Evening star., 1949-11-02
burgman' Son
.TeI|sofFather's 5
Fear Of Gestapo
Says He Thought
He'd Be Blamed
For Hess Flight

man GeStapo Tor the flight OF
Rudolf Hess to Scotland in 1941,
his son testified in District Court
today.
Thomas L. Burgman, the son,
was flown here from Germany
to testify as a defense witness n
the treason trial of his father,
former clerk in the American
Embassy in Berlin. The elder
Burgman is accused of staying in
Berlin after the American En-
bassy staff was repatriated in
194l and appearing later on Nazi
propaganda broadcasts to the
United States.
Herbert Burgman was sched-
uled to testify in his own defense
this afternoon.
AT this mornings session, Thorn
as cited the Hess incident as an
example of his fathers persecution
complex. which began, he said, In
1888, and continued through the
war years. He said he did not take
the statement seriously because Il
was typical of his fathers othe,
wild fears. 80:
Didn't Know Hess.
Did Mr.. Burgman know Ru.
dolph Hess?" asked Defense Attor.
ney James j. Laughlin.
mo, don't believe he did" the
son replied. -.
Thomas Burgman, 26, who said
he was drafted into the German
Army in 1945, could not recall the
name of Rudolf Hess. In mention.
ing the flight, he could only iden-
tify Hess as some one close ia
Hitler" The name of the former
Deputy Fuehrer was supplied by
Prosecuting Attorney William A
Paisley.
In his testimony the young man
backed up many Of the state
ments given earlier by his mother
concerning Burgman's strange be-
havior before and during the war
years. He said that when he Wis
tied Burgman in q hospital in
1888 his father did not recognize
him.
Suffered Heart Attack.
He also backed up the story
explaining why the family did not
leave Berlin with the rest of the
Embassy staff at the outbreak OF
war. On the night Of December
II, l941. Burgman was seized with
an acute heart attack, he said
and could not leave his bed. =.
The son said he always has
considered himself an American
citizen. Until he came to this
country for the trial. he told the
court. he had been living near
Frankfurt, studying architecture
Thomas Burgman testified that
in the early war years his father
lived in deadly fear Of the Ges-
tapo.
He told me several times he
would like to shoot Himmler," he
told the jury. Heinrich Himmler
was the head of the German Ges-
tapo at that time.
Feared Being Followed.
"On the street he was always
afraid that someone was following
us. He would point out people he
thought were Gestapo agents, and
instruct me, how to change sub
ways to throw them off.
ION the corner of our street." he
went on, there always was man
standing. And after a while
I gained the same impression a.
my father"
Yesterdays session was taken ur
with the playing of a recorded
Joe Scanlon" broadcast, at the
request of the defense, and by the
reading Of dispositions taken BY
witnesses in Germany. The Gov.
eminent contends Burgman wa.
Scanlon.
Both Sides Use Records?
Many other recordings of thu
broadcasts have been played previ.
ously to the jury as part of thu
prosecution case. A defense at.
torney explained these records hae
been especially selected by tn,
Government to back up it's charg,
OF treason against Burgman. Ths
defense, he said, had chosen rec.
ords of their own from the many
made during the war to attemp1
to show a lack Of treasonabl.
intent.
I'VE want to show that this fel.
low was genuinely interested ir
the problems over here, and thai
he was really trying to help the
people of the United States" tn,
lawyer said.
Burgman, who received a doc.
tors degree in political economic.
from a German university, fol.
lowed the written transcript Of
the recordings carefully, with ar
occasional faint smile.
Defense Attorney Laughlin reac
to the jury two statements taker
from acquaintances Of Burgman
made by the lawyer during a trir
to Germany last summer. Botf
of them backed up the testimony
LOT Burgman's wife on Monday
that he had been mentally i'll fol
several years. including the perioc
of the war.
Maid Confirms Story.
A statement Of the Burgman's
maid in Berlin. Erna Ulbrich
confirmed Mrs. Burgman's story
of the time her husband locked
himself in his bathroom out o,
fear Of the Gestapo and once tool
Ia living room lamp apart to lool
for suspected microphone con.
cealed there.
Paula Sexauer, identified as 8
longtime friend Of the Burg
mans In Berlin, and in whose
house they once lived, related ar
| incident in 1879 which she sold