Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-15
A CURIOUS ADVENTURE.
An American Imprisoned in Germany
for Airing Imperfect German.

moves the placid Susquehauna IN summer
time, while others go humping ana luWD
ling pell-mell along like a mountain cur
rent in spring. Some take everything as
it is, and all things easy, while Others
neryOusly seize everything by the wrong
end and then growl If 1t burns. Inc IaC
ter inclination accounts Tor great Oeal
OF the unpleasantness encountered by
Americans while doing Europe. Iney
forget the homely saying that "Wnen you
are in Turkey you should do as the tur-
keys do" for some 60 abroad loaded Win
the unfortunate idea that freedom Of con-
duct has as much room on the banks OIL
the Spree as it mas on the red cliffs OF the
Upper Missouri, and it is not until tney
run bang into the maws OF some police
regulation that they realize how sadly
they are mistaken.
Some time ago a successful but some
what impudent young man, residing In
| the valley of the Mississippi, married
beautiful maiden who had fled from con-
vent in order TO share the joy and burden
OF life with him. 10 was determined that
the wedding trip should comprise tour
of Europe; in short, it should be a jour
ney from the Father of Waters to the
bright shores of the great Middle Sea as
far as Naples and return.
! The excursion to New York and across
! the damp domain OF Neptune, aud even
to Herbistal, near wnere Belgium borders
on the confines of Rhenish Prussia, was
accom- plished in piping and pleasant
way. but at that point it received an I'M
expected aud some what novel check.
At Herbistal the French gaTde gave
way to German schatfner, and when the
young American was asked by the new
conductor to show his ticket, he swiftly
marshaled his knowledge of German and
inquired ''Sind wir in PreussenY { Are
vein Prussia? p and, receiving an affirm
alive answer, he said: ANS diessem
Land kommen allie unsere Spltzbuben
her." From this country come all OF our
tramps.)
1t would have been better for the gen.
tleman from the Mississippi Valley had
his tongue Glove to the roof of his mouth
before he uttered that sentence in the land
OF the Iron Chancellor.
Among the Germans Of the Mississippi
valley the word '.spitZbuben' is some
times used in the sense of tramp. In
Germany it means thief aud rascal. WHAT
was more unfortunate still, the railroad
on which the American was travelling
was the property of the State, and the
conductor wore the regulation uniform OF
the imperial railway service, and accord
ing TO law as we'll as public sentiment an
insult offered to a uniformed person serY-
ing his Majesty the King in any capacity
is an insult to the Crown and is consider
ed as a grave misdemeanOr, punishable
with fine or imprisonment, or both.
When the conductor heard the words OF
the American he replied with some ex-
element: "ich verde linen Zeigen wO,
die SpitZbuben sind Wenn wir IN Aachen
ankOmmen' / will show you where the
Spitzbuben are when we arrive at
Aaehen). The window Of the coupe went
H. 4. fho r,,1
across the Prussian frontier, on over a
spur ofthe Ardennes, and twenty minutes
later rolled into Aaehen, the famous old
Kaiserstadt.
The conductor was true to bis promise.
AS the train halted two policemen APP
preached the coupe occupied by the bril-
dial pair and requested the husband to
step out. He Indignantly refused and
was helped out. No words were wasted.
No explanations were allowed The pris- |
Oner was hurried along the dark and mar /
row streets OF the city. and the young |
bride, ignorant Of the language and un- |
able to comprehend what was transpiring, |
saw her husband dragged fOrcibly from /
her, and found herself alone at night in a |
strange land. amidst strange faces, I
hustled along by an officer of the law to- |
wards a secOnd.class hotel, where she |
threw herself on a sofa and lay PROSTATE |
for hours, dumbiOunded and dazed AT tue /
remarkable scene which had taken place.
About midnight policeman came to
the United States consulate. and, arous-
ing the Consul, related the incident, and.
handing him the prisoners passport,
minated that the American citizen
would like TO have him call at the prison
as early as possible the next day.
The Consul dressed himself and went
to the place OF Imprisonment at once. He
found the American in a narrow cell
resting on a bed of straw. He told the
story of his misfortune and begged the
Consul to ascertain the whereabouts Of
his wife aud afford her all necessary pro-
lection. The Consul left the prison and
proceeded TO the residence of the Chief Of
Police, where he presented the details Of
the case to tnat officer, with the request
that the American should be released.
vouching at the same time for his appear
ance at court the next day. The order
for the release was granted, and at
O'Clock in the morning the Western gen.
tleman was given back to his young
bride. whom he found half crazed with
/ fright and anxiety.
At 10 a. m. the next morning all parties
/ concerned met at the Office Of the Police
| Commissioners, and the Consul, fully aware
| of the severity OF the German courts in
/ all cases of Majesiats Beleidloung Insult
| TO the Crown endeaYOred 10 effect a set
| Element, but without avail.
The testimony was heard. The conduc-
tor swore that the prisoner said "Alle
Preussen sind Spltzbuben" all Russians
are spitzbuben). The American insisted
that the conductor had misunderstood
him, and that he only intended 10 say in
fun that "fr0m Prussia came all of our
Western trampsn OF course the grave
German Court saw nothing very funny
| about it; and, the conductors testimony
having been taken, the prisoner was sent
before the Amtsgericht, where the evil
dence YVES reviewed, and from there the
case went TO the Schofengericht.
Ii usually requires days, and sometimes
weeks, TO dispose OF such case, but by
energetic management II hours after the
alleged offense had been committed the
final judgment of the court was made
known. The prisoner was sentenced Il
pay fine OF $50, in addition to $40 in
costs, and he was warned that the mild
and merciful sentence was owing 10 his
ignorance OF the law and the true mean
ing OF the offensive phrase by which HI
had insulted uniformed servant Of hil
Majesty the King.
The prisoner eagerly settled the de
mands Of the court and started at once
with his bride for the railway station. AZ
the train moved away he opened the
| window of his compartment and SAID, II
somewhat mutfied tones, TO the Consul
"Mum il my name until | get out Of thii
country, but I'll watch for the frontier
and when we cross IL I'll open my mOutl
as wide as the delta Of the Mississippi