you give me.”
Recsky lifted his whip high.
“Stop it! Stop it, Recsky!” ordered Bary.
“Let me talk to the boy” Peczely said.
He leaned close to Morris's ear. I stood so near them I could hear him speak.
“Listen, boy if you don't stop your foolishness we will put you and your father back in jail and throw away the keys,” he said. “Do you want that on your conscience?”
“No, no!” mumbled Morris. “I'm sorry!”
Peczely leaned even closer to Morris. “If you don't tell us which of these men killed Esther Solymosi, your father will feel the sting of the chief gendarme's whip even more than you have. Do you want that on your conscience?” he repeated. “Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes. I'm sorry for being so fool,” Morris begged. “For give me!”
Peczely's smile made me shiver.
“I'm glad that you came to your senses, boy before it was too late” he said pleasantly. “Just do what you're supposed to do and then both you and your father will be fine. Are you ready to cooperate?”
“Yes, forgive me!” Morris pleaded.
Peczely turned to Recsky and Bary.
“The boy has seen reason,” he said. “Let's begin.”
Bary walked up to the line of Jewish men. Recsky's hand gripped Morris's arm as he dragged him along.
Two Jewish men were holding up a weeping Joseph Scharf They fell silent as Bary approached.
“Attention!” Bary's eyes bulged behind his rimless glasses. “You vermin claim ignorance about the disappearance of the servant girl Esther Solymosi, but I know you are lying!”
The villagers shouted their approval. “Death to the Jews! Death to the Jews!” they chanted.
“We're innocent!” The voice of one of the prisoners rang out over the clamor. It was the same small man with the long black beard I had seen in the kitchen of the jail in Tisza-Eszlar.
Bary nodded to Bako, who grabbed the man from behind and drew his arm across his throat, effectively cutting off his words.
“God help us, they're completely crazy!” Dr. Weltner shook his head.
“We have a witness to your horrible crime,” Bary announced loudly. “Morris Scharf decided to tell the truth. His confession is signed and sealed. He watched throughthe keyhole of the lock on the front door of your synagogue as one of you did this terrible deed.” He turned to Morris. “Is that what you told me, boy?”
Morris nodded his head. “Yes, I did.”
I wanted to warn him not to say such terrible lies, but I was afraid to speak up.
“Louder!” roared Bary.
“Yes, that's what I say!” shouted the boy.
“My son! What are you doing? What are you saying?” cried Mr. Scharf He held out his arms to Morris.
“Silence him!” Bary nodded at Chief Recsky who motioned to his men.
Two gendarmes pushed through the prisoners and held Mr. Scharf's arms while Recsky took a filthy handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed it into the man's mouth. Mr. Scharf garbled desperate noises.
“Morris Scharf, you confessed that the new butcher cut Esther Solymosi's throat and drained her blood into a pot,” Bary said. “Point out to us the individual who did this horrible crime.”
“The shochet! They're accusing the new shochet!” The lines of Jewish men broke as they looked at one another in horrified confusion.
“Back in line! Go on, boy. Show us this murderer!” said Bary.
Morris hung his head and shuffled between the rows of prisoners. One or two of them spat at him as he passed. Hedidn't raise his hands to wipe his face. He stopped in front of the bearded man who had spoken up before.
“Is that the man you saw murder the servant girl, Esther Solymosi?” Bary asked.
Morris nodded, stone-faced.
“Point him out to us!” Recsky commanded.
Morris slowly raised his arm and pointed his finger.
“Liar!” cried the man. “God is my witness that he is a liar!”
The other prisoners stared at Morris incredulously, afraid to make even the smallest
Recsky lifted his whip high.
“Stop it! Stop it, Recsky!” ordered Bary.
“Let me talk to the boy” Peczely said.
He leaned close to Morris's ear. I stood so near them I could hear him speak.
“Listen, boy if you don't stop your foolishness we will put you and your father back in jail and throw away the keys,” he said. “Do you want that on your conscience?”
“No, no!” mumbled Morris. “I'm sorry!”
Peczely leaned even closer to Morris. “If you don't tell us which of these men killed Esther Solymosi, your father will feel the sting of the chief gendarme's whip even more than you have. Do you want that on your conscience?” he repeated. “Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes. I'm sorry for being so fool,” Morris begged. “For give me!”
Peczely's smile made me shiver.
“I'm glad that you came to your senses, boy before it was too late” he said pleasantly. “Just do what you're supposed to do and then both you and your father will be fine. Are you ready to cooperate?”
“Yes, forgive me!” Morris pleaded.
Peczely turned to Recsky and Bary.
“The boy has seen reason,” he said. “Let's begin.”
Bary walked up to the line of Jewish men. Recsky's hand gripped Morris's arm as he dragged him along.
Two Jewish men were holding up a weeping Joseph Scharf They fell silent as Bary approached.
“Attention!” Bary's eyes bulged behind his rimless glasses. “You vermin claim ignorance about the disappearance of the servant girl Esther Solymosi, but I know you are lying!”
The villagers shouted their approval. “Death to the Jews! Death to the Jews!” they chanted.
“We're innocent!” The voice of one of the prisoners rang out over the clamor. It was the same small man with the long black beard I had seen in the kitchen of the jail in Tisza-Eszlar.
Bary nodded to Bako, who grabbed the man from behind and drew his arm across his throat, effectively cutting off his words.
“God help us, they're completely crazy!” Dr. Weltner shook his head.
“We have a witness to your horrible crime,” Bary announced loudly. “Morris Scharf decided to tell the truth. His confession is signed and sealed. He watched throughthe keyhole of the lock on the front door of your synagogue as one of you did this terrible deed.” He turned to Morris. “Is that what you told me, boy?”
Morris nodded his head. “Yes, I did.”
I wanted to warn him not to say such terrible lies, but I was afraid to speak up.
“Louder!” roared Bary.
“Yes, that's what I say!” shouted the boy.
“My son! What are you doing? What are you saying?” cried Mr. Scharf He held out his arms to Morris.
“Silence him!” Bary nodded at Chief Recsky who motioned to his men.
Two gendarmes pushed through the prisoners and held Mr. Scharf's arms while Recsky took a filthy handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed it into the man's mouth. Mr. Scharf garbled desperate noises.
“Morris Scharf, you confessed that the new butcher cut Esther Solymosi's throat and drained her blood into a pot,” Bary said. “Point out to us the individual who did this horrible crime.”
“The shochet! They're accusing the new shochet!” The lines of Jewish men broke as they looked at one another in horrified confusion.
“Back in line! Go on, boy. Show us this murderer!” said Bary.
Morris hung his head and shuffled between the rows of prisoners. One or two of them spat at him as he passed. Hedidn't raise his hands to wipe his face. He stopped in front of the bearded man who had spoken up before.
“Is that the man you saw murder the servant girl, Esther Solymosi?” Bary asked.
Morris nodded, stone-faced.
“Point him out to us!” Recsky commanded.
Morris slowly raised his arm and pointed his finger.
“Liar!” cried the man. “God is my witness that he is a liar!”
The other prisoners stared at Morris incredulously, afraid to make even the smallest
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