REICH FIRE TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1933, Page 6

REICH FIRE TRIAL

POLICE EVIDENCE

(United P r e&s Association —By Electric

Telegraph—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 1.30 p.m.)

BERLIN, October II

Police Lieutenant Latict, (a trim, uniformed figure, dramatically gave evidence of the scene when lie entered the burning Reichstag. He said he rushed to the central session chamber and saw the curtains blazing right- and left, burning cushions on the floor, while over the dais burning curtains resembled burning an organ with llames for organ pipes. I returned to the door and shouted, “Incendiarism its burning in every corner.”

He later learned that Vanderlubbe had been arrested, dressed only in trousers.

j asked him if a cap, tic and piece of soap I had picked up were his and lie replied “yes.” He admitted firing the Reichstag. I asked why, and he laughed and sid “nothing”.

Latict -added, ‘T had the impression 1 was dealing -with a madman. The . prosecutor asked it lie noticed many inflammables.

1 -Riot replied: About twenty or thirty pieces of charred cloth. The prosecutor.: The newspapers have declared there wore hundredweights of paper. : iuid ;pther inflammables. ‘ Latiet: yvMV the. place 'meticulously, even the cupboards, and 1 .saw: nothing anywhere.,,,.- . Doctor Teichert petitioned that Dcmitroff be allowed to attend, owing to it being important that the accused should hear the proceedings. The Court ruled that bis behaviour was tending to bring the proceeding* into contempt, and justified his exclusion. The trial is expected to last lor three days.