The body of George Lincoln Rockwell, leader of the American Nazi Party, who was shot to death last Friday by a sniper near the headquarters of his party here, was awaiting a funeral today, while Rockwell’s accused killer, John Patler, a former member of the party, remained in jail under maximum security, charged with murder.
The American Nazi Party and Rockwell’s relatives each claimed the right over the burial which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The followers of Rockwell insisted on having him buried at the National Cemetery at Culpeper, Va., since he served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy. However, Rockwell’s brother, Robert, wanted the body sent for burial to Boothbay Harbor, Me., where members of the family are buried.
The leadership of the party was taken over immediately by Matt Koehl, a 32-year-old major at Rockwell’s storm troop headquarters here, who vowed that the group would carry on its work against Jews and Negroes. Rockwell, who was 49, was the son of a former vaudeville actor and served in the U.S. Navy, where he reached the rank of commander. In 1959, he organized a group he called Union of Free Enterprise National Socialists, changing the title later to American Nazi Party.
Police here said they believed the total party membership never exceeded about 100 persons, about 12 of whom lived at his storm troop headquarters here. Rockwell’s method, aping Hitlerian practices, was to stage demonstrations against Jews and Negroes wherever he could, thus garnering wide publicity. He also lectured widely on many college campuses.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
