The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-05
Cause Sensation in
Court by Exposing
ExtOrtiOll, Torture
Reveal Storm Troops
Torture; Forced to
Sign Papers
Especial to the Daily Worker,


greatest setback and reversal
today when rank and file Com
munistg, whom the Nazis had taken
from concentration camps and pre-
sented as witnesses for the state i'll
the belief that they would testify
against George Dinitrof, Ernst Torg-
Ter, Blagoi Popoff, and Vassil Taneff,
turned on the prosecution and con-
verified their testimony to the defense
Of the Communist Party. and the
Communist defendants.
These witnesses also revealed
that they had been forced under
brutal torture by Storm Troopers
and threats Of torture by the police.
to sign statements prepared by the
Nazis at previous examinations.
The flftieth trial day opened with
d continuation of the testimony Of
these former" Communists, who, the
Nazis claimed, had stated at previous
examinations that the Communist
Party had prepared an armed upris-
ing for early 1888. Witness Jesse,
however. testified openly.
Our dispositions we're forced. The
head OF the police dictated our depo-
sitions and If we afterwards.
The presiding judge interrupted ir-
ritably That's enough chatter"
Jesse Immediately replied, NO, It's
the TRUTH
Cau5es Great Sensation
Jesses testimony caused great
sensation in the court room. The
presiding judges next questions were
aimed solely at preventing further
revelations on extorted evidence. The
Judge asked, did the police strike
you?" Jesse replied. mo- but the
storm troopers had beaten US enough.
1 had such headache that 7 signed
everything" Jesse stated the police
threatened them that if they didn't
give the desired evidence, they would
be sent to Duisburg. The presiding
judge asked, What IS in Duisburg?'
Jesse replied that the storm troop
division was stationed there.
Prosecutor Fears Disgrace
The public prosecutor INTERVIEWED at
this point, attempting to avoid the
international disgrace which would
naturally follow the exposure OF pub
licly proved tortures inflicted by storm
troopers and eXtortion of evidence. He
proposed to call to court the inquiry
magistrates and police officials whom
Jesse had accused.
Dirnitroff observed here that this
evidence had already been proved ex-
torted, at which the presiding Judge
lost his temper and thundered, @si-
lence!'
Another rank and fife witness.
Hieske, confirmed the extortion evil
dence, as well as nlaltreatment and
torture.
1.-THE minutes at the previous In
qlliry were dictated. I signed under
sharpest threats" The presiding Judge
shouted, That's all nonsense!"
"No, it's the TRUTH" Hiesks replied.
eve were forced to sign minutes wit
messed by police and then to sign
minutes written by the magistrate,
but it is all untrue" 80
The presiding judge attempted re-
peatedly to induce the witnesses to
withdraw today's evidence, but failed.
Dimitroff asked the judge to ques-
ton the witnesses If their group had
regarded the Reichstsg fire as a sig
nal for uprising, to which the judge
replied: That's uninportant.''
Naturally, it's important only II
it's against us" Dimitroff ssrcas-
tically retaliated.
Dimitroff Scores Judge
The next witness, Noske, also with
drew the evidence he gave at the
previous examination. Ee declared
that nobody. except certain
Schmidt, spoke of exploding power
stations. In answer to Dimitroff's
question as to where this Schmidt
was, the. presiding judge answered
that the court did not know
Its remarkable that all the wit
nesses who know about the uprising
are either not examined or ABSENT
Dimitroff remarked i1s-S.SS
The court consulted at this point
on the new situation caused by the
witnesses declaration that they had
been forced by torture to make false
dispositions. They decided that the
officials responsible for this would
be called to court.
The witness Scheerwald, at present
serving a sentence for an explosives
offense, stated that the uprising was
expected on July 90, 1882, when the
Prussian government was depoSed.
The presiding judge asked If ttlel
uprising had been. expected at thea
time of the Reichstag fire. -Scheer-
valid answered that the workers were
in readiness for an alarm, but that
no orders had been, given for an
uprising, Dimitroff asked him
whether the Reichstag fire had been
signal for insurrection. scheer-
valid replied. .e-
mo, we were amazed at the fire.
Arms Only for Training
Dimitroff asked whether enough
arms had been in their possession to
carry through an uprising. Scheer-
wald's reply was that weapons In
their possession served only for train
ing.
Dinitroff asked if the Communist
Party's main efforts at that time
were not for economic struggle. The
presiding judge misinterpieted the
questions and asked the witness II
the Communist Party had prepared
strikes in preparation for an upris-
ing
Dimitroff asked If It was not
natural assumption that workers
Should be prepared TO- ssli-defense
in the hectic months Of January and
February. Katcsesunn replied: mo.
since there ives no reason to suppose