PLEASE NOTE: This book contains graphic description ... - HUNSOR

28. Jozsef Pasztor, 34 56. Albert Gazdag, 5074KANIZSA"In 1941, when the Hungarian troops marched in to Kanizsa, the Bagi lads and LajosBarta beat up about twelve Serbian prisoners at the Town Hall. Bato Knazsavity was beaten soblack and blue that I could hardly recognize him, but he survived to take his revenge on 300Hungarians in in 1944.It is said that some Serbians were executed during the war in 1941. It is possible, but Iknow only of the one executed at the Town Hall. He was the lame tailor who had shoutedidiotically that he wanted to eat a meal of the flesh of Hungarians. However it is possible thatthis man should have been taken to the Mental Hospital rather than executed. It's also true thatmost of the partisans would have deserved the same.The Russian troops crossing the Tisza marched into Kanizsa on October 7, 1944. Therewas neither a battle nor a massacre, but every woman was raped despite the fact that most ofthem could speak Serbian. Murderous partisans from Banat also came with the Russian troops,their leaders were Niklo Radovics and Szvetozar Knezevics Bacsa. It was announced that if aRussian or Serbian person were to be hurt and subsequently die, a hundred Hungarians wouldmeet the same fate. After a number of days, a Serbian soldier did happen to be shot in PalManyi's bar. Fortunately, before he died, he admitted that he had been shot by Dusan Tatics, afellow Serb.At the end of October or the beginning of November, people began to be picked up oneby one on the basis of a list. Whoever was able to do so fled to Szeged. We could not sleep forweeks. I put my bed underneath the kitchen window leaving a small opening, so that if theycame, I could jump through the window, and run away to Martonos or even farther away. Thoserounded up were put in the Town Hall prison and knocked about on the basis of whatever pretextcame into their interrogators' minds. For example, "Have you ever been a levente?" "Sure, Ihave." There was a powerful punch to the chin. "You also have been a levente, and you are aSerbian!" There were harder punches and kicks to the body of the poor Hungarian.Most of those taken were beaten to death in the cellar of the Town Hall. The dead bodieswere driven by carts to the Island at night. There the corpses were laid out unburied and coveredwith lime for days. Then the partisans gathered some people to75