The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-05-10

Shots cracked in the distance.
1t began at the Wiesenstrasse cor
ner of the alley Stones crashed into
the street lamps whose glass pa1es
fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
Lamp after lamp was extinguished
At the top of the gas pipe small
blue flame burned between the bro
ken panes. These the workers kept
burning to prevent the gas from es-
Gaping. AS far as the old-fashioned
type Of low lamps were concerned,
young fellows simply climbed up and
turned the gas off. The ring of dark
ness spread further and further
around the barbados, so that soon
only large, clumsy silhouettes were
visible in the faint blue light of the
approaching night.
About eight O'Clock shots cracked
from the Nettelbeckplatz and soon
came nearer. The rolling noise of
heavy police lorries in rapid motion.
Excited shouts rank through the al
ley. Doors slammed. The lights in the
windows went out. The blinds Of the
RED Nightingale" ratified down in
front of the windows. Someone ran
across the street and disappeared in
a cellar entrance. Then all was quiet
Empty and grey the alley lay 81
lent behind the barT1cade. The mo-
tionless air smelt of Spring and pow
erty...
Noiselessly broad, white flood
light swept across the empty space
from the corner of the Pankstrasse.
Like cold finger Of light it crept
haltingly up the house walls, along
the entire alley.
Everything was in deathly silence
Only the white, hard light ate its
way up the walls and strayed to
the roofs above, shrouded in the fist
shadows of a starless night. Then
the floodlight was pointed directly
at the wide, high barricade Behind
it lay the enemy
1t was so quiet that the low, sharp
command came like sharp iron
missile. Hundreds of shadows crouch
= ed down and the piercing sound of
rifle fusilade shook the air. The
echo reverberated from the walls
and rolled on through all the streets
of Wedding
THE ATTACK BEGINS
The game had started. Salvo after
salvo rang out. A stone smashed
the searchlight. A few convulsive
flashes-then the white eye was
dark. Like dancing sparks the fire
famed from the mouths of the car
bines. Whirring, the leaden bullets
crashed against the walls of the
houses from which the plaster fell
heavily to the ground. They hit the
sheet-iron sides of the dust-bins with
a loud boom, ricocheted from the
heavy iron in a sort Of tross-fire
The whole alley seemed like a grey
motionless monster whose gigantic
body had to be pierced thousands of
times. before it would stop breathing
Suddenly the loud shrek of wo-
man came from one of the houses.
1t was swallowed up by the incessant
noise of the guns. The same mo-
ment second searchlignt f1ared UP
from the Reinickendorfer- Strasse on
the other side. It's vibrating ray re-
vealed blue clouds of dust sn6 pow
der smoke above the barricade.
The police attacked from both
sides at once. They shot at each
other across the barricade without,
il their mad fright, noticing what
they were doing. Each side believed
the shots to be those of the enemy
The dark shadow of man ran at
o crouch through The triangle Of the
barricade. Suddenly he stopped, bent
forward tore open his jacket and
collapsed gurgling Then there was
silence.
He lay quite alone on the asphalt
between the three barbados over
which the bullets swept from both
sides, From smashed window above
someone had noticed. 1t was the same
window through which the shining
barrel of repeater was now prot
ruding.-A short flash Of fire--Pengl
1t was the first shot fired from the
alleyl
Behind the window stood Thomas.
who. till now. had taken the arms
from everybody carrying them. His
face was as calm as ever, as he drew
his hand with the revolver back a
little. aimed and shot again, aimed
ard shot. 1t contained six bullets
Then he reloaded with his handaged
band. went to the window in the ad-
Joining room AND shot again. Only
oncc did he turn when he heard
someone who had rushed into the
Clark room. and was calling for him.
IN unattached young worker.
AT that moment the white search
light fixed the wall OF the room and
fell on the terrified face of the young
raen. One--tWo seconds. then it swept
on Mad fear was marked on the
distorted mouth Of the boy.