Count Helldorf, the leader of the Hitlerist Storm Troops in Berlin, who was sentenced at his first trial to six months’ imprisonment for his part in the anti-Jewish excesses which took place in Berlin last Rosh Hashanah, and for whom the Public Prosecutor demanded two years’ imprisonment at the conclusion of his appeal against the sentence, has been acquitted to-day by the Appeal Court on the charge of disturbing the peace brought against him.
The President of the Appeal Court, Judge Ohnesorge, said that the court accepted Count Helldorf’s plea that he had motored to the Kurfuerstendamm on hearing of the disturbances there in order to calm his men and to get them to disperse.
The Court could not, ### of Count Helldorf towards the civilian witnesses who had appeared in court to give evidence against him, and on that count, the Judge said, he would have to pay a fine of 100 Marks.
Twenty other prisoners who were appealing with Count Helldorf against their previous sentences, including Helldorf’s chief-of-staff, Ernst, who-had like Helldorf been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at the first trial, have also been acquitted.
Engineer Brandt, the leader of the Young Steel Helm Brigade, who was likewise sentenced at the first trial to six months’ imprisonment, has now had his sentence reduced to four months. One prisoner named Mehde has been sent to prison for 10 months, and 17 others for six months.
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