FRANCISZEK SKUZA

Opatów, 1 June 1946. The Municipal Court in Opatów in the person of judge Al. Zalewski, with the participation of court reporter R. Cybulski, heard the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the wording of Article 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and of the significance of the oath, the witness was sworn under Article 108 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and testified as follows:


Name and surname Franciszek Skuza
Age 65 years old
Parents’ names Jan and Marianna
Place of residence Opatów, Stadionowa Street 31
Occupation farmer
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

In the spring of 1943, when the Jews had already been expelled from our town, one Jew whom I knew personally and who was commonly nicknamed “Berek” (for such was his name), took shelter in my barn. He wanted to get some sleep, as in the evening he meant to continue his journey. In the afternoon of the same day, three blue policemen arrived unexpectedly at my house. One of them, Witold Ślęzak, was personally known to me. He forbade all household members to leave the room and bolted the door. Shortly afterwards we heard shots, and when the bolt was removed and I left the room, I saw the body of the Jew who had taken shelter in my barn lying on the threshing floor. He was already stripped of his shoes and clothes, of which he had been robbed by the policemen. The policemen also ordered us to bury the corpse on the premises of my farm, with which order we were forced to comply.