ARMED LUNATIC

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17437, 8 April 1931, Page 8

ARMED LUNATIC

IN BERLIN PALACE ATTEMPT ON HINDENBURG BERLIN, Feb, 25. Reports of an attempt on President Hindenburg’s life caused considerable alarm this afternoon. Their basis was an incident which affords legitimate grounds for uneasiness. A lunatic, armed with a pistol, actually succeeded in penetrating into one of the ante-chambers to the President’s room. He was, however, overpowered before ho could make any use of the weapon. A uniformed police-sergeant and a detective were on duty in tile anteroom, mid when the stranger appeared they asked him his business, lie said lie was out of work, and wished to baud a petition to the President. On being told that he musl send his application through the post, he shouted, “But I have only two hours to live.” After some clumsy fumbling, he pulled a repeatingi pistol out of his trousers pocket. Before he could do more lie was seized and disarmed. He offered no resistance, and merely protested. “But the bullet was intended for myself.’’ Only one chamber of the weapon proved to be loaded. The intruder, an unemployed clerk from Silesia, who came to Berlin a lew flays ago, was sent to an asylum for observation. He entered the palace by a. small side door which is used by the regular habitues of the building.