At the time Mendl lived -- or better said, survived-- in a garret in the house of Gershon Hentshkemakher. The stairs that led to his room were falling apart and the roof had holes in it. It was a turbulent time and we were full of a willingness to fight. We constantly confronted death at meetings, strikes and demonstrations, in the fields and woods, and we were full of courage.
For many years we were successful, and this left its mark on us for our whole lives. At one such meeting in the woods we were suddenly surrounded by a battalion of soldiers headed by a captain, all pointing their bayonets at us. We didn't lose our heads. I found the courage to approach the captain and engage him in negotiations.
I explained that this was only a Lag B'Omer gathering, of a religious and not a political nature. This made a good impression on him. He accepted all of my claims and even apologized for the soldiers who had taken certain objects from us. He lined the soldiers up, and sternly ordered them to return the objects. The majority of prisoners in Pawiak were political revolutionaries and the atmosphere was very homey. We were always singing revolutionary songs in various languages, and we were very friendly; everyone was ready to give his life for the other.
If one of us had committed an offense and was to be punished with confinement in the dungeon, everyone declared a hunger strike. In all the cells, on all the floors, you could hear banging, shouting, wailing; [Page 81] the noise was deafening. The police and the administration vainly threatened us and tried to calm us.
We even extracted money from those rich misers who never gave a penny to charity. Those were revolutionary times and the rich were obliged, however unwillingly, to recognize the strength of the workers' movement. We Nowy Dworers also greatly influenced the revolutionary movement among the military garrisons in the barracks in Nowy Dwor and the surrounding area, especially the fortress in Modlin. We supplied the soldiers and officers with revolutionary literature and proclamations.
