The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-13 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN CLERGYMAN IN AUSTRIA

The Rev. James Cook Richmond, an American clergy
Man, gives the following account of his treatment by the
Austrian police while travelling in Hungary :
" Pelegyhaza, Dec. 23.—This morning, between 4 and
5 o'clock, a gendarme intruded into my bedroom, or-
dered me up, and, in a violent snowstorm, compelled me
to leave Kecskemet in a jolting waggon, over frozen
roads. I arrived only two hours before the mid-day
tin, by which I had voluntarily promised to leave, and
so exhausted that I could not continue my journey.
" Deo. 29.—Last night I hoped to rest. Three gen-
darmes, by order of the Hussar-Bittmeister, Herr Von
Falkenhayn, of Felagyhaza, broke down the door (which
Was split into two pieces), and threatened to shoot me
dead' if I did not instantly arise. I arose, showed the
word America' in my regular passport, and told them
that you had declared that the rights of an American
citizen should not be violated with impunity, but
should be reverenced throughout the world. With
brutal, coarse, and disgusting minuteness and violence,
they proceeded to examine my dress, thrusting their
dirty hands into my bosom, and rifled my pockets of
my papers and money. They told me I had never
fallen into the right hands before, and they would teach
me that my obstinacy (in refusing to answer their in-
suking questions) would soon be diminished,' &c. The
officer of the three then declared me under arrest, and,
taking me, at 1 o'clock in the morning, through another
snowstorm, showed me a soldier's dirty bed in the guard-
room, saying, 'There's a good bed at your disposal.'
Meantime, as they had forgotten to look under the pillow
in the room where I was arrested, and had asked per-
mission to take what they had left, with the under-
standing that I was not to be searched again I then
took out my watch and paper-money, which I did not
suffer them to see. As soon as I reached the guard-
room the officer, who had before commanded the gen-
darmes to feel for letters sewed under my clothes,'
undertook to examine me again. On my manifesting
surprise, he said to on ea
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hands into my pantaloons p
my paper money, miscounted it, and Put it away. With-
out undressing I lay down upon the bed, a prisoner,
while the gendarmes in the guardroom played at cards,
drank, quarrelled, and swore during the remainder
of the night. I asked permission in the morning
to telegraph or write to the American Ambassador at
Vienna. Refused. At 10 a.m. I was taken to the
Eittmeister (commander of Hussars), Herr Von Falk en:
hayn, who, meantime, bad become alarmed by the possi-
ble consequences of these proceedings executed under
his orders. I must confess that the accused and the
judge rapidly changed places, and, on his questioning
rne, I replied, the matter was now out of my hands, and
must be settled between the Austrian Empire and my
country. He promised to restore my papers and set
me at liberty, if I would immediately depart. I re-
minded him of the declaration of the Apostle Paul,
They have beaten us openly and uncondetnned, being
Romans,' and told him it was easier to arrest an Ame-
rican citizen than to set him at liberty. It was
finally resolved on my part, that I should demand satis-
faction from Austria through the American Ambassador,
and, on his, that I should remain under police observa-
tion till the answer came down from Vienna. This last
was. only a ruse to alarm me, for in an hour my papers
and passport were sent to me, with a wish that I should
leave the place. This I shall do as soon as it suits my
convenience. I have not been invited to pay for the
broken door.
"It is absolutely necessary that this occasion should
be used to teach the Austrian Government that an inno-
cent American traveller, whose papers are almost
more than perfect (my passport is covered with sig-
natures of Austrian ambassadors,
mann, through Paris, Italy, h from Baron Hulse-
with impunity, between Christmasearce,d
Decemberthoet
29th, be searched, ordered out,
imprisoned, and twice minute v
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violently lently arrested,
i
with exposure to an hourly and searched . again,
these capricious and dangerous nroceedin rek?titiony ostf
learn that there is an important difference between must
subjects—exposed without remedy to all their whims—
and a freeman from the United States. Not doubting
that the President will take immediate and decided steps
in this important matter, I remain, with the highest
regard, ike before, to., `` 3. C.