DELEGATES VISIT PRISON

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 August 1935, Page 6

DELEGATES VISIT PRISON

CHARGES AGAINST COMMUNIST. TWO TEARS WAITING TRIAL. {United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyrijjht.) BERLIN, Aug. 22. Anxious to see and talk with, the Communist, Albert Thaelmann, charged * with complicity in the Reichstag fire, whose imprisonment for two years wichout trial stirred Europe, a group of British, American, French, Belgian and Spanish delegates to the Penal Congress visited the Moabit prison. All the delegates were allowed was ,to watch Thaelmann from windows two storeys above as he came into sight in the exercising prison yard. Officials asked the visitors not to allow Thaelmann to see them as he had received too many such visits and objected. Officials refused the delegates’ request to see Thaelmann in his cell. They said he wished to be left alone. The visitors were shown a cell .where a newspaper and a half smoked pipe were lying on the bed. These were pointed out as evidence of good treatment. The visitors were told the delay in holding the trial was due to the defence asking for time to obtain and study documents. Officials said a lawyer who lived at Hamburg had prof erred his name to defend Thaelmann. An official had been appointed by the State to assist the defence. The delegates visited this official, who said the defence received the case only two months ago. He refused information concerning the j charges. He said the trial would probably be in October and would last a fortnight.