New-York tribune., 1920-05-16
'Ieuton Bandit $
Arrest Ends a
Daring, Career
Max HoeIx, After Seizing
Castle, Established Coma
munist Regime With Sc
ries OF Bold Rascalities
Took Part i'm Red Revolt
Brigand Boosted of Touch
ing Off World Uprising
From Seat Of Government
By William G. Dreher

BERLIN, April 24.--Thc arrest of
Max Hoelz several days ago in Bo-
hcmia, closes one of the most romantic
chapters i'll the history of revolutions
airy Germany. 1t is also one of the
most significant chapters, for it shows
how communist doctrines work out
practically when held by criminal
Of exceedingly crratic mind; how far
some of the German working classes
will 60 in making common cause with
a coVmon robber, if he but throw the
charmed halo of socialism about his
head, and how weak Socialist govern
mcnt is in dealing with such situa-
ton.
Hoelz suddenly appeared upon the
German armament at the time of the
registered by the newspapers as a star
Of the first magnitude. But he had
previous history. Last year he had
| played prominent part in Spnrtacist
turbulence in the Nogtand, as the
southern part Of Saxony is called
When the military moved into the
region and the situation grew serious
Hoeiz decamped in good time, leaving
| his followers in the lurch These lat
ter were captured and were in prison
since then, awaiting trial toward the
end OF March. Hoel2 was meanwhile
/ llVlng IN conccalmcnt somewhere in
northern Germany.
But his opportunity to rehabilitatc
hlmself arrived when Kapp held sway
Berlin. A. Flaucn, cnlef town of
the ogtand-noted for its manufac-
Nclchswehr, or national troops, showed
slgns OF wavering and going over to
happ. This caused trouble with the
"orNlng population and d clash seemed
inevitable. Bat the military was with
drawn. That was Hoelz's opportunity
He was apparently holding himself in
readiness just behind the scenes, for
tae next night he appeared in Plauen.
Frees Followers in Prison
Gathering together 6 handful Of his
former followcrs-th thcy still had faith
IN him. for the man has dangerous
glft Of volublc and fiery rhetoric he
Stormed the prison the next morning
at dawn and liberated his eighteen ac-
compIices OF last year. Then they be.
took themselves to the prosecuting at
torncy,. haulcd him out Of bed and de-
manded the documents in the cases
against these liberated prisoners. He
vas not able at once 10 produce them.
and so they carried him off as hostage
70 Fa !konstcln, q town about fifteen
niles to the east. Here Hoelz seized
the old castle Of Baron Trutzler Won
faIkenstein, dismissing the baron, and
madc it his seat of government for the
IQilo"in% four weeks. by the after
noon the prosecuting attorney had
thought better of the matter and had
me documents produced. Hoelz burned
them in his presence and thea dis
charged his hostage.
lheN hoelz inaugurated his commun-
lSt regime with series oe high handed
iascaiitles;. he dismissed city officials
CT drove them out OF town. lie levied
upon manufacturers and reouisitioncd
thelr automobiles. Mounted in these
he and has chosen band made incur
Sons unon nei"lborinr towns, making
people think that the far-ofT period Of
ROPER baronS had returned. lie orran-
ized ms little army and had hi little
scfImmages with such opposition as
presented Itself in his way With 12o
OF ms rand on automobile trucks he
went to Markneuk kirchcn-famous for
the manulacture of violins -disarn,ed
me nome guards after a little fight.
prisoners in Jail there. Incidcntaliv
ne carried off 100000 marks, "as pledgc
that the arms would be delivered nm =
he said. '''
Made Threats of Slaughter
Wherever he went he brea+bod o,4
threatenngs of slaughter. His nroclo-
nations teemcd with expressions Eixo
will be shot" In an interview With =
newspaper correspondent he made this
wang iorlous boast: "Not q dron of
bourgeois blood has flowed as vet.
Dut we, who have closed our accounts
Geolsle that we can get at, with
Out taxing along with US all the bour-
onoer stress Of dire necessity did he
contemplate such wholesale murder.
Hoelz delighted in stronc TAX lax :,
giving himself the airs of BLOODY
bandit; but he was not half SO bad as
ms talk. In fact there was quality
OF mercy IN his rascalites. Once he |
had the Munich Berlin express train |
held up and searched by his band, but
they harmed nobody and apparentlv
TOOK nobody's purse, though one re-
port SAID so. They were evidently look
ing 1or somebody. and when they heard
'haI several passengers who looked
SuSplclous S' hao got of and gone to the
ieadlng motel they went there and
searched it,
One of the guests was correspondent
OF Lelpslc newspaper. They arrested
hlm and took him Off to Falkenstein
because they found on him notebook /
containing the substance of a news re- /
port which he had telephoned to his
paper. In the castle at Falkenstein he
found two young university men who
rad been held in captivity for more than
a week, waiting for some kind friend
to pay the 10000 marks ransom de-
manded for them by Hoelz
Warned Tender Heats
AS Hoelz grew in fame and renown
as an outlaw he found that he was
touching to many tender female hearts
with his deeds of courage. He was
Hooded with letters from women that
his v;rtuous soul. Finally he
printed IN heavy type in the Faiken-
stein "Anzeiser'' a notice warning "all
unmarried and married woman persons,
upon pain of heavy fines and the pub,
i'cajlon of their names, against tempt-
ing hlm with love letters and less oh.
VIous ailurements." He was married
man, the notice concluded, and he "en-
efgeAcally forbade this indiscriminate
ove-making.
W hlie HoelZ was a,razinr all Cor