The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1942-04-23
T ellis of Life in
Nozi Prison Comp

loOIltlfluBQ L age -
every knife over 10 inches
in length, confiscated by the in
vaders. today all looks quite peace
full on the surface, but il takes
more German troops per capita to
hold Norway than it does to hold
any other occupied country.
"Norwegians have put up a solid
wall of resistance and their under
ground campaign against Germany
is more successful than would be
supposed. For IL months now a
secret station has been broadcast
ing at large and no one knows
where it is but its continued opera
ton is proof of the success of Nor
wegian resistance effort
Those who know. don't tell. and
those who don't know. don't ask,
and that's something for all of you
TO remember!
"Quisling, who proved a traitor,
has now done as much good as
though he were a patriot because
he is SO thoroughly hated that all
have united against him. His I'M
popular party is now full of hun
dreds who have joined in order to
sabatoge' the group from the inside.
Norwegian Underground war is
very dangerous thing, yet thou
sands Of young Norwegians have re-
fused their chances to escape and
have stayed to help where they can.
Here is an example for the world
to view .. Lots of my old class
mates are now up TO their ears in
anti-German work.
Captured by Gestapo
University students were active
in underground war work and JAG
OLSON was first surprised and then
alarmed when he found he was be-
ing Swallowed by the Gestapo and
that his telephone was being tap
ped. Jacobson believed he had been
seen talking to an individual whose
loyalty was matter of question
and it was not long before he was ia
the clutches of the Gestapo. He
said the questions asked him were
SO unrelated to any of his move
ments he believed they had mistak-
en- him for someone else.
Il spent seven months in prison
four in solitary confinement . A
disreputable old hole formerly used
for harboring DRINKS was used as
a German political prison. | hac
no reading, writing, or smoking
privileges for several months anc
then when | was awarded these
privileges | had nothing with which
to read, write or smoke. We didn''
live. Just existed walk up anc
down the cell, count the bricks
walk up and down again Prison
guards were our only company
They brought us food three time.
q day and passed it to us through {
slit in the wall
Wood fibre bread
For breakfast we had two slice
of black bread and a cup of cot
fee substitute. The coffee | frs
believed to be medicine and tn,
bread was made Of Quisling flou
which in turn was composed of ev
erything from wood fibre TO fisl
meal. For lunch we had tiny pc
tato and d piece of fish about al
big as teaspoon, and for suppei
we again had two slices of blacl
bread and a glass Of liquid, hal
skim milk, half water In three
months | had scurvy and no di-
gestive system at ALL
Germans kept the prisoner.
down by depriving them of vita
Minis and by use of chemicals il
food to drug the inmates to de
gree where they could tend to wash
ing dishes and other simple task!
but could not reason or plan. Tht
mind was made blank =. At frs
| thought the drug was in the cot
fee but later | found it was baket
in the bread
Germans Beat Prisoners
jacobson said he saw none of tht
horrible tortures described in pres
ent day magazines but that he saw
plenty of beating used effectively
Bored prison guards frequently
awakened prisoners avound mid
night and while the prisoner wa.
still drowsy, ask him questions
Who are you and why are you II
prison. Inc nail awakened NlcllH
would sometimes make unWist
statements and SO would be in line
for beating with theaother prison
ers corralled in the corridor to wit
ness the affair. One of the favor
lite stunts was to ask the victim
to stand on his hands which 0.
could not be done because of The
weakness Of prisoners. Beating.
were given on the face and head Sc
the results would be visible to fell
low prisoners. Guards knew i
was worse for prisoners to SEE
someone else suffer. Germans usec
many little quirks of psychology
to good advantage. They shouted ;
lot to keep you in perpetual state
of nerves.
1 1t was when he got a cellmate ;
young medical student, that Jacob
son ate two cigarettes and with the
help Of the student, faxed an ap
i pendecitis attack to cause his re
-moval to a hospital, from which h,
made an escape due to the inef
ficiency Of the Gestapc. Rathet
than admit their laxity, pride
cal1Sad the Gnctapo IN claim fha,