HINDENBURG & BURGLAR

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2143, 28 December 1920, Page 15 (Supplement)

HINDENBURG & BURGLAR

REVOLVER THAT DID NOT GO OFF How, in his villa at Hanover, FieldMarshal von Hindenburg wrestled with a burglar, was told in court in that city recently (says the Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle"). - When the Field-Marshal appeared, judges and the public all stood up, and there was slight cheering. Two men, it appeared, entered the garden of the villa, and helped themselves liberally to pears. Then one of them, Albert Gallin, thought there might. be something of value in the house, and entered by the verandah window. Hindenburg said he was disturbed by a noise in the room next to that in which he was sitting" and entered it to find the accused, whom he at once j seized by the collar. He had to drag I the young burglar into the next room j in order to reach a bell, so as to raise I the alarm. j In the struggle a small cabinet was knocked over, and a chair broken. Gallin wrench, d himself free and pulled | out a revolver. j The Field-Marshal then tried an upper-cut on the young man's chiu, but ' that did not put him out of action. He pulled the trigger of the revolver, but .three cartridges failed to go off. ! At the fourth effort, Gallin fired a , bullet into the floor. He then calmly walked to the table, took his hat, and, covering the Field-Marshal with the reretreated to the window. "Nilw, hands up or I fire," Gallin said as he opened it. some- | one coming along the corridor, the young man thought it best, however, not to prolong the incident, and so he slipped down to the ground and disappeared, to be arrested shortly afterj wards. I Gallin declared he was unaware he had to do with such a famous person, and added that when he found himself in the house he was struck "with remorse, and waited for someone to como to whom he might surrender. The prosecution emphasised the seriousness of the case, happening as it did in the same week as the murder in Admiral Scheer's house, but the Court

decided that there was nothing political in the affair. Gallin was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment.' Hindenburg was loudly applauded as he left the court.