Evening star., 1951-06-07
I Nazi War Criminals.
Hanged, Ending Long.
Battle for CIemency
By the Assoeia,sd Pres.


LANDSBERG, Germany. june
T-Seven Nazi war criminals
convicted of the mass murder o1
millions, were hanged by the
United States Army here early
today.
They were the last to die
among group of 275 persons
condemned by the American War
Crimes Tribunals of 1946-47. The
seven went to the gallows after
four years of legal maneuvering,
Their last mercy appeal was de-
MED by the United States Su-
preme Court yesterday.
The seven dropped through the
trap in the basement of bleak
Landsberg prison where their
Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler, wrote
''Mein Kampf." It was Just seven
years and a day since the Allies
swarmed ashore in France on
D-day to break the back of Nazi
power.
Three of those hanged were SIS
elite Guard generals and two
were colonies condemned for the
wanton slaughter Of innocent
Jews. gypsies and Russians.
Each Makes Last Speech.
Two other SIS men died be-
cause, as concentration camp
bosses, they had wreaked horror
among their defenseless charges.
Each of the men used his last
80 seconds for a speech from the
scaffold. A source within the close
" guarded prison said the sub
stance Of their words was beware
of the peoAle who say they are
friends of Germany" He said he
had no doubt this referred to the
United States.
None of the seven faltered when
called to begin the march to the
gaIloWs. All o. them had dropped
of to sleep earlier believing they
would win a last-minute reprieve.
The first to die-at midnight
was SIS Col. Paul Blobel, who for
sock an architects drafting board
to lead determination squads IN
occupied Russia. The massacre Of
$4,000 persons at Kiev is on his
record.
Die in Alphabetical Order.
Then, in alphabetical order,
came:
SIS Col. Werner Braune. lawyer
turned officer. whose troops wiped
out thousands Of civilians at Sim
feropol in the Russian Crimea.
SIS Gen. Erich Naumann, whose
determination force wiped out
S,S39 Jews and Gypsies on the
Eastern front in little more than
three weeks.
SIS Gen. Otto Ohlendorf. an
other lawyer, who directed the ex-
termination of more than 10000
persons in Russia.
SIS Gen. Oswald Pohl, overload
of all Nazi concentration camps
and destroyer of the Warsaw
Ghetto.
The last to be hanged were 1t.
Hans Schmidt and Sergt. Georg
Schallermair, two minor concerl-
tration camp officials. The last
of the men was pronounced dead
at $3.50 am.
Saved From Gallows Twice.
The series of executions marked
the end Of a tirelesS fight by
American and German defense
counsel to save the seven men.
Their elemency appeals were
rejected by High Commissioner
John j. McCloy and Gen. Thomas
T. Handy last January.
Twice after that the men were
readied for death and saved at
the last minute by court action
in Washington.
For the third time the men re-
ceived final visits from their wives
yesterday. The seven women re-
turned to their small, drab hotel,
where they sat together through
most of the night. Outside
American constabulary jeeps
patrolled the nearly empty streets,
but no incidents occurred.
The prison chaplain informed
the women of the executions
shortly before 2 am. They wept.
One said to a friend:
II wish he could have died in
the open-I wish he could have
died free man"
widows Attend Services.
Landsbergers,; accustomed to
the gloomy prison, had little or
nothing to say. A few expressed
relief that at last the issue was
settled. Mary Germans felt the
ISsa sheuia have been given
clssAehey because they had been
Tortured" by the long delay.
The widows. meanwhile, made
arrangements with the 'Leiehen-
fralIen"-women who make a
Iaeager living by washing and pre-
pairing bodies for burial-to per-
form this service inside the prison
N