Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-22

doors and the roar Of air
planes.
The bell rang at $50, and
10 minutes later the guard
entered my cell, took the
ShaCkleS off my ankles and
my left wrist to allow me 10
put my cot in order, 10 visit
the toilet and sweep up the
imaginary dust on the floor,
Then he Shackled my hands
together on my back and
threw a chunk of black bread
into my cell. And | lay down
on the floor and gnawed away
at the bread.
Until about 10 nothing
further happened, except that
! paced the cell, ohlivious of
time. occupied in making a
mental list Of all geological
terms I had encountered in
my. previous reading.
When the key suddenly
ratified in the lock and the
door swung open | Sprang
under the window and yelled
out my name. my number, and
the charge of which l had
been convicted.
The guard stepped aside.
Into my cell walked Rudolf
Hoffman. broad Shouldered.
blue iowled thin-lipped, a
pale double-chin resting on
lily-white collar.
Deitman nodded TO the
guard.
"S'ist In Ordnung." he said.
you can lock me in"
COULDN'T GREET HIM
The trooper locked the
door behind Hoffman 49, the
GPU man in the GeStapo. An
instant later l saw that the
guard had raised the small
metal shield from the spy
hole in the door and was
peering in through the glass
disk Under such circum-
stances, ! could not greet
Hoffman. I continued to stand
at attention.
Hoffman pushed me rudely
against the wall.
You look too damned con-
tented" he shouted. "Guys
like you ought to be hung
with barbed wire"
l regained my balance.
Hoffman reached out and
struck the side Of my head.
and now I let myself fall 10
the ground. The pale blue
eyes of the guard was still
glued TO the spy hole.
Hoffman reared:
"Stand on your feet. Who
gave you permission to lie
down."
l raised myself and faced
him Squarely. Heitman's teeth
were barred and his thin
mouth curved down at the
corners.
Are you going to tell me
the truth >" he beloved.
Eyes. sir"
Hoffman produced a photo
graph, Holding it in the palm
of his hand, he brought it
close 10 my eyes. 1t was a
passport photo Of a blond
young man.
do YOU know this fellow ."
Hoffman demanded.
"No, sir"
HIS NOSE BLEEDS
Instantly his left fist hit my
nose. 1t began to bleed
do you know the man In
this picture ?"
II don't know him." I said.
tensely aware that the pur-
pose of his visit had nothing
to do with the question he
asked.
At the spy hole the guards
eye bhnked.
"Shall / call In the boys Ia
give you a whipping" Heit-
man asked.
mo, sir" / said.
Then tell me all you know
about this man." he roared.
i was silent.
Again Hoffman brought the
hand with the photograph
close 10 my eyes. He crouched
in front of me as if ready TO
spring; his face was con-
tracted, his small eyes
cleaned
Look al this picture" he
said softly, land tell me what
you know about this man"
| started at the photograph
Now il was a photograph OF
Ernst Wollweber which Heit-
man had in his hand. small
photostatic copy of a picture
Of Wollweber which had APP
peared years before in the
Arbeiter IlluStrierte Zeltung.
Look we'll" Heitman
growled Think IL over"
SECRET MESSAGE
Slowly with an almost i'm
perceptible motion of his
thumb. he turned the picture
around in the palm OF his
hand, his broad back turned
Stonily upon the guard at the
spy hole.
A short message had been
printed on the reverse side of
the photograph. My eyes alb