Evening star., 1933-10-16
RE|CHSTAG TRIAL
TAKES NEW TURN
Building EmpIoye Says Pass.
age to Goering Home Was
Not Locked.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN, October ia Reichstag
employe testified today in the trial of
five men charged with firing the Parlia-
ment Building last Winter that = sub
terranean passage leading to the house
of Wilhelm Goering the president OF
the body, was not equipped with safety
lock.
The passage thus was mentioned for
the first time during the trial. The
employe added that instead Of a safety
lock there was merely a simple screw
key device similar to skate-key, which
could be easily opened.
Alfons Sack, defense attorney, came
TO the aid of Georgi Dimitroff, one of
the Bulgarian defendants. when the
court attempted to bar further ques-
tioning by the latter concerning the
lock and the door to the passage. AS
result it was believed the passage likely
would play leading role in tomorrow's
hearing.
Van Der Lubbe Identified.
Three Reichstag officials identified
the young Dutchman, Marinus Van der
Lubbe, who has admitted setting the
fire, as one of party of three wander
ing journeymen who visited the Reich
stag on sightseeing tour during the
two weeks period before the fire.
Van der Lubbe previously has denied
this.
The lethargic behavior of the Dutch
man. to whom Chancellor Hitler re-
ferred as creature and menace"
in his worldwide speech Saturday
night. again attracted the attention OF
the court room by his absolute lack of
response during the session.
Another examination of his condition
may be made. Despite an admonition
OF Wilhelm Buenger. the presiding JUS
tice. that you are only acting" the de-
fendant kept his silence when asked
about his movements near the Reich
stag on the afternoon of the fire.
The defendant rose to his feet. only
after repeated requests from Buenger.
Even then he appeared as if in daze.
Session Given Color.
The days session was begun in the
limelight resulting from Chancellor
Adolf Hitler's reference to the parli-
ament fire in his worldwide speech OF
Saturday night THE chancellor. in
sarcastically complimenting the other
nations for harboring German political
fugitives, attacked those who hold
Another trial with political implica-
tons was started in the local court
when SO Communists, among them 13
minors, were charged with the Staying
of the Na1 storm trooper, Hans Eber
hard Maikowski. and Policeman Joseph
zauritz in political clash last January
30. The two were killed as suburban
storm troopers started for a torchlight
parade through the Brandenburg Gate.
Karl Werner. the prosecutor in the
Reichstag fire trial, took exception to a
letter written by Arthur Garfield Hays,
American attorney, in which Hays
claimed the Supreme Court had un-
fairly assailed the unofficial commission
which investigated the fire in London
prior to the convening Of hearings at
Leipzig.
The testimony of witness who said
in London that he saw heaps of inflam-
mable material removed from the Reich
stag had proved false, Werner observed
The possibility that a pair of duplicate
keys to the Reichstag might have been
used the day before the fire was ad-
mitted by Edouard Prodoehl, one of the
regular Reichstag employees.