Albert Bruehahn, self-styled German inventor and member of the nationalistic military organization, Stahlhelm, takes the prize for exploiting the credulity and hatred of the German anti-Semites. After having obtained a large sum to finance his alleged invention which would “free Berlin of Jews within three minutes,” and after securing the cooperation of leading German noblemen, he is now beginning a term of fifteen months imprisonment imposed upon him by the Frankfurt court for fraud.
Bruehahn came to a group of Silesian German noblemen, telling that he had invented a machine for producing and transmitting over long distance electric death rays. A company, including General Ange, Prince Bismarck, Counts Pueckler, Maltzahn and Dircksen, as well as other Silesian magnates, was formed to finance the invention. The company advanced to Bruehahn the amount of 60,000 Marks and undertook to raise an additional 600,000 Marks. These commitments were said to have been made after Bruehahn’s representation that he could, with the death-ray machine, clear Berlin of Jews within three minutes. His plan was to assemble Berlin Jewry by some ruse in the synagogue yard, when he would ascend in an aeroplane and send down upon the assembled Jews his death-rays. Belief in the invention was so great that he was enabled to deliver a lecture at the University of Breslau.
During the trial it was brought out that Bruehahn was in communication with Granduke Cyril, pretender to the Russian throne.
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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.
