Bomb Plot

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 128, 16 June 1937, Page 10

Bomb Plot

(Own Correspondent-

• SCAPEGOAT CONDEMNED Attempt on Hitler's Life That Went Astray REAL CULPRITS ESCAPE

— Bv Air Mai!)

LOxs UU-IN , may J.^. In a dirty cell in Ploetzensee Prison, Berlin, there sits Helmuth F' :sch, 21-year-old son of Axnerican-boru patents, reports the Paris eorrespondent of the Sunday Ohronicle. He has been condemned to die for an alleged attempt on Herr Hitler's life— in Ihe words of the aceusation, "for1 preparing^ high treason and preparing offences with explosives." And, nnless a miracle happens, Helmuth Hirsch will soon be led out to meet the execntioner, who, in full evening dress and bearing an axe> will behead this young Jew. For an ofcenee he did not commit! Because to-day I learned from reliable source the astonishing story of the Hitler plot; a story which proves that. Helmuth Hirsch is innocent; he is just & scapegoafc. The real. plotters have escaped from Geymany. The plot was betrayed by a beantiful_ cabaret girl who had struck np a friendship with .fhe condemned man. The story was told me by a 34-year-old German who, arrested on snspicion of spreading Communist propaganda, was brutally treated in a concentration camp. There, he det6rmined to be revenged on thq, Nazi regime. "In the camp," he said, "T met a Communist who at one time had been a brilliant chemist. With another pTisoner we wero released together, but in stuttgart we gathered adhofcnts around ua nntil we numbered almost a thousand. Intense, Handsome *'I met Helmuth Hirsch at the end of laat year. He was small, dark, in^ense and handsome. He was moro anti-Nazi than Communist. Helmuth began to atteiyi our meetings."" Those meetings were heid in a cellar. Cards were placed on small tables so that, in the event of a police raid, tho meeting would look like a whist drive. "On Good Friday," my informant continued, "we decided that the time was ripe. As soon as the oppprtunity came, Hitler was to die. The chemist prepared the materials. He made six bombs. Then we heard that on the 18th of March Hitler, IGoebbels and Streicher were to drive together through Stuttgart. It was our chance. "Helmuth knew nothing of this plot. X wanted to invite him to join us, but our leadep said he was too young and we had not known him long enough. So there were only three of us in the plot to kill. The explosives were placed in a wooden chest and hidden in a cupboard." And then, by a dramatic chance, an accident upset the plot — and led indirectly to the arrest ! of Helmuth Hirsch. For one of the three inen in the plot brought home a cai baret girl from, a night club. The girl, named Olga, met Helmuth Hirsch and fell in love with him, discarding her former friend. Hirsch did not care very much for her. Then the 18th of March approached. "Our plans were perfect," I was told. _ "Then we heard steps approaching. Hastily we placed the bombs back in the chest. A moment later, Helmuth and Olga entered. Olga saw the chest and walked over to it. " 'What's this?' sho asked, 'it looks like a coffin.' "Helmuth answered 'It IS a coffin. It's full of bombs to blow Hitler to 11611.' " Conspirators Alarmed The conspirators were alarmed, for, although Hirsch did not know there were bombs in the chest, he had hit'on the truth. And lOlga had heard. Later Hirsch told them he would not join! in the plot. . "I won't kill,' he said, but swpre not .to divulge the plot. "Next day," the story continued, "as we were returning home we saw our houso surrounded by Storm Troopers* Chatting with the oflicer was Olga. Fortunately we had not been seen. We crept down a lanc and watchod from a near-by housc. Then to our horror we saw Helmulk approaclj. Olga pointed at him, "Then the troopera vrere'about him and we suw him carried away llmp aud unconscious. "For nine days we hid in a cellar. Later we escaped to France, but we were haunted by tho pale face of the boy who was faciug a eharge of Mgh treasou." ^ Only oue chance now remains thafc Helmuth Hirsch -will escape the headman's axe. Through his grandfather, Hirsch claims American citizenship. The United States Go'vernment hopes that the German Government will show clomency. "But what a mockery!" said tho German who told me this story. "Helmuth is innocent. If all fails he will sland unal'raid jn tlie cxccution square. But may God help him to escape!"