The Ypsilanti Daily Press

Dr. Robert Ley Hangs Himself in Prison Cell
Nuernberg, Oct. 26—AP—Bull-necked, lugubrious Dr. Robert Ley, one-time luxury loving chief of Hitler's labor front, hanged himself in his cell last night at the Nuernberg jail, where he was awaiting trial as a war criminal.
His suicide may mean major changes in preparations for the trial of the 22 other leading Nazis incarcerated there. With the opening of the trial just 24 days away, Ley's death was believed to exclude the use of certain documents with high value as evidence, pertaining only to the ex-labor boss.
Ley was pronounced dead at 5:10 p. m. (2:10 p. m., EST) last night, after efforts to revive him failed. The official announcement, issued by Prison Commandant Col. C. B. Andrus of Denver, Col., said the body was discovered by a sentinel who became suspicious when Ley remained seated motionless in his cell for more than two minutes.
The 22 other top-ranking Nazi defendants were not informed of Ley's death. His body was removed to the prison morgue.
Ley was indicted Oct. 18 with 23 other defendants. One of them, Deputy Fuehrer Martin Bormann, will be tried in absentia. His whereabouts are unknown and he is believed to be dead.
The leader of the Labor Bund which operated under the slogan 'strength through joy', showed no emotion when he was served with the indictment in the bare prison cell. He requested counsel.
The indictment charged him on three counts—promoting the accession to power of the Nazi conspirators; war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Ley was captured by the U. S. 101st Airborne Division near Berchtesgaden, and he gave his name as 'Dr. Ernest Distelmeyer'. When U. S. counter-intelligence officers tried to question him, he produced a vial and attempted to swallow its contents. The officers knocked the vial from his hands.
He was identified at Division Headquarters by Frank X. Schwarz, Nazi party treasurer, and others.
A fanatical Nazi, Ley rose from the party ranks to a position of power as a Hitler lieutenant. He controlled 95 per cent of all the gainfully employed persons in the Reich.
In his capacity as labor chief Ley obliterated labor unions ruthlessly, and told all union members except Jews they were automatically members of the labor front. Those who protested either were killed or thrown into concentration camps.
He created the 'strength through joy' movement, and often lectured women on the advisability of bearing illegitimate children. He also battled the Catholic Church and led the Teutonic faith movement, with which the Nazis sought to supplant Christianity.