ENFORCING A CLAM

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 March 1928, Page 5

ENFORCING A CLAM

AT REVOLVER’S POINT. DRAMA IN GERMAN OFFICE. DEMENTED EX-SOLDIER. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYBIGHT Received 10.10 a.m. t-o-dav. BERLIN, March 4. Heinrich Langkopp, a German East African farmer, who served as a captain in the war and lost his property, becoming tired of officialdom’s dilatoriness, entered the room of the vicepresident of the War Claims Committee, pointed a revolver at the vicepresident’s head ,deposited a black box on the table and declared that tnere were enough explosives in it to blow up the building. He would drop it if his claim for £6OOO were not satisfied instantly.

Tnc vice-president argued for three hours and finally handed over the cheque, hoping to get rid of his visitor. Langkopp rang up a friend and sent the cheque to a bank. The friend returned saving that the bank had not accepted it. The argument was resumed till the vice-president, hoping to escape, declared he would cash the cheque himself. As he got up Langkopp fired five shots which missed, and then dropped the box, which, failed to explode. Finally, he was overpowered by the police, who found in the box fiftten rounds of high explosives. Langkopp, who is *ll years of age, fought against the British in the Boer War, settled in German East Africa and acquired a large cattle farm. He fought against the British in the East African campaign. The British seized his farm in 1916, and interned wife and daughter. Langkopp was captured later and interned in India. Returning to Germany, lie claimed compensation from the Government, but delays and worries unhinged *his mind.