Ruth Deutschmann

Grinzens

2008-07-07

1952

So, those who had smuggled cattle, have earned quite good. And they have piped in the inn with two-liter bottles of wine, and we can not even afford a glass. The indigenous population, which is always to keep the smugglers. That's kind of obvious. No longer the case, but earlier, when no work was possible. In the upper mountain for example. There is no proper road went in, there was no traffic. Since everything has been ushered in by horse and carts for the business that was inside the grocery store and such. Or for the sea farm on the upper lake above Berger, everything is been so placed, no car, no tractor. And the cattle that was being bought or sold on the market, which were mostly in South Tyrol, either dealer or own the cattle purchased. And they in turn have hired driver, young boys who are hinübermarschiert with the cattle across the yoke. They bought the cattle, for example, in Matrei or in Steinach and over yoke led, once to the upper mountain over and Upper Mountain to the valley down the back at the last houses, and then again over over Larchjoch about it or about the Thurnerjoch, Gsteildöchl, Poltjoch back to Colle. Or to Flersch. So, yes most of the smugglers have been informed where the customs officers were, or where they went. And of course the drivers have chosen this path. Too many times by false information, where will the smugglers, led by secret ads are misleading. And 1952 or 1952, as we are gone into service at night. It was in September, nor too light, we are in the office, have brought our service contracts and armament. Then we are back to the apartment, have waited until now dark. Then we are hinausgestiegen the window, and right across the field back into it up to the point where the trail goes from the Kastenalm down. From Kastenalm the trail led down to the last houses in the valley, and then gone up to the upper lake Berger. And then over Portjoch over to Flersch. We are there across the fields across the road and at the last houses right up where the trail lead down from the Kastenalm. It was beautiful moonlight. A dense tree with large branches, as we have hineingehockt below. Behind us a large stone to us, we have modeled. As we are maybe five or ten minutes sat. Then one has visited, a hunter with a rifle, a hat, a Rucksackl on the back. We could pass. This was a precursor to one hundred percent misleading. And five minutes later, the other with the cattle, therefore, come. Five men with nine cows. After we have also vorbeigelassen because the trail has gone obliquely from above. When they were on the same level, we are shot out of the sleeping out with the pistol in the air: "Stop, customs guards," and then you can already see only swirl a little dark, and the shoes, and everything has run away. The people, the five men are running away. Below, we have heard, as they have knocked over the fence. For years afterwards I did not come on who was there. And one was even injured, as they have pretended the next day: "Yes, he has fallen in Heuziehen, and since he hurt himself." If he would check that he had a confirmation is where and how it happens . And my colleague, who was a young lad in front of the military as a herdsman in the pasture, he is the same on ahead and has held up the critters from below. And I'm behind other, and have them all again nachgetrieben. You were indeed was linked, and one is left, one right past a small tree, they have knocked over normal. I once cleared, and then we have had all nine pieces together. And afterwards we stayed with it. We lift them up in the neighboring stall, which was empty set, watched all night, that they are not stolen again. And the next day, the Tyrolean Viehverwertung dahergekommen with a big truck, they are loaded and taken to Innsbruck and auctioned at the Viehverwertung. And since then the state has again collects the money. So, all we have confiscated, which is sold or has been auctioned, and the state collects the money. And the people we have not, of course, caught. We had to look that we have the goods.