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HT This Day: October 16, 1946 -- Goering cheats the gallows
“Hermann Wilhelm Goering took his life at 10-45 p.m. (local time) on October 15, 1946. The Minister President of Bavaria, Dr Wilhelm Hoogner, and the Chief Prosecutor of Nuremberg, Dr Friedrich Leisner, attended in their official capacities as witnesses for the German people and viewed the corpse of Hermann Goering.”
An official ‘communique’ issued by the Four-Power Commission for the detention of major war criminals states: “The sentences of death passed by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg on October 1, 1946, on the under-mentioned war criminals were carried out this day in our presence: Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Rosenberg, Kaltenbrunner, Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Julius Streicher, Fritz Sauckel, Alfred Jodl and Arthur Seyss-Inquart.
“Hermann Wilhelm Goering took his life at 10-45 p.m. (local time) on October 15, 1946. The Minister President of Bavaria, Dr Wilhelm Hoogner, and the Chief Prosecutor of Nuremberg, Dr Friedrich Leisner, attended in their official capacities as witnesses for the German people and viewed the corpse of Hermann Goering.”
The American News Service in Germany says that Goering committed suicide by taking Zyankal, according to a statement by Colonel Burton C. Andrus. He said that he was not able to explain himself how Goering had come into possession of this poison.
Colonel Andrus added that Goering had used a capsule similar to those found on other Nazis.
A similar capsule had also been taken from Goering a year ago at Mondorf, Luxembourg Prison. Goering on that occasion had kept the capsule in a coffee tin. Colonel Andrus said.
An official announcement from the security police of the Palace of Justice says: “A board of officers is investigating the suicide of Goering. Their findings will be given to the commission. The President of the Board is a disinterested officer of the Third Army. No arrests have been made so far (9-10 local time) and none is contemplated.”
At 9-30 pm. the correspondents. who were to witness the executions. peered through the iron grill in Goering’s cell and saw him apparently fast asleep. “His right hand was clenched.” wrote Renter’s special correspondent. It must have been in the grip of his clenched fist that he held the poison which was to cheat the gallows of its No 1 victim”
An hour and a quarter later. a guard saw him twitching and heard him make “a strange noise.”
Goering was dead.
Frau Goering last saw her husband on October 7 when the wives of the condemned men paid their farewell visits to the prisoners. Afterwards she walked away from the prison stern-faced and dry eyed.
Suicide Mystery
Goering must have received the poison recently for its action was very quick. Had cyanide been old, it would not have taken effect quickly and Goering might have been given an antidote in time.
Among the many theories being discussed is the possibility that Frau Goering could have passed the phial to her husband when kissing him through the grill when taking the last farewell. Another theory is that the German barber may have slipped the phial between Goering’s collar and neck.
Goering’s suicide led to a last minute change of procedure in the executions. The condemned men were to have been allowed to walk freely to the gallows, but instead they were marched manacled to the guards. The manacling order also meant that they had only one hand free with which to eat their last supper-tinned pork, tomato salad, potato salad and coffee.
The order in which the condemned persons were hanged was as follows:
(1) Joachim von Ribbentrop. (2) Wilhelm Kietel, (3) Ernst Kaltenbrunner. (4) Alfred Rosenberg, (5) Hans Frank, (6) Wilhelm Frick, (7) Julius Streicher, (8) Fritz Sauckel (9) Alfred Jodi and (10) Arthur Seyss Inquart
Von Ribbentrop said firmly: “God protect Germany”-and then added: “My last wish is that German unity should remain and that an understanding between the East and the West should come about with peace for the world.”
Julius Streicher, the Jew-baiter shouted “Heil Hitler” as he mounted the steps, and a split second before he fell his muffled voice through the black hood cried: “Adele, my darling wife.”
Keitel and Jodl Hitler’s former generals, died as Prussian officers, to the last-still-lipped, chins up and arrogant. Jodl shouted: “I salute you, my Germany.”
Seyss-Inquart shouting “I believe in Germany.” dropped through the trap at 2-45 (local time).
Bodies To Be Thrown Into Sea
After the executions the bodies were placed in plain coffins. There has as yet been no official announcement regarding the place of burial but an unconfirmed report said that they will be taken out to the sea and dropped in the ocean to prevent any repetition of such action as the snatching of Mussolini’s body from his grave.
