Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930 - Flipbook - Page 90
1917
L O N G B AY
GAO L
B L AC K H A N D A L I E N
Frank Radatz
ESC APE FROM AN INTERNMENT C AMP
Frank Radatz, a 30 year old fitter born in Germany also known as
Fritz Georgi, was photographed at the State Penitentiary, Long
Bay on 10 April 1917 while serving a sentence for escaping from
an internment camp.
During the First World War, Radatz was considered an enemy
alien under the War Precautions Act 1915. Enemy aliens were
held in NSW gaols and internment camps including Holdsworthy
Internment Camp, on the south west outskirts of Sydney. Over
4000 internees were housed in the camp. They were mostly of
German and Austrian birth, from all social classes and
occupations.
Radatz arrived in Australia in 1914. Within months he was
convicted of gun theft and served time in Brisbane gaols. In
April 1915 he was again accused of stealing arms, but failed to
appear at Brisbane Supreme Court to face charges. Not for the
first time, Radatz travelled from Queensland to NSW to avoid the
law. By this stage, War had broken out. Radatz was handed over
to military authorities and interned on 28 June 1915 at
Holdsworthy where he became involved in the Black Hand Society.
This was a gang which threatened, assaulted, and extorted money
from fellow internees, especially those who were wealthy and
fearful of injury or death. Radatz and Hans Portmann, a sailor
from Melbourne, were two of the Society’s leaders.
The Black Hand Society was disbanded on 19 April 1916.
Some internees had become frustrated at their treatment by the
Society and the unwillingness of military authorities to
intervene in the gang’s activities. They rounded up twenty gang
members and attacked them with clubs, sticks and poles.
Portmann and Radatz were thrown over the camp gates to waiting
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