session for several weeks. During this session, the defend- could see, not one flinched when he heard his sentence. ants, having nothing else to do, were permitted to take This day was called "Judgment Day" in the records of their daily walks and, to attend a devotional service every the Tribunal. This was October 1, 1946. evening after supper. The original 13 met with me in these For security reasons, we were no longer permitted to devotional sessions every day, and the 13 always included have assembled services in the tiny prison chapel. The Goering. It was gratifying to see the working of the Holy chaplains spent the greater part of their time in visiting Spirit on some of these men. with the men in "death row." All others had been moved Chaplain O'Connor had agreed with me that we should to the second tier. The work became increasingly difficult ask the IMT to permit the families to visit their men before because "Stars and Stripes" had announced that the the final verdict should be spoken. Justice Lawrence was condemned men would be hanged 15 days after "Judgagreeable, and through my Commanding Officer, Colonel ment Day." Their attorneys had read this item with a Bertram Andrus, the families were notified. The wives and great deal of interest and had conveyed the thought to their the children arrived in Nuernberg and were quartered in clients during the few meetings they still had with their certain homes with- their children under direction of the men. Every man in "death row" seemed quite certain that Internal Security. The wives and the children passed the execution would take place on Wednesday, October through my office, where my office helper, a German secre- 16th and every man wanted to know which part of the day tary, arranged a schedule for the families to see their men- they should have to go into eternity. Would it be the folks in the courthouse. We saw little hands and tender morning? Would it be at noontime? And now, a surhearts moving about from our office to the room arranged prising arrangement was made. By permission of the big for the visitors. We sometimes kept the little ones in our four control council, the condemned men, upon their reoffice while the mothers visited with the fathers. The first quest, should have one more opportunity to speak with visits were indeed hard to take. Then for some reason, the their wives. Those were difficult hours for the convicted closed session of the judges was continued for another and their loved ones, and for the chaplains. Keitel did not week, which gave the families an extra week of visits of want to see his wife because as he said, "I am too emotionone hour every day. They were not allowed to touch each ally unstrung and I simply couldn't bear up under it." I other. The defendants were heavily guarded and the chap- heard Mr. Ribbentrop plead with his wife that their chillain with an officer stayed on the visitors' side of the dren should be kept in the Church and be brought up in screen. The arrangement was such that there wasn't a pos- the fear and admonition of the Lord. This statement, comsible chance to pass anything through. During these visits ing from Mr. Ribbentrop as it does, is especially interesting the little ones became very dear to us. It was my privilege to me because'at the beginning of our work, we discovered and delight to speak to some of them about the Saviour. that the whole family had withdrawn from the church. God forbid any boasting at this point, but I have the con- During Mr. Ribbentrop's imprisonment we arranged for viction that some of the little girls and boys who came the baptism of his three children. Mrs. Sauckel promised to visit their daddies during these sessions became better her husband that their nine children should stay close to acquainted with the Saviour. Many of them knew the same the Cross of Jesus. Goering had asked his wife what their bedtime prayers that I had learned as a child at my little daughter Edda had said about this whole situation. mother's knee. Our hearts were heavy as we bid these She replied that Edda had said she wanted to meet her families farewell at the end of their visits. Daddy in Heaven. By this time Goering was on his feet
Seenced: turning to leave and I saw tears on his cheeks for the first sentenced: time. As I met with him a little later in his cell, he said
After the judges were ready to bring in their verdict on that he had died when he left his wife upstairs.
the 21 men, the next court session was announced and the From that day on, we were with the men almost day defendants were assembled once more, in fact, for the last and night. Some of the men asked me to stop in to visit time in the courtroom. They sat through one whole day with them four and five times a day. Von Ribbentrop read to hear again the charges read under which they were to be his Bible most of the day. Keitel was especially interested convicted. The next day they were called in one by one and in certain Bible portions and certain hymns which spoke heard their final sentence spoken by Justice Lawrence. of the love of God in the redeeming Blood of Christ. The following men received the death sentence: Goering, Sauckel was much disturbed. He was so unstrung that I Von Ribbentrop, Keitel, Kaltenbrunner, Rosenberg, Frank, feared he would not hold up under the pressure. He would Frick, Streicher and Seyss Inquart. The following received pray aloud and always end our devotional sessions with, life imprisonment: Hess, Funk, Raeder. Von Schirach and "God be merciful to me, a sinner." These three celebrated Speer each received 20 years. Von Neurath, 15 years and the Lord's Supper with me in their cells. God had changed Donetz 10 years imprisonment. Von Papen, Schacht and these hearts along the way and now in the face of losing Fritzsche were declared free men by the Military Tribunal. all material things, even their lives, they could hear the All men were tried on one or more of the following promises of God to penitent sinners through the lips of counts: Jesus who received sin burdened souls.
1. Crimes against peace.
2. Planning a war. Goering's Suicide:
3. War crimes. There was much excitement on the 16th of October. Th4. Crimes against humanity. The Chaplains went from cell to cell and stayed a few The men took the verdicts like soldiers and as far as I (Continued on page 20) ukly-August, 1947 5