Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-07-01
TeutOn Bandits
Arrest Ends a
Daring Career

Z
ons had returned. He organized hi,
little army and had his little Scrim
IMAGES with such opposition as pre-
scented itself in his way. With IN
of his band on automobile trucks III
went 10 Northumberland FOL
the manufacture Of viOlins-dSarmed
the home guards after little fight
and then liberated the Sparticist pris
OnerS In Jail there. incidentally he
carried off 100000 marks. "as pledge
that the arms would be delivered up,
he said.
Made Threats of Slaughter.
Wherever he went he breathed out
threatenlngs of slaughter His procla-
nations teemed with expressions like
will be shot"
Hoelz delighted in strong talk. in
giving himself the airs of n bloody
bandit; but he was not half so bad as
his talk. In fact, there was a quality
of mercy in his rascalities. Once he
had the Munich-Berlin express train
held up and searched by his band. but
they harmed nobody and apparently
took nobody's purse, though one re-
port said so. They were evidently
looking for somebody, and when they
heard that several passengers who
looked suspicious had got off and
gone to the leading hotel they went
there and searched it.
One of the guests was, correspond
ent of Leipsic newspaper. They ar
rested him and took him off to Falken-
stein because they found on him
notebook containing the substance of
news report which he had telephOned
to his paper. In the castle at Falken-
stein he found two young university
men who had been held in captivity
for more than a week, waiting for
some kind friend TO pay the 10000
marks ransom demanded for them by
HOelZ.
Warned Tender Hearts.
As Hoelz grew in fame and renown
as an outlaw he found that he was
many tender female hearts
with his deeds of courage. He was
flooded with letters from women that
annoyed his virtuous soul Finally, he |
had printed in heavy type in the Falk-
enstein AnZeiger notice warning "all |
and married women per-
sons, upon pain of heavy fines and |
he publication of their names, against |
tempting him with love letters and less |
obvious allurements." He was a mar |
lied man. the notice concluded, and he
'energetically forbade" this indiscrim-
nate love.makiIig.
While Hoelz was amazing all Ger
many and the world with the boldness
If his robberies and impressments, the
saxon government was equally the
ause Of amazement through its SUI
oneness. Herr Gradnauer, the social
st mnister-president of SaXony, at
rst did nothing whatever against
IoelZ. and later explained that he had
oped the workmen would themselves
axe measures to restore order or,
ailing in that, would come and ask
he government for troops. AS late as
lpril g. about two weeks after Hoelz
cyan his reign Gradnauer was still
alling upon the various action COM
littees" that had been formed in the {
Irger towns of the Vogtland to "see |
, 1t that the unconstitutional state of q
lings instituted by the communist $
oelz in the Vogtland be remedied as S
,eedily as possible" If this were not I
)ne in the very next days, this pro- |
went on, the government
would be compelled in the general in
rests of the state to restore legal 7
'nditions with all the power at its Z
sposal." /"
Workmen Ordered to Arm. =
At the same time news from Chem q,
tn, which lies near the Vogtland, was 4
the effect that Gradnauer had prom :,
I'd no troops should be sent for the e
esent, and was depending upon the y
lemnitz executive committee (of the =,
ciaIist organizations to negotiate =