Gehlen Org. … the Org.

Gehlen.Org …

Modern German Intelligence Service’s Nazi Origin
In July 1941, Lieutenant-Colonel Reinhard Gehlen was posted to the Eastern-Front and assigned as senior intelligence-officer to the FHO, the German eastern army. Gehlen re-organised the Eastern intelligence service and assembled a staff of army linguists, lawyers and geographers. They assembled data on the social, economic and political life of the Soviet Union that contradicted the Nazi concept of Slavic inferiority.

Sensing the imminent victory of the Soviets, Gehlen ordered the FHO intelligence files copied to microfilm. The paper files were stored in water-tight drums and buried in various locations in the Austrian Alps.

Gehlen surrendered to the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) of the U.S. Army in Bavaria on 22 May 1945 and immediately used his hidden files as a bargaining chip for his personal negotiations. The Army recognised his “expert knowledge” and he was flown to the United States where he struck a deal that allotted him the task of heading a secret service in Germany at the behest of the CIA.

The Gehlen Organization was born and headquartered at Pullach, Munich, W-Germany. Protected by Germany’s first post-war government under the Christian Democratic leader Konrad Adenauer, Gehlen worked with Nazi criminals, generals and Wehrmacht officers as well as former SS and Nazi Secret Service officers. Its divisions were concerned with subversion, counterintelligence, and foreign intelligence.

Gehlen Org. operated till the formation of the official German Government’s BND (Federal Intelligence Agency) in 1956. Gehlen assumed control of it.

December 9, 2018February 2, 2020

Public Disturbance in Paris

Civil unrest is nothing new in Paris. To an outsider, it seems that Revolution is in French genes.

Louise Michel wrote of March 18, 1871; Then before dawn the Versailles reactionaries sent in troops to seize the cannon now held by the National Guard. One of the points they moved toward was the Butte of Montmartre, where our cannon had been taken. The soldiers of the reactionaries captured our artillery by surprise, but they were unable to haul them away as they had intended, because they had neglected to bring horses with them.Learning that the Versailles soldiers were trying to seize the cannon, men and women of Montmartre swarmed up the Butte in a surprise manoeuvre. Those people who were climbing believed they would die, but they were prepared to pay the price.
The other districts of Paris, hearing of the events taking place on the Butte of Montmartre, came to our assistance. The women of Paris covered the cannon with their bodies. When their officers ordered the soldiers to fire, the men refused. They gave up their attempt to seize the cannon from the National Guard.
The people arrested General Lecomte, who commanded the soldiers that had moved against Montmartre, as well as General Clément Thomas, whose curiosity had led him to watch what he thought would be the degradation of Paris. His soldiers remembered, and vengeance came out of the past. The hour struck for them. I twill strike for many others, without the Revolution pausing in its course. Michel ,Louise. Red Virgin. University of Alabama Press. Kindle Edition.

Paris Falls, Dick Bauch

March 23, 2017March 23, 2017

Sydney’s Eight-day Street War

When Government arrogance united a community.

Day 1. On Christmas Eve, Sydney City Council workers remove barriers which, (for 18 months) have closed 11 streets in Newtown, Erskineville, Redfern and Alexandria. Residents were informed of the street re-opening in a letter sent by the council later that day. Town Clerk, Mr Leon Carter, stated that the council was directed by the Minister for Local Government, Mr Stewart, to remove the closures in the public interest. Mr Stewart said he was proud to have been the minister responsible for re-opening the roads and regretted not being able to re-open a few more. “I am a citizen of Sydney. I live in a suburban street, everyone has access to my street. It’s not my exclusive domain. Many of the streets were a sort of select domain of independent alderman for select groups of people so they could live in some sort of inner-city seclusion.” Mr Stewart has already resigned from Parliament and is to become NSW Agent General in London. His last day as Minister is New Year’s Eve. SMH 26.12.85, Joe Scavo

Day 3

Angry residents man the barricades; Inner Sydney residents are defying police by barricading streets near their homes in protest at the sudden lifting of a series of road closures. Residents of Newtown, Erskineville, Redfern and Alexandria said yesterday they were prepared to be jailed rather than see the streets reopened. Now residents fear their narrow back-streets will be returned to mini-freeway conditions by speed freaks taking short cuts. Resident Mr Ian Robertson said: “When these streets are reopened the Parramatta Freeway will have nothing on this”. Telegraph 26.12.85, Bruce McDougall

Day 4 Illegal makeshift road blockades in some inner-city suburbs were dismantled twice by police yesterday as angry residents continued to protest against the end of official City Council roadblocks. Yesterday residents were using car bodies, drums and planks to block the streets. Alderman Frank Sartor said “The Council has gone through all the right processes. They followed the law meticulously and had the area surveyed. More than 87 percent of residents voted in favour of the closures. Residents had been fighting for the closures for 10 years and would not be giving up easily. One roadblock in Angel Street Erskineville has become a symbolic point.” SMH 27.12.85, Daniel Moore

Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Alderman Doug Sutherland, said the Sydney City Council would rip up street barricades and take court action against anyone installing obstacles. In Erkineville, residents played a cat-and- mouse game with police, rebuilding barricades several times after they were removed. Mr Stewart could not be contacted. Telegraph 27.12.85, Bruce McDougall, Les Kennedy

Day 5 A group of about 15 residents gathered at the remains of the Newman Street blockade after a bulldozer driven by a City Council worker had rammed through the loose material, clearing the path for traffic to enter Newman Street from King Street. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Doug Sutherland called an emergency City Council meeting to resolve the problem. SMH 28.12.85, Shayne Collier

Day 6 First resident arrested in street protest. He was charged with ‘malicious injury to an object, the road,’ when he was seen using a crowbar to dig a hole. Telegraph 29.12.85

Closure issue could spread: It’s a battle that could spread to other suburbs, including places like leafy Mosman where road closure is also a running issue. Yesterday the barricades were still up, first round to the residents. At stake, say the residents, are the lives of their children and the peace that descended on the suburb after the closures. Residents of Angel, Union, Munni, Newman and Rochford Streets have their own horror stories of children knocked over, pets killed, cars sideswiped and houses damaged.

Day 7 Barricades go up again: Residents overturned a vehicle and began digging up a street as the battle of the barricades spread to another inner-Sydney suburb last night. Telegraph 30.12.85, Bruce McDougall, Louise Nicholson

Familiar faces were dotted among the people at the Erskineville Town Hall who sat, stood or listened through windows or had to be content to stay in the sun outside. The MP for Marrickville Mr Refshauge and the Independent Alderman Mr Frank Sartor were there along with Mr William (Billy) Wentworth, the former Liberal MP and now member of the Australian Road Federation. Other appearances included the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Greiner, who attended by default because no other Opposition MPs were in Sydney, and Mrs Judith Walker, MLC. Mrs Walker, an Alexandria resident, was hissed and booed as she tried to deliver the Government line. Mr Stewart did not attend the meeting. Among the seven motions carried in the meeting were – Appointing a delegation to seek a meeting with Mr Stewart; – Calling on the Premier to instruct Mr Stewart to revoke the instruction to the City Council; – Calling for the resignation of the Lord Mayor, Alderman Sutherland; – Calling for charges against the arrested resident to be dropped. 30.12.85, Telegraph (?),Tracy Aubin.

Day 8 Party after road closure reprieve: Inner Sydney residents last night held a street party to celebrate a reprieve by the State Government in their fight over road closures. Retiring Local Government Minister, Mr Stewart, yesterday announced the two month truce after almost two hours of talks with Transport Minister, Mr Unsworth. Telegraph 31.12.85, Bruce McDougall, Les Kennedy

February 15, 2017February 15, 2017

Did Captain Moonlite really shoot Constable Bowen?

Report of Trial Testimony
The police called on them to surrender. Scott (Captain Moonlite) replied, ‘ Surrender be _____ , come on and fight.’ The bushrangers opened fire before the police fired. There were 18 or 20 people round the bushrangers when the fight was going on.

Constable John Hedley… described the shooting of Constable Bowen, which (he said) was done by prisoner Scott. After Bowen fell, Hedley joined Constable Gorman in the back bedroom, when Gorman shot through the window at Nesbitt, and killed him. Immediately afterwards somebody called out, ‘We surrender.’ Sergeant Cassin arrested Scott, Bennett and Williams. Rogan was found under a stretcher in the same room that Gorman was in when he shot Nesbitt. A double-barrelled gun was found in the same room next morning. When Bowen fell, ‘nobody else was firing from the same direction that Scott fired from, or from any other direction.’ Scott cross-examined this witness (Hedley) at considerable length, but did not elicit anything of importance. Hedley first accused Scott of shooting Bowen. When Hedley saw Nesbitt’s body he called the dead man a coward ; and upon Scott saying ‘ He was no coward ; you are the coward, sir,’ that he accused him of shooting Bowen.
Scott: ‘Will you swear that?’
Hedley: ‘Yes.’
Scott: ‘God forgive you ; you would swear anything.’

Robert M’Killop, duly qualified medical practitioner, residing at Gundagai, being sworn, stated he knew the late Constable Bowen. He died early in the morning of the 23rd November. Witness had attended him from the 17th to that date. Made a post mortem examination
on the evening of the 23rd. Found a gunshot wound on the left side of the base of the neck, extending backwards and slightly downwards through the skin and muscular tissue. Found a bullet lodged in the right side of the vertebrae, lying against the bone.
The cause of death was a gunshot wound. The bullet (produced) was extracted from the wound. He had examined it with a Colt’s revolver and Martini Henri-rifle, and believed that it was fired from a Colt’s revolver. He had compared it with the Snider rifle and found it the same size in the bore, but there were some marks upon it that did not correspond with the Snider rifle. The bullet weighed a drachm and 12 grains.

During his examination at Gundagai, Scott said that the bullet did not come from a Snider rifle, but a small Colt’s revolver. He also said he knew who fired it ; that he did not, and he was not an informer, and would not say who did. [Scott asked to see the bullet, which he handled with evident curiosity.]
Freeman’s Journal (Sy dney, NSW : 1850 – 1932), Saturday 13 December 1879

If Scott was firing with a Snider rifle and the Constable was shot by a Colt’s revolver, who fired the shot?
9Circles

January 24, 2017

Mexican Bandits

Outlaws

San Francisco. Aug. 25. A dispatch from Tucson, A. T., says that Sheriff Butner, with a posse, left here last night to intercept and arrest
the Mexican brigand Reyes, who, with his band, were reported to be in this vicinity. Butner met them about eight
miles from town and a fight ensued in which about fifty shots were fired. The Mexicans fled, leaving several dead and wounded, as well as their animals and weapons, on the field. The sheriff followed, but soon lost their trail in the darkness. The bandits are supposed to number fifty. A company of United States troops are now in pursuit of them.
Knoxville (Tennessee) Daily Chronicle., August 26, 1880

December 22, 2016December 22, 2016

The Great Adelaide Insurance Fraud

“They came within an ace of getting away with it!”

The first trial in connection with what are known as the Adelaide insurance frauds was concluded at Adelaide on the 29th ult., Mr. Justice Boucaut being the presiding judge.
The defendants, James Barker and Dr. Horton, were charged with conspiring to defraud the Australian Mutual Provident Society by palming off upon them the ‘ life’ of a man named Weatherhead, whom they knew to be in a decline at the time the insurance was effected. William Hicks, the originator of the whole series of frauds, was charged with them, but, having turned Queen’s evidence, was discharged.
When the plot was formed Weatherhead was an inmate of the Destitute Asylum, having previously been discharged from the Adelaide hospital as incurable. Barker and Hicks now appeared on the scene, and by dint of liberal douceurs, and the promise of a comfortable maintenance for the rest of his days, obtained his consent to become the principal in the frauds.
By a skilful series of impersonations and the employment of certificates signed by Dr. Horton they succeeded in getting the society to pass Weatherhead’ s life, and took out a policy for £7000. They then transferred the dying man to Melbourne, and kept him in lodgings at Emerald-hill, where in a short time he died.
The plot was ‘blown’ through the curiosity of ‘a landlady, who read the letters and telegrams the conspirators carelessly left about. Hicks’s evidence, which was of a damnatory character, was sustained by a mass of undoubted ‘testimony, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty against the accused. Sentence was, however, postponed until a second charge of a similar nature against Barker was disposed of.
In the second case, in addition to ‘Barker and Hicks, Dr. Morrison was charged with conspiracy to defraud the Australian Alliance Assurance Company on a policy also effected on the life of Weatherhead under much the same circumstances as in the first case. Hicks again turned informer.
Barker and Morrison were convicted, the latter being recommended to mercy. Barker was sentenced to four years hard labor, Horton to two years, and Morrison to twelve months.
A third case, in which another man named Forsyth was mixed up, will be postponed, as Forsyth has decamped, having forfeited his bail.

Tragedy at the Melbourne Opera House

Attempted Murder and Suicide at Bourke St Opera House, Melbourne

A terrible scene occurred in the dress-circle of the Opera house on Saturday, July 24. Mr. J. J. Macgregor Greer, a young gentleman who only landed in. the colony a few days ago, shot his wife and Mons. A. L. Soudry, one of the members of
the French Exhibition commission appointed in connexion with the Melbourne Exhibition, and then attempted to take his own life. He was seated beside his wife during the evening, and when the curtain fell at the close of the fourth act M. Soudry took a seat next to Mrs. Greer. M. Soudry had scarcely sat down when Greer drew a revolver, and fired two shots in rapid succession — the first at M. Soudry, the second at Mrs. Greer. A third shot was fired, the pistol this time being aimed at Mons. Georges Bark, a friend of M. Soudry, who was seated in the chairs at the back of the circle. This shot missed its mark, and Greer then rushed along
the gangway. Putting the pistol to his ear as he ran, he fired a fourth shot into his own head, and fell on the floor, about 10 paces from the spot where the others dropped… meanwhile the lady and gentleman fired at had also fallen ; the lady lay stretched out on the seat, and the gentleman disappeared between the benches.
Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil, Saturday 31 July 1880

M. Soudry is a great draw for the French Court at the Melbourne International. About 2500 people daily accost him with the entreaty — ‘ Which man Mr. Soudry ? And when that ‘hero’ replies, ‘C’est moi,” 2499 out of the 2500 walk away disappointed.

Gundagai Times and Tumut, Tuesday 7 December 1880, (From, the Bulletin)

Plague

The Rabbit Plague

Warren, New South Wales

One of my strongest childhood memories is standing on the front seat of my grandfather’s car watching the hundreds, perhaps thousands of rabbits on the road ahead. We were near the hospital, it was dark and they were caught in the headlights. Some darted across the road, others just stood and stared. My grandfather swore he managed to swerve and miss them all.
It started, according to Brennan and White, with twelve wild rabbits imported on the clipper ‘Lightning’ in 1859 and released on Barwon Park near Geelong, Lord knows why! By 1950 there were 600 million on them.
Six or eight rabbits ate as much as one sheep so it was them or us. One Warren landholder claims to have trapped 4000 in one night.
I wonder if my grandfather really did try that hard to swerve.

Keep the Billy Boiling; R M Brennan, G White, 1980

Photo: F J Halmarick, smh.com

The Justice Machine

December 16, 2016February 15, 2017

The Australian Club

THE AUSTRALIAN CLUB, Sydney

Yesterday saw another relic of bygone times pass away, for the levelling work at the corner of O’Connell and Spring streets was continued, and now every vestige of the Australian Club, afterwards the Pulteney Hotel, has vanished. The old fig-tree, apparently half a century old, which has been a well-known landmark and an ornament for so long, was ruthlessly cut down to make way for a large warehouse. Many people were attracted by the falling tree, and it was sorrowful to see the place littered with the branches and cut-up trunk of the once noble relic. Opposite are some still more aged trees, who look as though they would soon join the ‘majority.’ The chief reason that this tree is being noticed is that it stood for so long in the yard of the Australian Club, a rather ugly building, which is just as well abolished as an ornament, but which has many an interesting tale told of it.
The Australian Club was established in 1838, and was the first thing of the kind in Sydney. Its aims were to ‘pro-mote social and literary intercourse, and to provide for the general interest and comfort of country gentlemen.’ It was a comfortable, home-like club, that had no politics to speak of, and invited all kinds of members. Before the discovery of gold the supervision over the roll of members was very severe; but riches proved so levelling that the vigilance had to be relaxed, for when a ‘no-body’ became lionised for his nuggets, even by governors, what club could keep its door shut? Again, if a member lost his position by ill-luck, and had to become a ‘tradesman,’ he still kept to his club. Thus all who followed in his line were eligible for membership, and so, by degrees this club’s scope grew wider, till the original design was quite lost sight of. The folks in those days thought it quite odd that beds should be provided, but it was simply an innovation for country members.
Among the rules formed in 1838 were these: ‘That economy be attended to as well as comfort; that no game of loo, etc, be permitted, no dice be used (except for backgammon), nor any higher stakes than half-crown points, nor any bet exceeding ten shillings a rubber, under pain of expulsion.’ Any article that was broken had to be paid for at double its rate. One rule says: ‘No provisions cooked in the clubhouse, and no wines or liquors shall be sent out of the house for the use of members, nor shall any person not a member be permitted to have refreshment at the clubhouse.’ A clause that reflects somewhat on our ancestors ran: ‘All members to pay bills before leaving the clubhouse, the steward having positive orders not to open an account with any individual.’ The rules about ‘complaints’ and taking by mistake books, etc., are still the same, and ever will be. The club became the Pulteney Hotel later on, when it was referred to as one of the ‘most respectable and elegant structures — the exterior having a fine appearance from the water; its interior arrangements are simple, and would do honor to any provincial town in Great Britain.’ Many people remember happy evenings spent in the big ball room here, nearly all public meetings and many pleasure gatherings were held in the same place; so that this corner must have many pleasant memories clinging round it. The old folks now love to talk over the early forties, when they were young fellows, and met nightly at the ‘club’. O’Connell-street, Bent-street, etc.,’ were considered quite suburban in 1838, where ‘elegant edifices arose, the homes of the most respectable families in town,’ surrounded with gardens, and fine trees, giving quite an air of ‘rustic grandeur’ to quote an ancient authority. It was about this time that Circular Quay was formed, that gas was introduced, that steamers began to run, that theatrical matters sprang into real life, that exports arrived at the sum of one million sterling; so that ‘the tastes, pursuits, comforts, and even elegances of English society were valued and enjoyed even more than in the largest towns in England.’ This aged tree, had it tongues in all its leaves, could tell much more, but — perhaps, it is just as well it cannot talk.
Evening News Sydney, Wednesday 21 September 1898

Letter to Editor: THE AUSTRALIAN CLUB.

To the Editor of the ‘Evening News.
Sir, — The paragraph, in your paper of to-day upon the old Australian Club will perpetuate an error if not corrected, and it is as well to be accurate even in trivial matters, especially when they become historical. It states in two places that the club was subsequently the Pulteney Hotel. Quite the reverse was the case, It was the Hotel by this name up to the early part of 1838; and kept by one Levien, who was an applicant for the stewardship of the club, then about to be formed. The owner of the property was the elder Manning, Curator of Intestate Estates. It was let or sold by him for the club, established, according to their rules, on the 24th May, 1838. The disappearance of the building reminds one of the prophecy of ‘the Temple’ — ‘There sha
ll not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down,’ for there is not a vestige of it left; a fit. but melancholy, sequel to the career of some of its original members, who were in their day ‘towers of strength,’ and the most distinguished people in the community. — Yours, etc; S.M.M September