The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-07-16
Max Hoelz Establishes Com.
'nunist Regime With Series
OF Bold RascaIities.
erigand Boosted Of Touching OF
World Uprising From Seat q
Covernment-Seixed Mansions
and Burned Them 1e.
fore Quitting.

Rer!in.-The arrest of Max Hoelz
several days ago in Bohemia, closes
one Of the most romantic chapters in
the history Of revolutionary 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 err
ratio mind: how far some of the Ger.
man working classes will go in making
common cause with common robber.
If he but throw the charmed halo Of
socialism about his head, and how
weak socialist government Is in deal.
Ing with such situation.
Hoelz suddenly appeared upon the
German armament at the time Of the
Kapp adventure and he was soon
registered by newspapers as a star
OF the first magnitude. But he had
previous history. Last year he had
played prominent part in Spartacist
turbulence In the vogtland. as the
southern part of Saxony is called.
When the military moved into the
region and the situation grew serious
Hoelz decamped In good time. leaving
mis- followers in the lurch. These lat
ter were captured and were in prison
since then. awaiting trial toward the
end of March, Hoelz was meanwhile
living in concea'ment somewhere in
northern Germany.
But his opportunity to rehabilitate
himself arrived when Kapp held sway
In Berlin. At Plauen. chief town of
the Northumberland for its manufac-
lures of lace and embroideries-the
Reichswehr, or national troops,
showed signs IF wavering and going
over to Kapp. This caused trouble
with the working population and a
clash seemed inevitable. But the mill
tary was withdrawn. That was Hoelz's
opportunity. He was apparently hold.
Ing himself in readiness Just behind
the scenes. for the next night he ap.
Cleared in Plauen.
Frees Followers In Prison,
Gathering together handful Of his
former followers-they still had faith
In him, for the man has a dangerous
gift Of voluble and fiery rhetoric-he
stormed the prison the next morning
at dawn and liberated his IS accom-
plices Of last year. Then they hetook
themselves to the prosecuting attor-
ney. hauled him out Of bed and de-
manded the documents in the cases
against these liberated prisoners. He
was not able at once to produce them,
and so they carried him off as hostage
to Falkenstein. a town about Is
miles to the east. Here HOelz seized
the old castle of Baron Trutzler Won
Falkenstein, dismissed the baron, and
made 1t his seat of government for
the following four weeks. BY the aft
ernoon the prosecuting attorney had
thought better of the matter and had
the documents produced. Hoelz burned
them in his presence and then dis.
charged his hostage.
Then Hoelz inaugurated his COM
munist regime with series of high.
handed rascalities. He dismissed city
officials or drove them out of town.
He levied upon manufacturers and re-.
Questioned their automobiles. Mount.
ed in these he and his chosen
band made incursions upon neigh
boring towns. making people think
that the far-off period of robber bar