Manner of escape of the Jews in Damascus.
--The following account of the manner in which the Jews in Damascus escaped from the massacre lately perpetrated there, was furnished to the Jewish Chronicle, London, by a person who had but recently returned from Syria:‘ "After the slaughter of the Christians, the fanatics meditated an attack on the Jews — When deliberating on the subject, a Sheik, who is held in great estimation and whom the Jews had befriended, strongly opposed the measure. They allowed themselves to be dissuaded for a moment. But the next evening they resumed their deliberations. Once more the Sheik succeeded in dissuading them — Another day thus elapsed. For the third time the murderers met, more firmly than ever resolved on the massacre of the Jews. The Sheik, seeing that his opposition would be overruled, pretended to acquiesce in their determination, and only asked them to ascertain previously whether the proposed attack was the will of God. For this purpose, he proposed that the trigger of a loaded pistol, with which one of the fanatics was armed, should be pulled. If it went off at once, the project met with the approbation of the Deity; if not, it was a sign of the Divine disapprobation. So said, so done. Fortunately for the Hebrews the pistol did not go off. The fanatics dispersed once more. Meanwhile help came.--The murderers had lost the chance of another slaughter."
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