Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-27
TROOPS IN BERLIN
MOVE T0PREvENT
UPRISING TODAY
Rumors of Plan for Outbreak
on Former Emperor's
Birthday.
BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN .Janl1ar.>


BERLIN. January 21-Heavy pa
trolS of soldiers guarded the govern
ment buildings during last night and
stopped al traffic over streets in that
nelghborhood where barricades We're
thrown up by the troops before night
iaIl- Rumors were heard during the
evening that monarchistS had planned
an uprising today, which is the birth
day OF former Emperor William. and
that Gustav .Noske, minister of de-
Tense, had massed troops as a pre-
cautionary measure.
While government officials lave
denied any knowledge of an intended
lnSurrection ann say the attack on
Matthias ErzberSer. minister of fl
liza ton of forces, it is declared the
authorities sought to forestall action
on the part of the supporters of the
imperial regime. 1t was reported last
night that attacks against the indie
pendent socialists and radicals were
planned as the first step in the
mOnarchiSt coup.
Deep Indignation over the attack on
HEIR ErZberger was expressed in a
proclaim ation issued last night the at
tempted assassination being called n
criminal excess of political warfare"
The proclamation said that il was
hoped the deed would arouse the an
ger OF the general public. and prom
ised 10 protect every one against vio-
lence. Sympathetic inquiries were
Inaue "a the Erzberger home by the
Italian and British charges d'affaires.
and President Ebert telegraphed con-
dolences to the wounded minister
Assassin Former Cadet Officer.
BERLIN, January 26.-OItwig Won
Hirschfeld who shot Minister of
Finance Erzberger yesterday was a
former cadet officer He was prompt
~ seized by the police and taken to
police station. He is twenty years
old and now is student living in a
susburb of Berlin with his parents
His father is a bank official
Herr ErZberger was engaged in
conversation with his solicitor, DR.
Friedlander. outside the criminal
court at 2:30 o'clock, when his as
sailant. a well dressed young man.
approached and fired a revolver at
the finance minister. The shot en-
tered his shoulder. DIR. Friedlander
sprang at the youth. who at the same
moment fired a second shot. which
hit Herr Erzbergsr in the region of
watch chain and a button. Herr Err
berger staggered into his motor car.
which was waiting. 20 take him home.
and drove off at full speed.
Erzhergers family physician. who
attended the wounded man. reiterated
after the examination that the wound
was not a dangerous one
Hirschfeld comes from the suburb
of StegelitZ. where his parents live.
Before the shooting Hirschfeld wrote
his parents a letter in which he eX-
planned that he was acting from pa
triotic motives" The weapon he used
was an old-faShioned revolver of
small caiiber and capable of only
shortrange firing. When taken away
from him it contained four Unused
bullets.
ErZherGer Attacked Before.
Today's attack was not the first at
tempt made to kill ErZberger. Last
June at Weimar he barely cscaDed
capture by IL handful of troops. who
as was later proven. deliberately had
planned to lynch him. The attack at
that time was commonly believed TO
have been inspired by the conserya-
tives and miltarists. Erzberger es-
capped in an automobile and remained
in hiding for several days
When the present Helfferich-E rz-
berger trial began the government as
signed two plain clothes men to pro-
tect ErzbergeR. They ACCOMPANIED
him to court the first day, but their
presence was objected to by the Judge
who ordered the detectives out of the
chamber and told them to wait out
side.
Erzberger SCARCELY made any trims
about the city afoot. mostly using his
official car even for such short dis
tances as between the ministry of
finance and the chancellery, which are
about 200 yards apart.