GERMANY: Heads Roll

Adolf Hitler’s electioneering bark that when he became Dictator “Heads will roll in the sand!” ended factually in the sharp-bitten order of Sub-Dictator Hermann Wilhelm Goring to revive the medieval headsman’s axe and chopping block in executing criminals duly condemned by Prussian courts to Death (TIME, Aug. 14). Last week three heads rolled off bloody blocks in the courtyards of Berlin prisons and a prominent Nazi official furnished correspondents with beheading facts.

Thus far the headsmen employed have been “usually butchers by trade.” They are not yet wearing the ceremonial full dress prescribed by Captain Goring who delights to set fashions and even designed his own uniform as German Air Minister. Thus far the butchers have scorned to wear masks. Assistants bind the condemned man, shave his neck and hold him down squarely against the block. A state’s attorney reads the verdict of Death, cries. “Executioner do your duty!” Not bad fellows, several butchers have treated the condemned to hearty meals at their own expense the night before execution, supplying the meat from their own butcher shops. Counting these and the Berlin executions, 31 heads have rolled off German chopping blocks since Captain Goring revived the fashion. Five more beheadings took place in other parts of the Reich last week.