The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-26
Sensational Confession Of Murdered Nazi
Reveals Details Of Burning of ReichStaS
Ernst S ent Document
to Sweden Fearing
Violent Death


THE Paris journal" publishes a
4 sensational document, which for
the first time reveals all the details
Of how the Reichstag was fired by
National Socialists. The document
is confession of Karl Ernst, Ber-
lin chief group leader of the Storm
Troops. shot by Hitlers orders on
June 80. Karl Ernst wrote out his
confession on June 3-that is, nearly
a month before his death-and had
it witnessed by two of his friends,
Fielder and Mohrenschild.
Ernst sent the document to
Sweden, hoping thus to protect
himself from the attacks of the
powerful enemies he at that time
possessed in the party. This
hope proved vain, Ernst was put to
death by Hitler before he could
make use of this dangerous
weapon
We give some excerpts from the
81, the undersigned, Karl Ernst,
chief Storm Troop leader Of Ber-
lin Brandenbufg, Prussian state
Councillor, born September l,
1904, in Berlin WiIinersdorf, de-
clare that give here an account
Of the Reichstag fire in which /
took an active part. / do this on
the advice of my friends, for
there is rumor that Goebbels
and Goering intend to play me
nasty trick. If / am arrested
Goebbels and Goering are to be
informed that this dc. ument
exists and Is outside Germany.
This document may be published
only if 1 or one of the two COM
rades whose names are appended
(Fiedler and Mohrenschild) shall
order its publication or if should
die a violent death.
II declare that on February n,
1888, I with my two subordinate
Storm Trcop leaders named here
in set fire to the Reichstas. We
acted in the conviction that we
were serving the cause of our
leader and the movement. We
did it in order to make il possible
fer the Leader to strike q smash
ing blow against Marxism, the
worst enemy of the German
Coc+ing and GoeO6els
FEW days after we took power
n WIS summoned by Heildorf
t. Goering's house. I went there
with Helldorf. On the way He'll
dcrf ssid that the Leader must be
given the possibility to take action
against the Communists. GOebbelS
was present at the interview and
explained his plan to us. Here 1t
Isl at an election meeting in
Breslau, where the Leader was to
speak, an attempt on the life of
the leader was to be staged as he
left his seroplane. This attempt
was to serve as a signal for an
anti Communist drive. Heines
had already been summoned to
Berlin to work out the details of
tho attempt. :.
tive days later we met at
Goering's place. This time with
out GoebbeIs. GoeFing was against
the idea Of an attempt on Filters
life because he was AFRAID IT
might find emulators. He also
said that Goebbels was vain and
would cling to his plan and asked
us to dissuade him. The day after
this I was summoned to Goebbels
by telephone.
when / arrived, the comrades
who had been present at the pre-
vious meeting had already de-
cided to dren G5ebbels' plan.
Gcering thought something else
ought to be tried. perhaps to set
fire to the roval palace. Goebbel5
answered smiling that it would be
better to set fire to the Re;ehstag.
We eoald then make show OF
defending the talking shop. Goer-
ing immediately agreed. Resid5rf
ard I conosed the plan because
Of the difficulties Of putting it
into prs cttce, but allowed Cur
Selves to be persuaded by
Goebbels.
after a discussion IL was de-
cided that Heines, Eelldorf and i
should lay the fire on February
25, week before the elections.
Gcering declared that he could
supply us with very effective COM
bustible material that would take
I'M very little space. On February
2S we should hold ourselves in
readiness in the fraction room OF
| the rsartv and when the R@ich-