Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-22
my Twelpemonth
at Krupp Plant"
Dutch Engineer Amazing Story
Of Starvation and Cruelty
in Essen.
ny VAN DER LINDEN
Copyright, 1917, International News
III VAN DER LINDEN
Bureau,

| inc new3 or tho hight had spread like
wildhre. and dozen Of Krupps burly
policemen rushed into tho shop.
Without making tho slightest In
| qutries, they seized upon the FIRST PEG.
pls on whom they could lay their
hands. This was tho signal for n gen.
| eral revolt. Immediately there was
| an outcry and q wild stampede. The
| police were ruthlessly beaten down. and
| the workers. armed with tho tools
|! with which they had but a few mo-
ments before been making weapons to
Kill the enemies Of tho Fatherland. set
| upon the police.
What we're n dozen police against the
Infatuated mob Of workers. half
starved and oppressed?
Six OF the officials wero struck down,
! and tho remainder, with wonderful
unity OF purpose, made bee limo for
Then followed one Of the widest
scenes OF destruction which have ever
| witnessed.
Intricate machinery. delicate instru-
ments and tools were willfully smashed
| or rendered useless.
| The driving belts Of the lathes, per.
haps OF oil the most valuable part OF
the gear in the shop. were cut ana
slashed. To people outside Germany
II may seem strange thu. l should say
the driving belts are so valuable but
| II must DC remembered that in Ger
many the shortage of materials has
made 1t almost impossible for good
| driving belts to be made. Those in use
! at krupps were OF the frst-class
quality. and I was told could not DO
! replaced. and tho substitutes which
! had becn installed in many OF the
? shops. and before left were used IN
! kruDps,. were found 10 DO OF very
| inferior kind.
! For some time the greatest confusion
relsncd. men and women singing and
| shouting. But the scene was changed
! by the arrival OF 4 strong force Of
, armed guards. They approached the
/ building from oil sides. and willis. one
! party charged from one end. another
came at the double from the other.
I third and fourth detachment rushed In
from both sides. charging the workers
| with bayonets and swords.
Many were cut down, and In n yery
short time the riot was quelled
The shop presented more of the ap-
pearance Of battle field than a rnur!-
ton works. but what did that matter?
! The main thing was that the workers
I had been cowed down was seized
! rs hcfty German who threatened
to XIII me. and along with many others
was marched away, and thrown into a
I cell in the prison. which forms part
/ and parcel OF the establishment OF
Krupps
No~ I realized how 1t was tina,
J
| eTs under. With 4 big prison under
! th"!! very noses into which they might
! be thrown at the within or fancy OF
ans individual and strong forces of
armed men. always ready to enforce
! tn" Law. unlimited power was in the
hands o: the employers. still. / must
/ ADMIT. ,n"t was shown greater con-
Sid"rat!on IN the prison than In the
! workshop.
! About midday warden, another Of
inc multitude OF uniformed persons,
! tEou1 mt me 4 meal. and right glad was
| 81 II, poor rs was the quality Of the
( TOO! and small the quantity. 4 basin
/ % soup Che Germans seem to live on
SOUPS n0wadays), little snuc-kraut.
/ or dog sausage. and a tiny piece OF
MACK brcGd That meal was i feast
I indeed. and | cleaned up every scrap
I Having eaten il, l was told to make
! myself Drescntable, as / was TO go be-
! fore III" judge. remarked 10 the
/ WarteT that II was pretty sharp work.
| and he replied. We've no time to waste
! here"
Tint warder was quite a decent sort
Of follow. although he wore n uniform
H"lf an hour later found myself
standing in the dock of the justice
inarVe!s OF krupps would cease.
: Here was factory. complete with
/ workshops, quarters for the workers
| hospitals. fire stations. armed guards,
Il PRISON ana actually court of JUS
+. tice.
| II was n town in itself.
Whether they had u cemetery within
! the grounds did not know but fac
/ Ing the judge there l half-expected
/ t!cy had. so thorough are the Germans
| in thcir undertakings.
There we're about 100 prisoners all
OF them from my shop. and the charge
| against US all was the same: Par
tieipatns in revolt. numbering the
foreman. assaulting the police and dam
f, aging the works and fittings" We
were not given the opportunity OF
! pleading. but this charge having been
! called out. the proceedings straightway
J commenced.
n police witness told the court a
| long yarn of what he thought he had
seen. although l swear he saw nothing.
| for ! distinctly remember seeing him
! look in at the door near to where I
! was standing ut the time OF the riot.
and then make bolt for safety. Still,
| that man poset as a sort of hero and
1t went down with the Judge. who con-
! graduated him upon his exploits.
| Next came an underforeman, who
| swore that he saw me strike Baum
! berg. Aster his evidence l was given
! the opportunity Of questioning him,
and took advantage to ask whether
| he saw Baumbers strike me. I'll give
the fellow his due: he spoke the truth.
Why he spoke the truth I learned
! afterwards. Between him and Baum
| berg was an Outstanding feud.
lie was jealous of his boss, and In
|; his heart was glad that he was dead.
! for was not the pathway open now
for the underforeman for promotion?
So no told the truth. and said that
Baumberg would have killed me had
not struck him down. At this asked:
Can you tell why no attacked meg"
Yes replied the witness, you were
complaining that you were being kept
without food"
Here. i thought. Is q witness In my
favor, SO I continued to ply him with
questions, most Of which lie answered
| to my good AS the trial proceeded it
became evident that Baumberg was a
| scoundrel, who had been working hand
! in glove with the caterer who was re-
] SnOnSihln for tho iendiI,er 1f