Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-20
KILL MADER0
HUN IDEA FOR
Staying OF
SPARTACANS
Richie Tells interesting Story
in Connection With Shoot
ing of Rosa Luxembourg
and LiebkneCht.
By ROBERT WELLEs RITcHIE
Universal Service Staff Correspondent.

By ROBERT WELLES RICHIE
Universal Service Staff Correspondent.
London, July 19.-How did Lieb.
knecht and Rosa Luxembourg, the
two original firebrands of the Ger
man Spartaeist party, die and who
was responsible for their unofficial
executions in Berlin early in the
year?
Inasmuch as there were circurn-
stances of striking similarity be-
tween the murders of Liebknecht
and Luxemburg and the unofficial
Staying of Francisco Madero ana
Pine Suarez of Mexico under tn:
presidency of General Huerta of
bloody memory, the true story or
the two German radicals taking off
will have interest for American
readers.
Defend Their Views.
On the evening of the murders,
soon after sunset, Liebnecht and
Rosa Luxembourg were taken to the
Eden hotel, where they spent some
hours in charge of their guardians.
There was apparently mixed COM
pany and good deal of CONVERSE
ton, some OF it animated, in which
the two victims discussed and de-
Tended their views. Orders were
received that they were, to be trans
ferred to the Moabit prison, and
Liebnecht was taken to the back
door of the hotel, where military
car was awaiting. n
As they were leaving, one of the
company cried: "See that these
swine do not reach the prison alive
This person, however, was civilian,
and therefore not amenable to the
military court, and his case was not
further inquired into. The evidence
was accepted, apparently, because
it lessened the blame to be attached
to Private Runge.
Uses Rifle as Club.
/ This impressionable member OF
the guard, as soon as Liebknecht
got into the car, aimed two blows
at him with the butt of his rifle.
One blow missed, the other cut his
head open.
Captain-Lieutenant von\ PLUCK
Hartung, the officer in charge, then
got into the car. The reporters
testify that this officer made a very
favorable impression on the court.
He was we'll groomed. alert, had a
clear and sparkling eye, and gave
his evidence in an open and attrac-
tive fashion. He said that he had
taken quite a fancy to Liebknecht
in the hotel, thought that for \ So
cialist he had interesting views, and
good way of putting them. And
so when he got into the car beside
the dubbed man he, drew his re-
volver and told him that he would
shoot him if He tried to escape.
Thus, chatting about socialism,
they continued their journey, Lieb-'
knecht streaming with blood. but
in the opinion of the captain-lieu-
tenant not sufficiently wounded to
make it advisable to have medical
advice. Presently, in a dark corner
of the Thier- Garten, the car
stopped. Evidence was accepted as
proving that the breakdown was
genuine.
Escaping" When Shot.
| Captain-Lieutenant Won PLUCK
/ t3os%ha~
car nor remained in the car until
the damage was repaired, but turned
his man out into the dark, and
warned him that he would be shot ii
he tried to escape. =
Presently he was Shot and killed,
and evidence was accepted as salts
factory, from an examination Of tt
body, that he must have been run
ming away. The amiable captain
lieutenant was acquitted, with great
applause at the verdict.
| Rosa Luxemburg's Murder.
About an hour later Rosa Lux.
emburg was taken to the front door
OF the hotel, where a car was wait
ing for her also. But there, for some
reason that was not inquired into,
Psivate Runge was also waiting for
her. AS soon as she got into the
car he swung his rife and dubbed
her twice on the head.
| This man did not please the court.
In fact. every one was so much i'm
lpressed by his criminal fype-the
picturesque reporters describe him
in the language of Lombroso. and
call attention to the stigmata that
disfigured him-that no inquiry was
Thought necessary - to why. having
dubbed Liebknecht at one door. he
should have been allowed by the Of
ficers of the Garde- Schutzen-D Dis
vision to be waiting for Rosa Lux
emburg at the other. 1t was doubt
full if his blows had actually proved
fatal, and it was suggested that he
was mentally defective. And so he
Twas given two years imprisonment