New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-05
A CENTENARIAN'S CAREER.
CAPTAIN LAIIRBUSIFS REMINlSCbNCEo'
soMR oP THE MORE sTRIKING EVENTS IN LIFE
or Ill YEARS.

/
record of his birth, which has never been disproved,
he accented Capt. Labrbush was perhaps chiefly
known by reason of his extreme age though his long
and faithful military service, his adventurous me-
| his uncommon intelligence and his many attractive
| oualities of mind and heart had secured him
n more honorable fame William j. Thoms, in
| his book on Human Longevity; its Facts
and Fictions," questions the accuracy OF the
alleged facts in Capt. Lahrbush's life and
attempts to show that he could not possibly nave
attained the age claimed by him. by dsproving some
of tbs incidents of his life as currently related.
| Somewhat moro than three years ago, reporter OF
THE TRIBUNE called OH Capt. Lahrbush, and III the
| course of a long interview, in which the veteran
carefully narrated the principal events OF MS NE,
| obtained many of the following facts which the
CAPTAIN afterward declared to be accurately stated
| He was born in London, near Lambeth Palace, on
the 9th of March, 1866 His father was a native oil
Berlin and his mother an English lady. His father
was an attach6 of the Prussian Embassy in London,
| and through that position he became acquainted
with the lady who became his wife. As he was con-
| stantly going backward and forward between Lon
don and Berlin, Capt Lahrbush supposed that he
was a bearer of dispatches. In 1850 ,Lahrbush en-
| tered the army as q volunteer and remained
| I'm IL about a year and half, when his parents
| removed to Berlin, and he accompanied them
About the year 1871 his father and himself returned
to England with the Prussian Embassy. lie soon
afterward engaged in business as clerk with Johh
Drop & Co. of Love-lane, London, and spent bis
time there and in going backward and forward with
his father until 1874, when he accompanied an eX-
pedtion sent from England to Holland under the
Duke of York He had no special position, but was
n sort of nterlopcr"-a volunteer he supposed was
the proper term. He absent little less than
wear when he left the army again. His father dled
in 1896 but he himself remained in London until
abOut 1901.
Ore of the most interesting episodes in his life oc-
cured after that-in lS06-whcD he was III Prussia
with the English Embassy. He was for consider
| able time in the town of Dantzic, on the Baltic,
where there was an English merchant named CID
son; he had partner named Mool, residing III
Mcneil They were both his devoted friends mt that
time. Prussia was at war with France, ana after
the battle of Jena the Court left Berlin and went to
Memel on the Baltic, and the English Embassy
followed it. Four days aftcrward the PIus-
sian capital fell into the hands OF the
French Lahrbush wished to follow the
English Embassy TO Momcl, and obtained pass
through the French lines; but whenhe reached the
Oder he found that order had been issued by Aa-
| poleon blocking up the passage Tie turned every
| thing lie had into money, and, watching his Opp"r-
| unty vert over with French regiment. when
| lie reached Dantzc he found Inc corps under Inc
command Of SchIll, who was very popular with inc
/ Prussans. Schill swept through Pomerania and
! I..r,, Gorr,,p,, doing fin, French great damage
| 81 i,,;r ,,root rc,oryn far himself When
! IIrI,,L r,.ocrad Moncl hc found . hotel
! I.,,,,r ,,bo LoJ known his father. and also
,,i .bo oc.,,oi,4o,cc of fvo aids-de-ra,np of
! the King OF Prussia Frederick William Ill. they
were Leut.-Gen. yon Ko&cli;z ahd Col. Won kilest.
! They mentioned his name to the King and told OF
his Journey through the French lines. His Majesty
at,t,. ,a,,s, ami ,,r.,.u+oI linn with = s,Im of
-. Al +i,,.. ,..,Ir,eI .hout \ rornirht before
- ,r;I.it ,,bor tbc r,ao4irg tool, laca on
- =. H. -. b,,.,,, N,n,lo,p In. King
! ''i, - , a., rn,',o. of pu.sio
| rl: .'.. a .Lo -,h &c J,Iv 1So-. T,brhu5h
/ - 49, -; ,,. bocl, +o Dan+yi, and STONED
/ ~. rtr;t ,,,o.,. T., Witnessed tI,n iptcryic,y lie
-. -, i,;.; 1,,r, tLo.,. 3, Da,,tzc and thence
! - ,,.r, -; .,o,,,,. e., .... 81. ,ld r,o.,,r who
,',.s;,I;,,,,t here Sftcr tbc nrac, Of Tji,it Nj
to,. f.,.I III ,,, t.,i,,r,, nj, the west Lonk of
-, d. 49,, ,to Ei,l,n, of Wcst,bolia. and
-, i'i.'.,, H. ,t, Jr,, Ihrh,,.b WIS forced
A. T,a,,oL ,,..,. A. Grs, he WIS - ,no,,er Of
w. tol. ,,,,o,l If Iro,,c Honon,rtc hit WAS soon
| -, ;t, ,; -, I,,,-,,,..p4 nj tbc lime aud WAS
/ - ~; ;.,,...,,,,+
H. .,.,r I.t,..,., ,,,s4,i, and Franco the Duko
IL '"' WI ','"''" II
! 81 brunswick deserted WIN all ms iouoNcI', 'Hu
WIS ur-,Ii, by 2 pagt of the French army, iBcud-
;I r.oir,o,,t "a rho toy,n Of BrUusy,ick
~ ~ 80, 80 Co. ,'...i,L4 4 60. sl,,t, ,,..ra
"hlch vas p's''-.' Ioi ONO i'iA4'' y i'' ''' -
| exchanged, but whom morning came II was FOUND
/ that the Dutc had marched out with his army
tbrongI the north oatp and was OR his way TO the
North Sra. The French army followed and came up
with them =. Tlsfeet inst in time to see Them taken
Of! ia English ships The Brunswick corps were bitter
enemies oi the Frcuci, and when they went out