The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-17
"Our Father Which Art i'm
Heaven A Narrative of
the German Brown Terror
The commander spoke:

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"our father which art in
heaven :"
And the non-com said: a.
hallowed be thy name!'
He stamped his heel, and it
seemed to drive me mad, because
everything was so silent, outside
Of the screaming.
Behind me, someone growled:
"Hallowed be thy name!" And
then two others growled it out.
I don't know who these bastards
were. They were not in the same
rank as I.
The commander said: Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done!"
The little fellow stamped and
said ION earth as it is in heavenl.
And suddenly, behind me, Alfred
began to sing. The fat little
treasurer recognized him by his
voice. He had taken my dues at
least half a hundred times. So
something had got into his CUTS
so he began to sing:
Arise, We prisoners :"
Then suddenly there was tho
silence Of death, a silence like a
bursting shell around this song.
We tried to collect ourselves. ~
But our Threats were 50 dry we
could scarcely sing. The complete
silence broke. Behind me I heard
blow, then another. On Alfred's
head, on his shoulders Behind
us, we could feel how they were
dragging him away. The guards
pushed us one against the other.
They drew their pistols.
The little one shouted again:
Fold your handsl"
Gerber really raised his bleed
ing hands. My hands trembled.
1 couldn't help it. They did it
against my will. Bastard hands!
glanced sideways at the bald
headed man. His hands wers
folded so terribly I thought 1
heard the bones crack. Jussitzska
hasn't such filthy hands. They
obey him. They stayed down.
The little one shouted in one
breath: ION earth as it is in
heavenl"
CUDDENLY, a whistling noise.
~ The bald man folded UP. The
whip had tipped his ear. He
wanted to hold his wounded ear.
and at the same time he wanted
to keep his hands folded. He
folded himself UP and prayed
breathlessly!
sand on earth, and on EARTH !"
The commander was playing like
a mailman, as though the table
were already set:
"Give us this day our daily
breadl"
The little one cried: Give us
this day, give us this dayi"
In the row In front Of me, they
really said "Give us this day, give
us this day" Behind me, the
guards struck someone. I couldn't
tell who. They pushed us one
against the other, struck our hands.
We were a tiny square now.
Lead us not into temptation
the commander shouted, and the
little non-com went on: "But de-
liver us from the evil"
The guard struck Jussitzska on
the chest, where his hands were
supposed to be. Jussitzska fell on
me, and we all fell one ON top
of the other.
Then in his corner, Alfred be-
gan to sing again:
arise, ye prisoners :.
But he did not go any further
than "of the earth" A kick in
the mouth.
The commander continued 10
pray:
Forgive US our trespasses
and the non-com continued. "As
we forgive those who trespass
against US" SIS
In front Of me I thought It
must be Paul-someone burst into
laughter. You can't imagine how
it sounded, that taught I saw
the commanders arm fly out.
Amen, amenl" the commander
cried, and the little one repeated,
Amen, ameni"
Then they struck lis until we
fell to the ground, and as we we're
not yet fattened out enough, they
stamped on our bodies.
Little Alfred sang again, several
times. Finally, nothing came out
of his mouth but blood. No doubt
he thought he could still be heard
at distance.