Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
Famed German ''Lifer's"
PardOning IL Recalled


To the Editor Of The Star:
Reading the absorbing details in the
Boston papers. out here on glorious
Nantucket Island, Of the transfer OF
Jesse Pomeroy from his penitential dom
mind travels back to personal rem
iniscence Of one of Europc's most Ia
NOUS "lifers," Heinrich Gabel OF
/ Moabit Prison. Berlin.
In the year 1910, when was on duty
in Germany for the London Daily Mail
the dynamic proprietor OF that journal,
the late Lord Northcliffe. asked me to
arrange for him and the English novel;
list, John GalSwortby, O visit OF inSpec-
ton to Moabit, the most celebrated OF
German convict prisons, and modelled
after England's equally renowned Pen
tonville. Galsworthy, who had already
produced both his Strife" and Jus
tice,' I think, was interested in COM
pairing Continental prison practices
with those then extant In Britain.
recall his saying. after our forenoon at
Moabit. that in many respects he found
German methods more humane than
British, though Galsworthy was l1orri-
fed by .one observation, viz, the rule
requiring Moabit prisoners who were
all in solitary confinement) to don
black masks whenever they left their
cells We were told this was system
| introduced to prevent "Moabiters" from
knowing one another, and thus being
able, when liberated, to practice black
mail. They exercised outdoors and at
| tended chapel in masks
/ accompanied Northcliffe and Gals
| worthy to Moabit to act as Interpreter,
The director Of the prison, on orders
from the foreign Office, extended us the
freedom OF his grim port accompanied
us throughout the prison as a personal
! guide and bade us exercise the quite
unusual privilege Of conversing with
| individual prisoners to any extent the
British visitors desired.
Moabit contained many offers" Mr..
GalSWorthy was astounded, as was Lord
| Northclife, to encounter one prisoner,
Heinrich Gabel. who had already done
81 years Of life sentence The Eng
lishmen's astonishment was aroused
df I remember rightly, because they
| remarked that in Great Britain "lifers''
are automatically liberated after serv-
ing 20 years tf"they possess good
prison record.
VILE said Northcliffe at the end Of
10-minute chat in Gabel's cell, re
mind me about this old fellow as soon as
I'm back In London" Gabel was In
Moablt Tor murder. He had killed q
gentleman farmer in East Prussia at
the dead Of night while engaged in
ROBBERY. Gabel was sent up for life
about the year 1876 and was now serv-
ing something like his thirty fifth year
In solitary at Moabit. Enfeebled of
BODY and mind, he for years had been
| prison pet. When We saw him, a white
haired. amiable man of perhaps &C..
| who had spent roundly half his life In a
cell, Gabel was no longer required to
comply with Moabit's stern discipline.
though he remained in the barred and
oolted cage which had been his home
for third OF century. II have my
self urged the Kaiser to pardon Gabei."
explained the kindly Northumberland
tor. who added that Germany's two
other KaSers. Wilhelm I and Friedrich
II, under both of whom the old convict
had done his unending time, had also
refused to extend him imperial Glenn
ency.
Before our party left Moabit, North
! clide asked the director of the prison
whether there would be any objection
10 taxing up Gabel'S case in London
| suggestion which my respected "cfief''
| later explained as referring to his inten-
ton to mention the affair to Count
Violin -Metternich. the Germany ambas-
| sador to the Court of st. James. The
warden said he would be happy IL any
! thing could be done to get Gabel his
| freedom.
I heard nothing further Of the old
man until-months later-I was fab
bergasted by "streamer" headlines in
the Berlin evening papers reading
"Moabit's Oldest Prisoner Released,
/ Murderer Heinrich Gabel Pardoned by
Emperor William" I cabled the story
In detail to the Daily Mail, knowing of
Northcliffe's interest in his case, though
without any Semblance of information
that the Napolean Of Fleet Street had
interviewed in the "lifer's" behalf.
Next day Northcliffe telegraphed me:
Congratulate my old friend Gabel on
his pardon and givet him 500 marks
($l25l in gold with my compliments
TO help him begin life over again" Sc
I made my second pilgrimage to Moabit
| The Herr Direktor guessed had come
on Gabel's account. and then took my
breath away by saying that the old fel.
low was unwilling to leave prison: had
said he was comfortable and happy
there, and feared to make his way in q
world Of which he knew nothing. Gabsl
was still at Moabit, I was told. because
1t had not yet been determined how to
| dispose of his unprecedented case.
left Lord Northcliffe's bounty al
I the directors once, and was assured
it would be duly bestowed. A couple
! Of weeks later. the director telephoned
me TO come to the prison and see Gabel
He had finally consented to leave. He
wanted to thank his English benefactor
personally through me. That ceremony
was duly performed the same day. Gabel
| greeted me in a suit of very presentable
store" clothes. including gray fabric
| gloves. which he had donned for the
occasion. The director said the author
tiles had located some of the old prison.
er's relatives in the provinces, and he
was being sent to them.
Gabel passed out of my life after that
but only for q while: for, some three
| months later. Moabit communicated
with me again. The director thought
Lord Northcliffe might care to know
/ that Gabel was about to be married
and was using the Daily Mail gold to
feather the matrimonial nest He had
rediscovered a sweetheart of his youth.