New-York tribune., 1919-10-22
The Soviet Murders
By William c. Dreher
Berlin Correspondent Of The Tribune

ID ERLIN, Sept. 19.--To-day the last
I'D act in the bloodiest tragedy of
post-bellum Germany was en-
acted at Munich. The six principals in
the famous murder Of hostages at
Munich were yesterday sentenced to
death, and to-day this just sentence
was executed. The trial lasted nearly
three weeks, and it held public atten-
tion throughout its course as one dis
gusting picture of human depravity
after the other was laid bare. 1t was
pathetic tale Of the cold blooded mur-
der Of ten wholly innocent persons
Held as hostages In the basement of
the Luitpoid Gymnasium (high SCHOOL,
till the so-called Soviet Republic was
taking its last gasp Of life, with the
national troops closing in upon Mu-
mich from all sides, these ten were
selected ("Pick out the fnest!" was
the order). led out into the courtyard
and shot down. One was a woman, the
Countess Westarp; her body was in
suited even after death. Another, an
aged painter. was hammered with the
butt of ride as he was driven to the
place OF execution. Grewsome jests
were uttered by the murderers as they
went about their bloody task.
And the men who were in authority
in the Gymnasium were the military
power Of the Soviet Republic. The
prosecuting attorney gave in his plea
q few flashlights upon the characters
Of the accused. His list Is worth sum-
marizlng here, as showing what kind
Of men are brought to the front by
such communist revolutions as that at
Munich Eglhofer, one of the leading
criminals but not among the accused
in this trial, was an escaped convict
from marine prison. Seidl, who held
command in the Gymnasium, had an
adventurous career. forged wage lists
and was stranger in Munich until
short time before the Soviet Republic
WAS proclaimed. Second in command
was one Haussman, who committed
suicide, had been an employe Of q
street railway, but degenerated from
that dignity. Stakeholder suffered
from vile diseases and alcoholism;
mental weakling. Fehner had been a
"pimp," receiver of stolen goods,
cheat. Heeselmann lived from mar
riage swindles and thefts. Josef Sedl
had been punished for being tramp,
for theft and desertion. Voelkl was
another tramp. Puerzer was psyco-
pathic. Really fine company" ex-
claimed the prosecuting attorney, "for
holding the highest military command
in Munich!"
This Munich horror was but an ag-
gravated surge Of the crime wave now
sweeping over Germany, to which
have already drawn attention in va
rious articles. Later developments
show, too, that it was not exceptional
as an outbreak Of communist hatred
of other classes of the population.
Here in Berlin there had been for
some months a series Of murders which
made the distinct impression Of being
political in motive and emanating from
the communists. 1t now appears that
at least one such murder has been
fastened upon them. A criminal de-
tective by the name of Blau disap-
peared here about the middle of Au-
gust, and g. few days later his body was
found in the canal, showing plain
marks of having been murdered. 1t
was known that he had attended a
communist meeting on the night when
he was last seen, and that there had
been an altercation there between him
and the communists. He never re-
turned to his quarters, and it WAS
strongly suspected that a sentence of
death was passed upon him at that
meeting and several thugs deputized
to make way with him after he left
the hall.
Later on the cha irman of that meet
ing was arrested In Konigsburg-"o
his way to Russia" says the report
given out by the official detectives.
They ascertained that the plot to mur-
der Blau was Matched in Munich,
where Blau was helping to work up the
case against the criminals who have
just suffered the extreme penalty of
the law. A man was appointed to en-
tice Blau to Berlin and into the COM
munist meeting. At that meeting a
list Of names was presented, says the
police report, of persons condemned to
death.
All this supplies clew to the many
mysterious murders already referred
to. Bodies have been hauled out of
river or canal or have been found MUIR
dered under circumstances that batiled
the efforts of the detectives to ferret
out the murderers. And what is hap
pening here is but transcript of what
is occurring in varying degrees over
all Germany, especially in the larger