HITLER FINED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 361, 24 October 1932, Page 2

HITLER FINED

CONDUCT IN COURT COSTLY EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS IN COURT. REFUSED TO ANSWER. Adolf Hitler was fined ^50, with the alternative of" 19 days' imprisonment, for contempt of • Court at Mun- | ich recently. The Nazi leader refused, in the witness-box, to answer the questions of "Jewish lawyers." The incident which culminated. in this judgment was of a dramatic character, says the "Daily Telegraph." A .young journalist, Werner Abel, was being prosecuted for perjury at the instigation of Herr Hitler. The Nazi leader declared that Abel had sworn in a previous trial, that the Nazis were financed by the Italian Government. Herr Hitler went into the witnessbox and declared that the party was financed by Germans living abroad. He had never accepted money from foreigners. "If I could not refute Ahel's statement," shouted Hitler to the puhlic in the Court, "I would shoot jnyself • on this very spot." Asked by one of' the defending counsel whether certain negotiations had not taken place hetween representatives of the Nazis and of Signor Mssolini, Herr Hitler replied: — 4'A representative of my party can only be a representative who represents me. I am the party." Defendihg counsel, Tlefr Rosenfeld, then referred to statements in the French Chamber and elsewhere that the Nazis had received money from the Skoda works in Czechoslovakia, and from the Schneider works at Creusot. At this imputation Herr Hitler flushed purple, clenched his fists and shouted in a voice filled with anger: — "I will not allow myself and my pai'ty to be insulted in this way. What are you thinking of ? I owe it to my • millions of followers that I sh'all not \ submit to such insults here. I refuse to answer any questions by these Jewish lawyers." The Judge exhorted Hitler to cairn down, and told him that he must answer questions allowed by the Bench on pain of condemnation for contempt of Court. "It is intolerable for me and for my whole movement," Herr Hitler responded, "to be insulted in this manner. Everything which I am accused of is a putrid lie from A to Z. Impos'3 any penalty you like, but I will not answer another question." , The Bench then retired to consider Herr Hitler's attitude. On returning a fine of £40 was imposed "for refusing to answer questions and £10 for screaming loudly at the defending counsel and referring in insulting terms to Jewish lawyers." j ■ ii I