Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-01
EICHMANN
EICHMANN
Ex-CoIoneI of Gestopo
Defiant to the End
Continued From Page Al

Eichmann spurned the tradi-
tional black hood and even
chided his jailers for making
it difficult for him to stand
on the gallows' trap door.
MY belief was correct" the
former head of the Gestapo
Jewish affairs section de-
clared. "a. I had to obey the
rules of war and my flag. l
am ready"
At a command from an
Israeli guard. Eichm mn
stepped to the trap door and
lunged to his death almost in
a single motion.
Death was instantaneous,
prison officials said.
Eichmann was condemned to
death last December by a spe-
cial three-judge tribunal which
found him guilty of acts of "un-
paralleled enormity" against
the Jewish people and against
humanity-the only crime sub
ject to capital punishment in
Israel.
The balding. bespectacled Hit
Ter disciple had insisted he was
only a minor cog carrying out
orders from above in the Nazi
campaign for "the final solution
to the Jewish problem"-exter-
mination.
But the court declared he
actually relished shipping Jews
to their deaths by the hundreds
of thousands, saying he was
motivated by IAN ardent desire
to blot out an entire people
from the face of the earth"
The Israeli Supreme Court
rejected Eichmann's appeal
against the death sentence
Tuesday. declaring even death
was an inadequate penalty.
And with unexpected speed,
President Izhak Ben-Zvi sealed
Eichmann's doom about noon
yesterday, rejecting appeals for
executive clemency from Eich-
mann. members of his family
and others.
Visited by Minister
Eichmann was transferred
quickly from his cell in Jerusa-
lem, where he had been lodged
for the Supreme Court decision,
to Ramleh Prison. There, his
spiritual adviser. the Rev. Will
liam Hull, visited him in his
cell.
The Canada born Protestant
clergyman reported later that
lEichmann was not sad" but
twas defiant" Eichmann, who
learlier had expressed a belief
in God but belonged to no
church, refused to reaffirm a
faith in Christ.
II do not have time to read
the Bible" Eichmann told the
minister. II have peace in my
heart. I am ready to die"
Eichmann was told of the
rejection of the clemency ap-
peals-but not that he was to
die that night-about 8 pm
He asked for and received q
bottle of red wine. He drank
half of it.
Outside a thick fog set in
Guards turned on flood lights
and police set up roadblock,
to divert traffic from the
prison, a former British fort
on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalen
road.
Asks to Blow Nose
Eichmann learned death wa.
at hand only when guards came
to his cell to take him to the
SO yards to the gallows. HI
walked steadily to the execu'
ton room handcuffed to twt
guards. He made only one re.
Quest-to stop and blow hi
nose.
Dressed in brown Stacks anC
a brown shirt open at the neck
he mounted the Scaffold by {
single step and stood directl!
under the moose which wa
suspended over his head OF
a chain. His hands and ankle
were bound with white cloth.
AS the moose was fitted owe,
his head, Eichmann half closet
his eyes and looked downward
at the floor. AS the black hoot
was preferred, Eichmann said
"I don't need thst."
Eichmann spoke his las
words to small group of of
ficials. guards ard newSmel
gathered to witness the execu
ton. He said evenly:
MY belief was correct. Ate
a short while. gentlemen, W