Letters, Feb. 22, 1943

A List of Good Germans

Sirs: . . . About 5% of the German people dared to vote against Hitler as late as 1934, were courageous enough to help the oppressed ones and to exercise humane acts under mortal danger. On these true Christian Germans, these descendants of Lessing, Goethe, Mozart and Beethoven, the inevitable new edifice of the German state must be based. They must take over the jobs of city mayors, of foremen in factories, of presidents in scientific societies. . . . But how can they be found out? I propose that a list be made up of all such Germans who committed dangerous actions to help innocent victims of Nazi persecution. . . . Let such a list come from refugees, Christian and Jewish and Russian and Polish and French and Norwegian. Each refugee knows a few such Germans. Let these refugees know that the names procured will be kept completely secret. . . . This list will be given to the commanders of the victorious armies of the United Nations who shall put these good Germans to the job of initiating the rebirth of the true German nation. RUDOLF SCHINDLER, M.D. Chicago

Booby Traps, 1840

Sirs: Referring to "The First Booby Traps" (TIME, Feb. 1), mention is made of Gabriel Rains, who first experimented with such devices. I have a letter written to my grandfather, William Alexander Carter, who went to Florida with the 2nd Dragoons in 1836. This refers to the Seminole Indians. "Adjutant's Office -3rd Artillery Fort Peyton, May 4, 1840."

"Dear Carter: . . . We have a little Indian news lately. Capt. Rains, 7th Infantry, placed a shell on an Indian trail and covered it with a shirt. An Indian came and removed the shirt when the shell exploded and wounded him severely. Capt. Rains then put four shells in a blanket and placed them on another trail. The Indians discovered and resolved to catch him in his own trap. So they collected their warriors to the number of 85 or 90 and surrounded the spot; they then by means of a cord exploded the shell. Down goes Capt. Rains with a Sergt. Corpl. and sixteen men. On coming to the place he found an old "Koon" (sic) dead. Whilst he was kicking or turning the Koon over with his foot the Indians rose up and fired. The men behaved very handsomely, at once formed and extended. The chief of the party was twice seen to step out and fire at the Sergt. who was very active in forming his men; the third time he struck the Sergt. when he (the Sergt.) turned and rushed at the Indian until he got to pretty close quarters, he then fired and killed the rascal. When their chief fell the Indians fell back and slackened their fire considerably—in the meantime Capt. Rains had been shot down. The Sergt. seeing the effect produced on the enemy charged them boldly then rapidly retreated and thus succeeded in getting clear with Capt. Rains and other wounded men. We had two killed, Capt. Rains and four others wounded, the former mortally being shot through the lungs. . . .

Your friend, Randolph Ridgely." EDWARD F. CORSON, M.D. Plymouth Meeting, Pa.