Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-25
By JAN VALTN

farewell 10 the hundreds who
lay listening in their cells,
still alive.
But most Of them went
quietly. without lmprecatlon
or audible complaint, and only
the cries of solidarity. of hate
and Indignation from distant
cell windows, perhaps im-
parted 10 the marcher the
illusion that he did not die
IN vain.
In most cases we did not
know the names of those who
died. But toward noon, when
-We marched for EXERCISE
we would often see a heavy
pas Oh of SawduSt on the
cobbles. And we noticed that
The guards were then less un-
friendly than on other day.
ANDREE EXECUTED
On Nov. 4. 1886, unknown
10 MS who lay behind he
thick walls of Ploetzensoe
Edgar AndreC's warrior head
fell under The Nazi knlie.
after nearly four years OF con
-tfnuotiS torture. -
When the news Of it was
flashed through the prison
some nights later, the walls
reverberated as if by magic
with the singing Of the Rus
sian reVolutIo n airy death
march. He had gone to his
death with the defiant battle
cries OF bygone years, a
fighter 10 the last.
But the guards who had
been with him in his cell
during the last moments had
seen another EdgaE Andree
and they spoke of him much
later-in whispers. When
Andree had heard the foot
steps Of the headsman as
SiStants approach al dawn, he
begged one of his guards 10
tell a joke.
II have experienced every
thing that's good and uotir
in life." Andree had said
Now l want to laugh once
more before / 60"
The guard had said that he
knew no Joke, but a Nazi law
Yer among the attendants
volunteered 10 make Andrea
laugh. He told a Joke about a
Andree was himself
Belgian of Jewish origin. BY
the Inae- the ether had AfftSfft-tii
telling his aneedete, the cell
was filled with people.
In addition TO Comrade-
Andree, the guards and the
lawyer, there were the heads
mans aides, the prosecutor
Death Head troopers and GeS-
tapo agents. All stood guffaw-
ing. Andree louder than any
Of the others.
TIRED COMEDIAN
when I march out"
Andree told them, my COM
rades will watch from the
windows and say: Look,
Andree is going 10 the guillo-
tine" They will all watch.
They all want me to die as a
real Bolshevik: To do that il
my duty toward them. Not
one of my boys will suspect
that I am I'm truth nothing but
a tired comedian of loyalty 10
a cause I'm which l have ceased
TO believe. Gentlemen, l am
ready"
Andree died with the cry
Death to Hitler. Long live
the workers revolution
He died as revolutioniSts are
expected 10 die by those who
have followed their command.
In his honor. the Battalion
Edgar Andree' was formed in
Spain. and was counted among
the shock troops of the Inter-
national Brigade. Also. the
Frenchmen and Belgians in
the Battalion Paris Com
mune" elected Edgar Andree
as their honorary commander
ONE OF MANY
II was my fourth Winter in
Hitler's prisons. Around me
men and women / had known
toppled into their graves
Among those who died that
Winter was Franz Lauer, who
had been my comrade in Hall
Eleven; he attempted escape.
and was riddled with bullets
from the guns Of the Death
tfedd guards.
News Of his death filtered
through the walls of Ploetzen-
see Prison, He was but one
Of many Closing my eyes |