Gassing of Nearly 2400 Women

Chronicle (Levin), 4 January 1947, Page 5

Gassing of Nearly 2400 Women

Press Assn,

EVIDENCE AT CRIMES TRIAL

Bv Teleciravh

,-Covvriaht

HAMBURG, Jan. 2. The shooting of three British wouien parachutists and the gassing of nearh 2400 women in the Ravensbr-uck cou eentration camp Avere described befon the War Grinies -Court trying 1(3 mei. and women guards. Major Stephen Btewart, prosecutor read a deposition by Joliann Schvvaiv. huber, deputy-eomniaiidant, giving th uanies of the parachutists shot as Mrs Yillette Bzabo, who was posthumousl.) awarded Ihe George Gross, Liliau Rolfe, and Danielle Willianis. Tlu deposition ' added that among tlu L)unislinients Avere beatings of 2.. blows with sticks. This was so severt that Hinimler's consent needed flrst U. be obtained. Schwarzhuber blamed Fritz Suren. camp commandant, who escaped from prison while awaiting trial, for th. starvation and bad eonditions in tlu camp. Ile said 150 naked women whc were too sick to work, were gasscu because shooting was too siow. "They were made to disrobe am1. enter the gas chamber on the pretexi that they were to be deloused, " lu said. ' ' The door was locked, and a inember of Ihe staff climbed to the roui and threw a gas container through the windows. For two nnnutes 1 lieard whinipering and nioaning, tlien all was quiet. The bodies were takou immediately to a nearbv creniatoriuin auu .Hirned. 1 don't know whether they were all dead, but at least they •were inconscious. ' ' Bliort rations, beatings, injections to induce semi-consciousness, and the oinding of prisoners in crouchiug positions were metliods that Ludwig Ranulour, in a deposition, adinitted using to obtain confessions. Ranidour, who was the poiitical interrogator ot the camp, said that prisoners, after th" last named metliods, were usually willing- to confess. llenrich l'eters, oue of the accused, who was in charge of the ine.u's camp, stated in a deposition that he witnessed ihe mass shooting of ivomen who were lied to a stake and shot in the back. The massacre of 14 Polisli nvins by two drunken >S.B. members was described by Vera Salvequart, a pretty 2(5-year-old iiurse. >She said the S.W. men shot the nuns in a locked room which was'a horrible sight when she entered with the dead nuns on the floor and otliers, who were dying, erying with pain. The killers chased her, but shc escaped by dressing in man 's elothiiig and being liidden by other prisoners. Defence Opens The case for the proseeution tlien closed and the defence opened. Onlv tlie 32-year-okl S.B. Avoman guard, Margaretta Mewes, declined when prisoners Avere asked if th.ey wished to giA*e eA-idence on oath. Earlier today Carmen Mory, one of the accused, said in a deposition that she Avas nrrestcd by the French in 1938 for espionage, and Avas sentenced to death. The Germans arrested her for spying during the war and sent her to Ravensbruck where she was fiogged. Blie agreed to cooperate with the camp ofticials to lighf against "Bolshevik savages", but denied tliat she was a poiitical spv. The lirst defence witness, the camp's nolitieal interrogator, Liulwig Rain dour, said his nerves gave way when he was interrogated by a British ofticer who had a big Avliip and dog. "1 wasn't beaten but altliough nothing hapjienci to me I couldn't be sure, *' he said. Ranulour adinitted that he beat Avomen prisoners and gave them the water tor ture to extort confessions. Ile declared tliat the camp stafl" diverted food sent for prisoners at Ravensbruck, to Poi and where it was sold on the biaek market.