WITH BOMB AND GUN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 295, 5 March 1928, Page 1

WITH BOMB AND GUN

DERANGED GERMAN STAGES HOLD-UP

OFFICIALS UNENVIABLE THREE HOURS By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. Received 9.5 a.m. BERLIN, Sunday. HEINRICH LANGKOPP, a German East-African farmer served as a captain during the war and lost his property, being tired of officialdom’s dilatoriness, entered the room of the Vice-President of the War Claims Committee and pointed a revolver at the Vice-President’s head. He deposited a black box on the table and declared that there were enough explosives in it to blow up the building. He said he would drop it if his claim for £6,000 were not satisfied instantly.

fpHE vice-president argued for three hours, but finally handed over the cheque, hoping to get rid of nis visitor. Langkopp rang up a friend and sent the cheque to the bank. His friend returned saying that the bank had not accepted it. The argument was resumed, and the vice-president, hoping to escape, declared that he would cash the cheque himself. He got up and Langkopp fired five shots, all of which missed. He dropped the box, which failed to

explode. The farmer was finally overpowered by the police, who found that the box contained 151 b. of high explosives. Langkopp, who is 61 years of age. fought against the British in the Boer War and settled in German East Africa, acquiring a large cattle farm. He fought against the British in the East African campaign, after which the British seized his farm in 1916 and interned his wife and daughter. Langkopp was captured later and Interned in India, returning to Germany after the war, and claimed compensation from the Government. The delays and -worries had unhinged his mind.- —A. and N.Z.