1) Shooting a Jew in Lida by his own hand during the collection on 8 May 1942
As, in the course of the mass executions in Lida of 8 May 1942 (see No. I, 1 & II, 1 = p 55 ff and 22), the Jews of the Krupowska-Postowska-Chlodna section were being driven to the selection site at the railway underpass in Koscharowa St., the accused Werner came toward the column and screamed that they must march by 4s. He threatened to shoot anyone who was out of line. Just then a son of a Judenrat member, about 20, was marching as 5th in a row, so as not to be separated from his parents. The accused shot this Jew on the spot, and openly, in order to “make an example”. The parents of his Jew were, by the way, later sent left at selection, but knowing their son to be dead, voluntarily went right and to execution. (vol 5 p 791 a Cordes) vol 11 p 1491 (Konopko)
Participation in mass executions
The accused participated first in the selection of Jews from the Postowska section, in that, by corresponding hand gestures or pointing, he sent particularly skilled artisans and other “useful” Jews to the left, and the rest to the right and execution. Vol 20 p 2832 (Girscowicz) vol 2 p 244, 247 & vol 21 p 2913 (Geller), vol 21 p 2947 & vol 22 p 3002 (Frenkiel)
Later he actively participated in selection of Jews from the Piaski section. He stood at this selection site, with others, on the other side of the street, there checked, among other things, the Jews’ work permits, and then indicated the direction with “right, left”, in which the Jew had to go. The majority he sent right. Vol 10 p 1395 (Z. Berkowicz) vol 11 p 1471 (Dr. Kiveloff), vol 17 p 2347 & vol 20 p 2825 (Rubinowicz), vol 20 p 2853 (Gorfung) vol 21 p 2901, 03 (Arluk)
Thus, for example, he sent the witness Rubinowicz, who was employed by him, left. The witness’ parents and 3 siblings 10 to 16 years old, he sent to right, however, and thereby to death. As the witness pleaded with him, please to send his family left, too, the accused yelled angrily “By thunder! The family right”. Thus it remained. Vol 11 p 1476 (Cummings) vol 17 p 2347 f & vol 20 p 2824/27 (Rubinowicz)
At the execution site in Lida the accused gave orders through hand signals in an intoxicated state and collected, among other things, the valuables deposited by the victims. Vol 11 p 1483 (Cummings) vol 19 p 2689 (Barzach-Tennenbaum) He is alleged to have ordered 2 young girls to disrobe at the execution site. The girls are said to have cried and pleaded with him for their lives. Werner is alleged to have sent them both to execution remarking he “couldn’t change anything”. vol 20 p 2835 (Girscowicz), vol 19 p 2689 (Barzach-Tennenbaum)
On the other hand, the accused rescued his messenger, the witness Cummings,
from certain death at the execution site. As the witness, after disrobing,
was standing at the edge of the trenches with his parents and both brothers,
the accused noticed him there and pulled him to one side. Thereupon
the execution squad shot at the witness and hit him in the rib cage.
The accused succeeded in bringing the witness, not seriously wounded, to
safety into a nearby wooden lean-to, unnoticed. Cummings made
the accused aware of his parents with “my mother, my father”, whereupon
the Werner replied he could “do nothing”. Shortly thereafter the
parents and brothers of the accused were shot by the execution squad.
The accused returned to the execution site and left the witness lying alone
in the shed. From here, the witness saw how Werner, in the course
of the subsequent executions, shot down some Jews who were trying to fell.
Two of them did not get up again. Vol 11 p 1483 (Cummings)
After darkness fell, Werner’s chauffeur drove him to pick up Cummings
in an armored truck. He gave Cummings a suit and a piece of bread
and had the chauffeur render first aid. Then he took him back to
the Lida ghetto in the armored truck.
Cummings was operated on by Dr. Mason. Dr. Mason removed a bullet
from the left rib cage. According to Dr. Mason’s testimony, Cummings
was “totally depressed and without any will to live”. Vol 11 p 1483,
1549 (Dr. Mason)
On 9 May 1942 the accused Werner and the accused Windisch, with no others, directed the selection at Zoludek already described under No. II, 3 = p 24. The accused stood on the right side of the street and was obviously trying to pull or kick as many Jews as possible over to the right, to execution. After the selection of 82 – sent to the left – skilled artisans, Werner said he now had enough. The accused Windisch thereupon left. The remaining Jews were now all led off to execution. Werner went over to the group of 82 skilled artisans and bragged to the Polish mayor of Zoludek, Kulinski, that he had shot the Jewish physician Kowarski, that morning, because he had said the day of judgment will come. Vol 13 p 1912 ff, vol20 p 2808 ff (Beirach)
When the Polish mayor called up some of the Jews from a list in tears, the accused screamed at him these words: “You love Jews, look, how the mayor loves the Jews”. Vol 1 p 24 f, vol 19 p 2577 (Zadarnowska) vol 13 p 1912, vol 20 p 2805 (Beirach)
Then he checked the group of 82 skilled artisans against a list. When hereupon the secretary of the Judenrat, Josef Derewianski wanted to be helpful, the accused asked him what his occupation is. Derewianski thereupon answered honestly that he was a shaft maker. Thereupon the accused became angry and screamed “You cheated me, you’re a shaft maker and were secretary of the Judenrat”. He struck Derewianski bloody with a riding whip and had a local policeman force him to the Jews destined for execution.
On 12 May 1942 the accused Werner also participated in the selection of Jews in Ivje in the manner already described under No. II, 4 = p 25.
So he sent, for example, the witness Dworecki, his wife, and 3 children to the right, while his parents, a sister and a brother, with both their children, he sent straight ahead to execution. When the 77-year-old mother of the witness tried to join him, the accused sprang over to her, opened a gaping, strongly bleeding wound on her head with several blows of his whip, and sent her straight ahead. When, after the war, a Russian Commission in Ivje opened the mass graves, in the presence of the witness Dworecki, he recognized the body of his mother. Vol 20 p 2795 (Dworaecki) doc. Vol III, p 206
A few hours after the selection the accused appeared with his shepherd dog before the surviving Jews, who waited in a side street near the selection site. He calmed the terrorized Jews and ordered them to deliver all valuables and money. He threatened to shoot anyone subsequently found with any valuables or money. When the witness Dr. Kaplinski asked the accused if he also had to give up his fountain pen, the accused said yes. Vol 1 p 297 & vol 21 p 2896 (Melamed), vol 7 p 1096 f (Werner), vol 12 p 1790 (Dr. Kaplinski)
5) Shooting of the Jew Jossek (about December 1941)
In the winter months of 1941/2, the accused often went out by sleigh on Sundays. His secretary Mrs. Herbst was his regular companion. Transparency map #58, vol 17 ; 1478 (Cummings)
On this sleigh rides, Werner played the “wild man”. He lashed out randomly with his whip at Jews clearing the streets of snow. Sometimes he even shot at Jews’ feet with a shotgun from the sleigh. Vol 11 p 1477 f (Cummings) vol 12 p 1641 (Sawicki), vol 16 p 2213 (Pupko), vol 19 p 2692 (Barzach-Tennenbaum).
One Sunday morning, presumably in December 1941, 20 to 30 Jews were clearing the snow that had fallen that night from the courtyard of the building in which the accused lived. The accused wanted to ride out with his sleigh, but the frozen courtyard gate could not be opened. This brought the accused into such a rage, that he struck some Jews with a horsewhip, whereupon they ran away. One of these Jews, named Jossek, fell dwon. When Jossek didn’t get up on the accused saying “you cursed Jew, get up”, he drew his pistol and laid him low with several shots. The accused laughed maliciously and ordered the other Jews to dispose of the body. Vol 3 p 458, vol 6 p 965, vol 11 p 1478 f (Cummings), (vol 12 p 1641, Sawicki) p 1666, (Arluk), (vol 19 p 2692 Barzach-Tennenbaum)
6) Shooting an unknown woman near the Judenrat (December 1941)
In December 1941, 9 Jewish persons, among them a woman whose name is unknown, were arrested for not carrying identity papers and incarcerated near the Judenrat in Koscharowa St. The unknown woman tried to fell and was shot in the process. Thereupon she ran toward the Judenrat offices, into which the accused Werner was just about to enter. The accused shot this woman from a distance of about 1 meter. The woman collapsed near the witness Reznik – a liaison at the Judenrat – dead. Vol 21 p 2933 (Reznik)
7) Shooting of an unknown Jew (Spring 1942)
The accused Werner is particularly remembered by nearly all the domestic and foreign witnesses for often setting his feared, aggressive shepherd dog “Donner” on Jews. He demonstrated visible joy when his dog, trained as an attack dog, attacked Jews on his words “seize, Donner, Jew”, tore the clothing, and gave some Jews bleeding bite wounds. Meanwhile the accused stood, legs apart, and laughed maliciously.
(vol 1 p 66, 175) – vol 3 p 241, 244, 344, 352, 452, 468, 475, 512, 581, 612, 633, 650, - vol 4 p 692, - vol 5 p 789, 807, 847, 873, - vol 6 p 949- vol 7 p 1026 f, 1098 f, 1125 – vol 8 p 1137, - vol 10 p 1394, 1398 – vol 11 p 1477, 1509, 1530 f, 1564, 1571 f, 1608 – vol 12 p 1659 – vol 13 p 1816 f, vol 14 p 1975, - vol 16 p 2213, 2325, vol 17 p 2347 – vol 19 p 2625, 2632, 2686 ff – vol 20 p 2825 – vol 21 p p 2844, 2849, 2851, 2860, 2886, 2911, 2930, 2948
Thus, he set his dog on, among others, the witness Josef Kaplan. The dog bit him in the derriere. Vol 3 p 650 (J. Kaplan), (vol 17 p 2405, Kalmanowicz)
Furthermore, he once set his dog on the uncle of the witness Stul. When he tried to defend himself from the dog with a shovel, the accused drew his pistol, saying “you cursed Jew”. Thereupon the uncle of the witness dropped the shovel. Vol 11 p 1530 f (Stul)
Another time the accused set his dog on a Jewess. The dog bit her in the shoulder.
One Sunday the accused set his dog on the witness Cummings’ uncle. The dog, however, didn’t bite [the man]. From anger, the accused struck the witness’ uncle in the face with a whip. Vol 11 p 1477 (Cummings)
The accused often ordered his house Jew, the witness Cummings, to set the dog on Jews. He threatened to shoot the witness if he refused.
According to the testimony of the witness Barzach-Tennenbaum, who worked as truck mechanic for the accused, Werner once set his dog on a Jew, who was seriously bitten. Vol 19 p 2686 f (Barzach-Tennenbaum)
The witness Rubinowicz reported, that in some cases the dog tore chunks of flesh from peoples’ bodies, and the victims were left lying, seriously injured. Vol 20 p 2825 (Rubinowicz)
The witness Frenkiel was – as was the previously mentioned witness Barzach-Tennenbaum – employed by the accused Werner as truck driver and mechanic, The dog was thus accustomed to the witness. When, at work in the Lida warehouse for confiscated property, the accused once set the dog on a Jew, the witness called him to him. Thereupon the accused threatened to shoot the witness, should he ever try that again. Vol 22 p 3064 (Frenkiel)
In late autumn 1941, the witness was ordered to get 4 barrels of turpentine from the Lida paint warehouse with a small truck and 4 other Jews. When the 4 Jews couldn’t heave the heavy barrels onto the truck, the accused set his dog on them with the words “Donner, grab hold, help them”.
Thereupon the dog attacked each of the 4 Jews in turn and bit them. One of these Jews fell. The dog leaped on him and bit him deeply on the body and legs, so that he bled freely. Only after the other 3 had loaded the turpentine barrels did the accused call off the dog, and drove off, without any regard for the 4th Jew lying on the ground. The other Jews loaded the victim on the truck. He died on the trip back. Vol 21 p 2948, vol 22 p 3063 f (Frenkiel)
Even if it cannot be ascertained with the certainty necessary to raise it to an indictment, the accused can be said, by setting his dog on Jews, to have taken into account the possibility of their deaths by bite wounds, and condoned it. This attitude is symptomatic of the accused.
In one case the accused did not shrink from shooting a young Jew who sought to defend himself from the dog. (No. II, 7 = p 28). This Jew was clearing trees, with about 50 other Jews, in the vicinity of the accused’s residence. The accused passed by and set his dog on a young Jew, saying “Donner, Jew, Jew”. When this Jew tried to defend himself from the dog, and get loose, the accused drew a pistol and shot this unknown young Jew on the spot. The body could only be removed after work was done for the day. Vol 11 p 1495 (Cummings)
The attitude of the accused described above – particularly setting his dog on people – explains why the Jews of Lida so feared the accused, that they threw themselves to the ground when they encountered him on the street. Vol 5 p 1857 (M. Kahler), vol 7 p 1110 (Werner)
8) Participation in the Aktion against the Vilner Jews ( 1 March 1942)
On 1 March 1942 the accused Werner participated – with other members of the RC, in the Aktion against the Vilner Jews descrtibe under No. I, 8 = p 19. As the 4 Jews arrested on account of the armed robbery of a priest indicated the Jews allegedly from the Vilnius area, the accused, among others, ordered these Jews arrested. 7 were shot on the spot on the oral orders of the RC Hanweg by German Gendarmerie. A further 35 Jews were first incarcerated in the cellar of the RC, and later shot in the Lida jail in the presence of the accused Werner. Vol 11 p 1469 (Dr. Kiveloff), vol 21 p 2912 (Geller), p 2930 p 2390 f (Reznik)
9) Murder of the stable boy Narkunski (Summer 1942)
Behind the apartments belonging to the RC Lida was a riding stable. The witness Cordes caught the Jewish stable boy Jacob Narkunski at sodomy there, in the summer of 1942. In his shock, he reported this to the accused Werner. In the meantime, the stable boy had fled. Vol 5 p 792 & vol 12 p 1685 (Cordes)
Thereupon the accused presumably ordered the Judenrat to deliver the stable boy or 10 Jews as hostages. One or two days later, the Judenrat delivered up Narkunski. The witnesses differ in their testimony as to the further fate of the stable boy. One thing is certain, that the accused had the boy hung or tied to a kind of carpet beater, with bare torso, whipped him thoroughly, and that the stable boy died later.
According to the testimony of the witness Zietlow, div. Hanweg, the stable boy was hung upside down, as she watched the accused Werner brutally whipping the boy. Later the father of the stable boy told her that his son had been whipped to death by the accused Werner. Vol 5 p 1874, 901 (Zietlow) (vol 5 p 859 Kahler), (vol 12 p 1683 Mrs. Cordes)
The witnesses Barzach-Tennenbaum, Frenkiel, Jehuda Narkunski (brother of the stable boy) and Eberhard Hanweg, in contrast, testify, in agreement with the accused Werner, that the stable boy merely had his hands tied. To ease his situation, after several hours of hanging thus, the witness Barzach-Tennenbaum pushed broken bricks under his feet. The stable boy was therefore alive at this time. None of the 4 witnesses don’t know how the stable boy was later killed. Vol 5 p 902 (E. Hanweg), vol 7 p 1103 (Werner, vol 19 p 2693 (Barzach-Tennenbaum), vol 21 p 2669 (J. Narkunski), vol 2949 (Frenkiel).
The witness Cordes, on the other hand, testified that he does not know how the stable boy died. But he does know with certainty that the accused Werner at least encouraged his shooting later and is in any case responsible for his death. Vol 5 p 792 & vol 12 p 1685 (Cordes)
More certain findings on the circumstances that led to the death of the stable boy may perhaps be determined in the main proceeding, particularly through cross-examination of the witness Cordes by confronting him with the testimony of the other witnesses.
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