Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-12
WATERFOWL, WIS, WEDNESDAY, AUG. IL, 1874
The German Scandal.

Germany has a scandal of it's own,
which greatly agitates social and relig
lous circles, and strongly resembles our
Beecher-Tilton case. The principal
character is Prelate Augustus Kapf,
the highest dignitary in the Protestant
Church Of urtemberg, who has for
years, on account Of his talents, occu-
pied,a higher place than any other
German clergyman. On the 18th of
May merchant, Frederick Amann,
appeared before the Criminal District
Court of nuremberg, and preferred
the following charge against the pre-
late:
Il, Frederick Amann, Of Stuttgart,
nuremberg, charge the Rev. Angus
tus Kapf, prelate and presiding divine
Of all the Suabian Protestant dioceses,
with having willfully, meanly and by
false representations, seduced my here
tofore virtuous wife, Anna Amann, nee
Straub. [ furthermore charge the
aforesaid Kapf with having cohabited
with my aforesaid wife many times
| during my absence on commercial bust
ness; | also charge him with having
taken her to the watering place of Ra-
gatz, where they lived as man and
wife. l finally charge him being the
father of the child Ga daughter) born
four months ago. wish to add to
this arrangement of the Rev. Prelate
Kapff that I hold him solely response
bic for these internal outra- es; that
my wife is poor, rel gion-struck Great
ure, who fell not knowing what she
was doing; that l have but reluctant
| ly asked for divorce from her, and re-
gret not having contented myself with
having demanded that the Rev. Pre-
late Kapff should be confined in con-
sequence of this seduction of my wife
in the cellular prison of Wurtemburg
for many yeaes at hard labor; and that
| | pray the Government, furthermo ore,
to strip the Rev. Prelats Kapff imme-
diately Of all his ecclesiastical dignities."
The unfortunate wife of Mr.. Amann
at,frst endeavored to defend herself by
saying that her relations with Prelate
Kapf had been entirely innocent but,
when she was told that her husband
had brought suit for divorce against
her, and demanded that she should be
sent to the Penitentiary for adultery,
her reason gave way, and she is now
an inmate Of the lunatic asylum at
Thurgovia, in Switzerland, her native
place. There she calls herself the Vir.
gin Mary, and pretends to be the wife
Of Martin Luther.
Prelate Kapf at first entirely ignor-
ed the scandal, but. bis own church hav-
ing urged him to contradict it, he pub
lished the following card:
Several newspapers have attacked
my honor most grlevously IN the last
few weeks, and to this end have made
the most astounding misstatements and
uttered glaring falsehoods. [ have
imme ediately requested my official SUI
perior to investigate in the most search
ing manner the complaints made against
me, and I confidently look for my
triumphant acqulttal, trusting in the
Justice Of a. omniscient God"
This manisfestoswas Immediately an
swered by the publication OF the fol
lowing affidavit:
"Ida Tanner, housekeeper Of Jacob
Amann, reposeth and saith that the
divorced wife of my employer yester.
day went mad, and had to be taken tc
the City Hospital. The servants oi
poor Nine. Amann informed her hus.
band of the great misfortune that had
befallen her; but Mr. Amann declared
that he could do nothing for her, as
she had allowed a hypocitical scound-
rel to get the better Of her; that he
had long deliherated whether or not he
should shoot Kapf. but had forborne,
believing that his inevitable disgrace
would be preferable to his violent
death, which would make him a
martyr; that he would pay her, &C,
cording to the legal degree, 100 forms
a month. although she had lived in
adultery with Kapff for over year,
and had lived with him as his wife for
several months at the watering place
of Ragatz. also swear that the said
Kapf promised to marry her after she
had been divorced from her husband.
[Signed] "IDA TANNER.
The Newe Wiener Frelrs Presse
says: Kapff the clerical hypocrite, can
not explain this. He has to leave pull
pit, and cell in the State Prison
awaits him.