PHIAL OF POISON

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 October 1946, Page 7

PHIAL OF POISON

HOW GOERING COMMITTED SUICIDE AUTHORITIES’ INVESTIGATION NUREMBERG, October 16. It is officially announced that Goering committed suicide by taking cyanide of potassium at 10.45 p.m. last night, approximately two hours before the time fixed for his execution. The prison commandant, Colonel Andrus, said Goering’s guard heard him make an odd noise and saw him twitch. The guard called a doctor and a chaplain, who were in the corridor, and they found Goering dying. There were pieces of glass in Goering’s mouth, ancThis breath smelt of cyanide of potassium. An investigatio nis now going on to discover how Goering concealed the poison,. when he was the subject of daily rigorous, searches, both of his clothing and his person. Correspondents report that Goering swallowed the poison a few minutes before the death sentence was to be read to him as a preliminary to his hanging. Small Brass Container. A small brass container made from a cartridge case, which apparently contained the phial of poison, was found on his body; also an envelope with some pencilled notes in it. Colonel Andrus said a similar container, holding cyanide of potassium, was taken from Goering while he was in prison a year ago. Goering had declined exercise for the last three days. Besides his wife and counsel, at least 25 Germans had had access to him in one way or another. , ■-J As a result of Goering’s suicide, the rest of the condemned men were Jed to the gallows in manacles. Selkirk Panton, representing the combined British press, says: “The first news of Goering’s escape from Allied justice in true Nazi style was given the eight of us cooped up in the prison awaiting the executions, when as the Nuremberg prison clock was striking midnight, Colonel Andrus hurried out of his rooms. His face was white as he panted: ‘I have news for you, but I am sorry I cannot release it yet. That is the Control Council’s order.’

“Then, after a slight pause, he burst out: ‘Goering is dead—by suicide. The sentinel never saw him put his hand to his mouth. He was lying on his bed with his hands above the clothes. The sentinel saw him twitching, and called doctors and a chaplain. They heard Goering making a strange noise in his throat, which the doctors believe was the death rattle. Pencilled Notes Found.

“An examination of the body revealed a small envelope pencilled TI. Goering.’ It contained three pencilled notes, one of which was addressed to the prison commandant, and a small brass cartridge case. A similar cartridge case containing a phail of cyanide of potassium was taken from Goering a year ago on his arrival at the Landsdorf prison. He then hid it in coffee.”

“Half an hour before Goering’s suicide I watched him in bed apparently sleeping peacefully. We eight reporters were being taken on a tour of the prison. Guards stood at the 11 cell doors looking through grated openings a foot square at the condemned prisoners, none of whom then knew the time of their execution, except perhaps Goering in cell five, jealously hiding his suicide phial. “Although it was only 9 p.m. Goering was already in bed seemingly asleep, his hands covered in the sleeves of his blue silk pyjama coat, resting quietly on the khaki blanket which was soon to be his shroud. His jackboots stood tidily in a corner of the small white-washed cell. “Ribbentrop, still fully dressed, was holding a typewritten sheet in his hand- and talking earnestly to an American Protestant chaplain. “Keitel w.as bent preparing his bed. Jodi was reading quietly. Sauckel was pacing his cell with uneasy movements like a caged elephant.

“After the condemned men were told to dress they had a last meal which we saw being prepared in the kitchen under the ‘Death Row.’ The last meal was American canned pork, luncheon meat, potato salad, tomato salad, and coffee, and because white bread failed to arrive in time the cook was making German pancakes.”