Evening star., 1946-10-27
|6oering Kept Poison
During All Captivity,
investigators Report
BY the Associoted Press


NUREMBERG, Oct. 26.-Hermann
Goering had the vial of poison with
which he committed suicide from
the time he was captured, and may
have hidden it in his navel, a report
by the four-power commission in
vestigating his death said today.
At some time the vial was in his
alimentary tract, and it could have
been hidden for time in the toilet
of his cell, the report added.
Prison authorities have said the
cartridge like container for the glass
poison capsule, which was found in
Goering's cell after he committed
suicide less than two hours before
he was to have faced the hangman
October 16, was about two inches
long and half an inch thick.
Many Details Still Hazy.
Still leaving hazy many details
as to how Goering cheated the gal
lows to which he had been con-
demned by the International Mill
tary Tribunal, the report said:
There is evidence to support the
view that at one time Goering could
have carried the poison secreted in
the cavity of his umbilical. There
Is evidence to prove, conclusively it
was not there throughout his i'm
prisonment, and at some stage it
was in his alimentary tract"
A similar vial containing poison
was taken from Goering when he
was captured.
The report added that IAN OBJ
seure recess in the inside OF the
toilet under the overhanging rim
could have concealed the contalner
for q time without detection ex-
oept by an extraordinary search"
Soldier Guards Absolved.
The commission completely ab-
solved American soldier guards OF
any "dereliction of duty in per-
mitting Goering to escape the moose
at the final hour, and declared its
complete satisfaction with the
handling of prison security by the
American Army. It said there was
no evidence to involve German
workers In Nuremberg prison.
Still withheld were the three let
ters Goering left in his cell, and
the commission said they would
have to be released by the Allied
Control Council In Berlin. One was
addressed to Col. B. c. Andrus, the
prison security officer. another to
Mrs. Goering and the third to the
German people.
Letters Exonerate Guard.
Brig. Gen. Patton Walsh, British
member of the commission, said at
a news conference after the report
was issued that the letters bear
some relation to the event but the
commission drew its own conclu-
sionS.''
He said the letters "exonerated
the security service and guard-n
a statement from such source Is
acceptable.
Brig. Walsh said that shortly be-
1OIC oOCl lllS "OalG ~ bCa oAA cAAS
night of the executions of his con-
victed fellow Nazi leaders "he as
sumed an extremely reposeful posi-
ton with his hands outside the
covers" as regulations required.
Shortly before his death, however
he placed his hands under the
covers and it was presumed ther
that. he obtained the poison which
he Shad hidden sonaeWhere rcs ail
body, either Ia the umbilicarG4yaty'
or the "a1imentary canal Brig
Walsh added.
One-Page Statement.
The commissions findings wert
announced in one-page statemen
after an aii-day session IN which
bit considered the report by tha
board of inquiry Of three Americar
officers who made a preliminary in
vestigation of the suicide.
Gen. Malkov, the Russian mem
Der of the commission, did not at.
tend the meeting, but Brig. Walsh
said he had expressed his willing
ness to leave the matter in tht
hands of the other three member
when ofIicial duties detained him II
Berlin.