A few hours after Chancellor Hitler had refused a plea for clemency, Holmuth Hirsch, 21-year-old Jewish student of American nationality, was beheaded early today at Plootzonoo prison, the Havas News Agency reported.
He was convicted March 8 of “high treason.” Publication of the communique announcing Hirsch’s death caused a stir in the American and foreign communities. During the night the United States Embassy had been advised of Hitler’s refusal to spare the young man.
Yesterday Consul General Douglas Jenkins went to visit Hirsch at the prison. The condemned youth refused to see him, having resigned himself to his fate.
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.
