The Republican journal., 1873-05-29
The Wreckers of Ruqen.

The people of Bergen, on the island of
Rugen, in the Baltic, close to the coast of
Pomerania, had on the I'd of April, 1873,
the melancholy spectacle Of the execution
OF a man over sixty years OF age, his aged
wife and only son being compelled to
witness it, Terrible us this retribution
was, the crimes which this family had
perpetrated for a number of years with
equal wickedness and audacity and by
which scores of innocent people lost their
lives, would certainly seem to justify it.
This family of criminals, John Bahlsen,
the father, Arnold, the son, and Jane, the
wife, lived in a small cottage on the sea-
coast, "A few miles from the Cape OF Arcona,
50 dreaded by the mariners of the Baltic
The whole coast between Arcona and
Sagard is dangerous in the extreme, and
in stormy nights seamcn anXiously hope
tor the bright glare OF the Arcona light
house, which, however, is frequently in
visible owing to the dense fogs.
The Bahlsens, ostensibly fishermen, had
in reality followed the nefarious trade of
wreckers They were assisted in their
infamous operations by the very sparse
population of the neighboring country.
They lived like hermits, they had few
visitors, if any. and people disliked to have
anything to do with them on account of
their torbiddin@ manners. The general
belief of the neighbors was that the
Bahslens were very poor and the shabby
| and ragged clothes which they wore, even
when they went to the Sagard market,
| seemed to confirm this impression. Every
month either the father or his son Arnold,
would drive wagon heavily loaded. to
the Stralsund Ferry, and return day or
two atterward There were, indeed,
rumors that the Bahlsens We're smugglers;
but, inasmuch as all the fishermen of
Rugen sin more or less in that direction.
little or no attention was paid to it, and
| the custom house officers Of the district
| positively denied the assertion.
| In stormy and foggy nights, when the
Arcona White Light was almost invisible,
they wonld light on the rock-bound shore
near their cottage u bright fire, ostensibly
| tor the purpose of smoking fish by it.
| Gusts Of wind, they had Observed would
every now and then rend the fog, 50 that
| the glare of their fire would be plainly
visible when the Arcona light house would
constantly be enveloped in a dense mist.
/ Captains OF ships Off the coast would mis-
| take the trcacherous fire of the fishermen
| for the Arcona light and drive their YES
| sells upon the rocks of Sugard when the
| Bahlsens would almost invariably reap q
| rich harvest. Since 1864 nineteen vessels
were thus wrecked without the slightest
| suspicion being aroused against the BAIL
sens
On the 18th Of November last Swedish
pleasure yacht arrived from Malmoe at
Purtbus in Rugen. 1t was manned by
three sailors and Lieutenant Greenberg,
OF the Swedish navy, who owned the
yacht, and who was accompanied by his
young wife, Caroline The Baltic was
very stormy, and his little craft was
wrecked within a piStol-shot from where
the Bahsens had kindled their deceptive
fire. His wife and two of his men perish
ed. lie himself and the third sailor We're
swept ashore in an almost insensible con-
dition. The poor fellows, bruised and
chilled as they were, were unable to move
until morning; but this did not prevent
Lieutenant Greenberg from noticing the
fire on the rocks above him and, when
daylight at last made it's appearance, he
saw that the two Bahlsens were removin o
such debris of the wreck as had been
washed ashore. He called out to them,
and saw that they were startled. The
Old man finally came up to him, but gave
confused and evasive answers to his ques-
tons, and even refused to give him any
liquor to warm him. Lieut.. Greenberg
finally, assisted by his sailor, succeeded
in crawling up the hill. Upon reaching
the cottage OF the Bahlsens, who had dis
appeared, they found it locked. With in.
finite trouble they reached Sagard, where
they were kindly cared for. On the fol-
! lowing day the officers who had been sent
to arrest the Bahlsens, returned with the
whole family, heavily ironed. A search
of the cottage of the Bahlsens had led to
the discovery of a large sum of gold
hidden in the cellar. The two male pris.
oners were downcast and tacturn, while
, old Jane Bahlsen loudly bewailed he,
misfortune, and emphatically protested
her innocence. Old Bahisen steadfastl1
2 denied that he had done any wrong; but
by dint of skillful questioning, the ex
4 amning magistrate involved him in re
+ peated contradictions. Arnold Bahlsen
the son, after refusing to answer an,
: questions at first, but suddenly he burs
r into tears, and said he would make a full
r confession.
: He said the fire device had been frs
r used by his father a few months afte
their arrival in Rugen His mother ha,
$ helped the old man. Sometimes they ha,