Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-09
Out of the Night

were pointed at the small OF
my back.
"Oh, It's you. Did you
ever have busted spine
Somewhere Firelei was still
alive. II she knew. i thought,
she'd weep. Maybe she wept.
"Firelei, farewell" 1 thought.
do your worst. YOU swine.
It hurts to admit that Hitler
has won. 1t Is hard. so hard
to imagine that Hitler could
be defeated without you, your
self, being alive to help I'm this
defeat. Hate! Hate hard"
"What II I ran, took
chance i'm a thousand: III
IAN, I'd be shot. I'd prob
ably be dead on the spot. IL
would be like "a swift sledge-
hammer blow against the
spine, a sudden piercing gust
of pain, n ridiculous attempt
to breathe and clutch the air,
then nothing more. Except.
perhaps, the butt OF a rifle
crashing down on the top Of
my head. Such an end would
not be bad. IL would be easy"
BRAIN REVOLTS
If | ran. and they did not
shoot me. but caught me alive
My brain rcvoltcd against
the thought
No. Don't run,
The guards behind me had
suddenly stopped marching.
The sounds made by their
boots had stopped as if the
men had frozen or Sumken into
the earth. Instinctively, after
Two more PAGES. ] also stopped.
We all stood silently in the
dark.
l did not dare to turn my
head. A rubber club would
smash across my face if |
looked around. / just stood
in the snow and felt the cold
gnaw at my skin and did
nothing
march, a trooper said
angrily.
| did not move
March. Humid"
/ marched two further
PAGES. but then l halted again
because / could not hear the
boots of the guards march
three PAGES behind me. Snow
flakes sailed across my face.
Slowly, an inch at a time,
turned my head to the right,
straining my eyes.
IndiStinctily ! saw the
guards. Pinpoints of light
cleaned on their helmets and
on the barrels of their guns.
| was aStoniShed TO find how
plainly their silhouettes stood
out against the snow. If l
made one more step away
from them, they'd shoot me
through the back. Shot
while trying to escape"
DIDN,T RIIDGE
Five yards behind me the
troopers stood in the night. l
did not bulge.
In a hoarse whisper a guard
snarled:
March"
! did not march. l stood
rooted TO the ground and felt
nothing. There is something
inside OF every man that is
much stronger than the will
to die. When death looms
close, this something is right
beside you, inside you, above
and around you 10 prevent
you from taking the step
that would make death a
quick victor.
A trooper came up 10 me
and looked into my face.
Are you crazy" he de-
manded.
NO, SIR" I said.
"Then why don't you
march,"
you'd shoot me down like
a dog"
you're right we would"
said the trooper.
A figure came stumbling
down the desolate road. A
worker smoking a pipe. His
overcoat Tapped like the wings
of a bat. He shambled
toward us. swinging his arms.
March, said the trooper.
/ did not march. ! stood in
the snow, motionless, my
lungs working like volcanoes.
l could turn now and say:
Look here. my friends.
I'm tired Of this. Bring me
TO the Gestapo and I'll tell
them all know, all the
names, all the addresses. and
then I'll sign a confession, any
confession you'll give me to
sign"
If I did that. everything
would be all right. I'd get
cigarets and a steak and a