GERMAN “THUG” CRIME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17231, 10 April 1930, Page 3

GERMAN “THUG” CRIME

MAN CUTS BOY’S THROAT BERLIN, Feb. 22. A crime recalling tlio Dusseldorf murders has caused great agitation in the old Tlohcnzollern capital, Brandenburg. to the west of Berlin. The victim. ;i boy of 9, is still alive, but is baldly expected to survive bis wminus. The lad. Rudolf Kngeliuann by name, was on his way to school when he was accosted by a young man and persuaded to accompany him. The stranger led him to a piece of waste land used a rubbish dump. When out of observeitimi the man suddenly placed liis left lliiind over the boy’s mouth and drew :i woodeti-haiidleil butcher’s knife, with which lie made a savage slash at Ids throat. The hoy, in bis terrified struggles, wrenched himself’ loose, and his assailant made off. Though the lad's larynx and aesopliagu s are said to have, been almost completely cut I liroogli, lie managed to stagger far enough to reach a street with traffic in it. lie was taken by passers-by to hospital, where i! was seen that immediate operation gave the only chance ol

saving his life. The police say llial the perpetrator “is presumably a lunatic.” I population. or, at any rate a portion ol them, believe that be is tin*. Dusseldorf time. Crimes of this kind have never been vorv rare in Germany, but have usually been' isolated. The Dusseldorf series lias drawn upon them an attention which they did not receive previously.