News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-24
TOO MUCH SPITZBUBEN.
The Troubles of a Young American
in Prussia.

During the past summer, says for
eign correspondent. the express trail
from Belgium passed Verv1ers ant
! reached the first German station, Her
besthal, at the usual hour in the even
ing. The German officials took charge
here, and one of them went to the win
dows of the different coupes to examin,
the tickets of passengers. While en-
gagged in this duty young gentleman
In first-class carriage, who spoke Ger
man very brokenly, asked, with much
irritation, why he was again troubled
in this way. To this the conductor re-
piled:
SIT is the rule, sir. All tickets mus
be examined here, as the train has JUS
passed the Prussian border"
This civil explanation did not satisfy
the young man. On the contrary, he
showed his ticket with very bad grace,
at the same time exclaiming in a loud
voice:
ooh, I see we are in Prussia, where
all the scamps (spitsbu5en) come from.
"What do you mean, sir ?" indignant
ly asked the conductor, and the young
man again loudly replied:
'Just what say: the Prussians and
Germans are set of rascals and
scamps."
Upon this the conductor closed and,
as usual, locked the door of the car
riage. The young man laughed, ex-
planned what had occurred to his COM
panion, well-dressed young lady, and
the train moved on. When it reached
AK la Chapelle, the next station, the
young man found that he would have
cause to laugh to different tune. No
sooner had he arrived there than the
conductor related to the station-master
they were both officers of the Govern
ment, let it be remembered-what had
occurred in Herbesthal.
His statement was confirmed by q
number of the passengers, and the
young man, much to his astonishment,
was at once arrested on charge of
having insulted the majesty of the Ger
man Empire. Then it was discovered
that he was an American, who, with his
young wife, was travelling in Europe on
a bridal tour. OF course, there was a
scene in the station, and the young
couple, fearing that the now utterly
subdued and crestfallen Benedict would
have to spend the night in Jail, were in
great distress. 1t being suggested to
them, however, that there was an
American Consul in the city, that official
was sent for, and, giving bail for the
appearance of the offender, secured his
release. Two days afterward the case
was tried, and the counsel for the ac-
cused, Mr.. Justizrath Sternberg, very
adroitly pleaded that the American had
intended no insult to the German
Government or people. That he spoke
the language very imperfectly, and that
in saying spitsbue-scamp, knave,
thief-he meant only beggar, a term
which he thought might apply to Ger
mans, SO many poor emigrants went
from their country to America. The
court, however, refused to see the case
in that light, and the Prosecuting
Attorney asked that the accused be
sentenced to SIX weeks imprisonment
and costs. To this the defense offered
the plea of extenuating circumstances.
This was admitted by the court, and
the young man was let off with fine of
$50 marks (about $37.) He left AK
much moro subdued and cautious, if
not a wiser, man. The local paper, in
commenting on the affair, said: The
moral of the case is, that if every Ger
man and Prussian would always stand
up for the honor of the German name
in as proper and decided manner as
did the conductor, objections and CON-
plants about the arrogance of strangers
on German soil would spec dily cease"