DESPERATE DUEL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

DESPERATE DUEL.

CONVICT'S STREET DRAMA.

FIGHTS FORMER WIFE'S LOVER.

A divorced contfct's insensate anger because he suspected his former wife of' having betrayed him to the police when he escaped from prison, led to a siege in Berlin similar to that of Sidney Street in London years ago. "Sidney Street Siege," in London occurred on January 3, 1911. Mr. Churchill, as Home Secretary, went down to the East End and watched the police, with a sort of machine-gun, manoeuvring against criminals, in a barricaded house, armed with automatic pistols. Sidney Street contest lasted many hours, and ended with fire breaking out in the domestic fortress, and its defenders turning their weapons on themselves. In the present instance at Berlin the escaped convict, Albert Flattau, visited the fiat of his former wife and fired several shots at her with the words, "You betrayed me" The shots all missed their mark, and the woman escaped, while a German-American, Herr Haller, who had become engaged to the'woman, grappled with the intruder. He was severely wounded by bullets, as was also a workman who came to his rescue. In the meantime a large force of police had surrounded the house. Flattau barricaded himself in, and opened a fusillade upon them which lasted for two hours. A large crowd gathered in the neighbourhood. Flattau finally dropped to the ground severely wounded. His supply of cartridges was not expended; and it is assumed that, if he had the strength, he would have fulfilled an earlier threat that, if ever again he fell into the hands of the police, he would shoot down all who stood in his way; and then, having sold his life as dearly as possible, would turn his last bullet against himself. Before the arrival of the police on the scene, Flattau had engaged in a revolver duel with a man living in the block of fiats. His opponent was wounded no fewer than eleven times—it is believed mortally. Fran Flattau went to the hospital to which Haller had been taken, and tried to save the life of her lover by allowing a transfusion of blood from herself to him.

Flattau, a "safe breaker," was caught with several accomplices raiding a Berlin jeweller's shop four years ago. On that occasion he fired at the police, and for this offence, * combined with the burglary, he was sentenced to a long term of penal servitude. Then he escaped from prison. He had since -evaded, recapture the crowds of Berlin. After his sentence wife was granted a divorce. An attractive woman, shoot SO years of age, Frau Flattau recently-, became engaged.to Haller, ayoung German-Ameri-can from Milwaukee, who had settled down in Berlin as a mechanic. Flattau appeared in the_ home of his former wife, told ha-that he had escaped from prison, neaid the news of her engagement* and wished to good luck. To this, however, t betray me to the police, or 1 will shoot down you and hoy and your lover." Knowing the desperate character of her former husband, the woman promised not to tell the police of the convicts presence in Berlin. This promise shejcept, and so her surprise waa ?■ ■*. when Flatten went to the .flat mthe early hours of the morning.

UfMmMlwtk Bti ■—Is. . Waller rushed out of his room, revolver in hand, and grappled with the intruder J® £ desperate life-and-death struggle. »none another's embraces, the pair tumbled about the room, reducing the furniture to wreckage and emptying the magarincs of their pistols. Either skill was lacking to Waller or luck Was against him, for he was ultimately put out 'of actum with eleven bullets in his body, though still alive. At this juncture, however, a new torn was riven to the affair by the arrival, of the police. Threatened linth overwhelming odd% Flattau fled upstairs, and found on the fay landing some sort of cover, from which he opened fire on his pursuers. Checked here, the police tried a window on tne opposite side at the court, level with that from which Tlattau's landing waa lighted, but the burglar's marksmanship was too good for them, and thev sbom ahamlonirf thM , Finally, however, theygot Km» m»di» cross fire from the roof and a scaffolding in the coiirtyard, and, finding «»■{ things were getting too hot for him he bolted into,a garret and liin^—if t hind a barricade of packin&cases and die* f carded household goods! Here he continued the fight till a,lucky police bullet hit him in the abdomen pain faintness compelled to surrender. "* The police escaped without casualties, but a young man was hit .in the shoulder by one of the many wandering bullets.