Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-10
Out of the Night

The trooper ran searching
hands over my chest, back,
sides, legs. There was a feel
ing of emptiness in my belly
and a fog of hate and appre-
hension in my brain. / could
not think. ! was like a beast
under the whip OF a keeper;
watchful and powerless.
March" he said.
/ marched along the tier
and down the steps.
Two PAGES b e h ind me
marched the trooper. the end
of his carbine pressed against
the small of my back. We
marched across the prison
yard Iron gates were opened
by silent guards with up
turned coat collars.
MARCH THROUGH YARDS
We marched through more
yards, marching across crunch
ing snow. From the naked
trees came hoarse cries OF
crows. In the still cold my
breath showed white.
In the yard three troopers
made a skinny prisoner roll in
the snow. The prisoner was
naked. ! recognized him. He
was Horst Witzel, tug boat
engineer who had a wife and
three small children. He
stared AT me out of the snow
without a sign OF recognition.
A trooper struck his rubber
truncheon across the skinny
mans TANKS and made him
get up and run through the
yard. A wolfhound sat on his
launches, watching the naked
man run.
The guard stroked the dogs
head.
ct him, Nero" SAID the
guard.
The dog bounded away in
great leaps. Horst Witzel fell
into the snow, shrieking, the
animal atop of him and
Snarling, and the troopers
laughed.
Laugh. damn YOU" COM
manded one of them.
| laughed.
"Ha-ha-ha"
"Once more! Louder"
"Ha-ha-ha.
SOUNDS LIKE A CART
1t sounded like cart 60
ing over cobbles.
Then we marched on. We
marched into a gloomy hall
thanked by many grimy cell
doors. a trooper moved
stealthily from door 10 door.
squirting. through the spy
holes.
Against the wall. Nose
and toes against the wall"'
That's not easy. Put the
tips of your toes and the tip
OF your nose against the wall,
with your hands shackled be-
hind your back, and stand
straight. After you stand SO
for an hour your eyes bulge
out of their caves and YOU feel
as if huge rocks are pressing
in on you from both sides.
l stood there for three
hours. l saw men who tainted
after an hour. / also saw mon
who began ramming their
heads against the walls, howl
ing like maniacs until they
crumpled up under the butt
of a carbnc. In a long line
they stood nose and ices
against the wall, a score OF
workers, and here and there
deSolate Jew.
Only those can stand three
hours and longer who down
all thought and pump them
selves full of hatred At
first they think. but then
they 60 down, or they hate,
and their hate keeps them
alive.
You can't stand there in
peace. Every few rjltjes
passing trooper bar-s 20.
head against the wall viii e.
sudden blow from b~1r
Others kick you G'll o.
bring the butts of their car
blhes down hard on your toe
SMASH TOES
They sneak up silently and
then suddenly smash your
toes. That makes you jump
If YOU raise your foot and
moan. or If you Jump. they
turn you around back 10 wall,
and INT you with rubber
tUnCheonS.
Ono small blond rufGan
mace me take of my shoes.
He put a cartridge shell in
each shoe and made me put
them on again and stand nose
and toes against the wall. All
the time the clanking boots
of Death Head guards passed
behind my back, bringing IN
new prisoners, and taking
others away ! knew not
whore | listened TO groans.
commands, abuse. So three
hours went by.
was graSped from behind
and IraCcspJ into ~, npCr, coll