The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-29 00:00:00

The American War,

A poor victim of the American war was brought
up to the French Correctional Police on Wednes-
day. He was a poor lad, 16 years of age, whom all
human miseries seemed to have stricken, Puny and
stinted in growth, his cadaverous and pinched fea■
tures looked smaller still under a mass of long
woolly hair. He said his name was Henry Muller.
He had been placed by somebody in the hands of
the police, and, as he had neither dwelling nor
means of existence, had been detained as a vagrant
without any place of abode. When interrogated,
he said :—The person who got me arrested is one
Perrot, a working shoemaker. He brought me to
sleep at his lodging one night, out of charity, and
he sent me away the next day because I could not
be of any use to him. That night I slept in a cab;
the following day I went to him to beg of him to
keep me with him ; it was then that he gave me
over to the police.

The magistrate said—Who are you ? Where do
you come from ? Who are your parents ?
He then related as follows :—I am an American.
I have never seen my father. I came to Paris at

the age of ten with my mother, who owns two
houses in New Orleans. Three months ago she in-

formed me that she was going back to America, and
asked me if I wished to be put to school or as an
apprentice. .1 choose the apprenticeship. Then
my mother placed me at a photographist's, and
piid four months in advance for me-100f. in ready
money and 400 f. in bills payable at her banker's,
Mr Borde's, in the Rue Taitbout. The banker re-
fused to pay, having nothing to my mother's credit.
Then my master turned me away at the end of a
month. Since then no one will take me as I have
no papers, and also because I am too delicate.
A lady (a woman of colour) came forward.
The President—You know this lad?
Witness—l know that his mother abandoned him
he says she is at New Orleans.
The President—You can do nothing for him ?

Witness—lt is impo6sible for me, sir. I have
two daughters, and I have retired with them to Ba-
tignolles for economy. War is raging in my country,
and I cannot return to it.
The President (to the prisoner)—You were with-
out work for two months ?
Prisoner—Yes, sir.
President—How have you lived during that time?
Prisoner—As well as I could with what people

gave me.
President—Have you sought for work ?
Prisoner—Yes, sir, but as I have no papers no one
will have any thing to do with me.
The Procureur Lepelletier—He is a Southern, the
Consul will not give him papers, the South not
being recognised.
Witness—The poor lad is of coloured race ; he
has African blood in his veins ; they will do nothing

for him.
President—lf, in a week from this, you find some
one who would occupy himself about him, we would
adjourn the case for a week.
Witness—l have done all with that end; he is an
African ; people wont take him.
President (to the prisoner)—And you don't know
your mother's address ?
Prisoner—No; she was with a gentleman, and
she used to say to me when I made her angry, " I
will abandon you."
The tribunal adjourned the case for a week in the
cope that the publicity given to this affair may ex-
cite in young Muller's favour the commiseration of
charitable persons.