, 1872-12-04
A ROUGH EXPERIENCE.

A German EmtRraut Arrested Without Cause,
= Sentenced to the Brldesye1l, and Imprisoned
There Twentysthree Days--His Family Be-
come Inmates Of the Poor House,
a German emigrant, named y. Bikey, On his
way to fame and fortune in the West, arrived in
this city On the morning Of Oct. 20, accompanied
by his wife and two children. a balance Of 81, 80
was all that remained in the family e1chequer.
They put up at the Union Hotel, No. 100 West
Water street, and the following morning the
father went out in search OF employment. Wan
dering along that part OF North avenue lying
around Canal street, he breathed the air Of free4
dom, his lungs we're full Of the e1hiir-
ating atmosphere, and he sailed proudly
along, not caring fig for the conscript
laws Of his native country. Here he was free
man. No enforced service could be exacted
from him. The future seemed bright, and the
present was not wholly devoid OF pleasure. He
gazed upon the reconstructed city with wonder
and admiration, not unmi1ed with joy, and
thought ho# good thing it waa to be in coun-
try where rapid rebuilding WAS possible. Pref
entity he observed two men beating q policeman.
It was his first Introduction to American liberty,
his maiden experience. He stopped and looked.
The poGceman's cap was knocked off. Like the
polite German and the future good American
citizen that he was, he picked up the hat and
held it until the roEdies had retreated;
aAN tl6 pUuC6Iudu Lu4AoA Lib GkkTAt4V4
to him. With that ability to blunder
which characterizes policemen in this young
Republic as well as in the despotio monarchles
Of Europe, the officer arrested him, and arraign-
ed him before Chicago's legal lurainary, Nr,
@ understand word p2 Of English. He could only
swear in the yernncnlar OF Goethe. Banyon
WAS as ignorant. of German as Of law. Bikey
was fined $40 and costs, pnt into the Black
Maria, wheeled to the Bridewell, and initiated
S.-tu t1-:A1 IT,
know what to make Of the whole proceeding,
but concluded it waa way they had in this land
Of the free and domicile Of the
brave. He waB incarcerated for twenty-three
days, during which he endured exquisite torture
about his family, who were without money,
strangers in strange land His wife was nearly
crazy. She was out o. cash and out OF hus
band. The children wept for their father, and
the entire family began to entertain an exalted
opinion Of the United States il general, and Of
Chicago in particular. After Blk days anxious
the hotel, kept the family for nothing, Bilkey
was given up for lost. The dark End dirty river
was pointed to rs the solution Of the mystery
He was believed to be lying at full length
IN shroud =, Of mud on its oozy
as last refuge, and all The
cheerful prospects and domestic happiness Of
the courageous immigrants who had crossed the
wild waves to find a babitation in this supposed
better land, we're immured within its gloomy
precincts. The world vent on as before, but
there was no peace or comfort for the widow and
the fatherleas until one fine morning, when the
absent one returned, and Was welcomed as one
that rose from the dead They all united in pro-
nounclng this 81 great and glorious country.
the County Agent with passes to Goodanough, ,
III. They shook the mud off their shoes, a. q
testimony against Chicago, and left with q fer
vent prayer that, in other parts Of the State,
II s1 Ia