The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-04-02
An American Imprisoned and Fined for
Joking in Bad German.

the valley of the Mississippi, married
beautiful maiden who had fled from n
conve Mt in order to share the Joy and
burden of lite with him. 1t was deter.
mined that the wedding trip should
comprise tour in Europe
Tho excursion across the sea and as
far as Ilerbistal, neal where Belgium
borders on the confines of Rhenish
Prussia, was accompanied in n piping
and pleasant way.
AT llerbistal the French garde gave
way to a German schaffner, 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
Preussen y Care we in Prussia p and,
receiving an affirmative answer, he
said: "Aus diesem land kommon allie
unsere spitzbubem her. (From this
country come all of our tramps.)
Among the Germans of the Missis-
sippi valley the word "spitzbuben" is
sometimes used in the sense OF |
tramp. In Germany it means thief and |
rascal. What was more unfortunate |
still, the railroad on which the Ameri- |
can was travelling was the property of |
the State, and the conductor wore the |
regulation uniform of the imperial
railway service, and according to law
as well as to public sentiment an insult
offered to a uniformed person serving
His Majesty the King in any capacity
is grave misdemeanor, punishable
with fine or imprisonment, or both.
When the conductor heard the words
of the American he replied with some
excitement: 'Ich were linen zeigeu
woe die spitzbuben sind wen wir in
Aachen anSommed" Il will show you
where the spitzbuben are when we
arrive at Aachen). The window of the
coupe went down with crash. and
the train sped on across the Prussian
frontier, on over spur of the Ardennes
and twenty minutes later rolled into
Aachen, the famous old kaiserstadt.
The conductor was true to his pro
mise. AS the train halted two police
men approached the coupe occupied by
the bridal pair and requested the hus-
band to step out. He Indignantly re-
fused, and was helped out. No words
were wasted. No explanations were
allowed. The prisoner was hurried n
long the dark and narrow streets Of the
city, and the young bride, ignorant of
the language and unable to comprehend
what was transpiring, saw her husband
dragged forclbly from her, and found
herself alone at night in strange
land, amidst strange faces hustled a.
long by an officer of the law toward
second-class hotel, where she threw
herself on sofa and lay PROSTATE for
hours, dumfounded and dazed at the
remarkable scene which had taken
place.
About midnight policeman came
to the United States Consulate, and,
arousiug the Consul, related the Incl
dent, and handing him the prisoners
passport, intimated 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 bed of straw.
He told the story of his misfortune and
begged che Consul to ascertain the
whereabouts Of his wife and afford her
all necessary protection. The Consul
left the prison and proceeded to the
residence of the Chief of Police, where
he presented the details of the case to
that officer with the request that the
American should be released, vouching
at the same time for his appearance at
Court the next day. The order for
the release was granted, and at 8 O.
clock in the morning the Western
gentleman was given back to his young
bride whom he found half crazed with
fright and anxiety.
AT 10 q. m. the next morning all
parties concerned met at the office OF
the Police Commissioner and the Con
sui, fully aware of the severity of the
German Courts in all cases of majestats
oeleidigung Gnsult to the CROWN en-
deavored to effect settlement, but
without avail.
The testimony was heard. The con-
ductor swore that the prisoner said
sale Preussen sind spitzbuben" (All
Prussians are spitzbuben) The Ameri-
can insisted that the coductor had mis-
understood him, and that he had only
intended to say in fun that "from
Prussia came all of our Western
tramps." 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
evidence was reviewed, and from there
the case went to the schoffengericht
for final trial.
1t usaily requires days, and some
times weeks, to dispose of such case,
but by energetic management seven
teen hours after the allie ged offense
had been committed the final Judge
ment of the Court was made known.
The prisoner was sentenced to pay
fine of $50, in addition to $40 in costs,
and he was warned that the mild and
merciful seDtence was owing TO his ig-
norance of law and the true meaning
of the offensive phrase by which he
had insulled uniformed servant of
His Majesty the King.
The prisoner eagerly settled the de
mands of the Court and started at once
with his BRIDE for the railway station.
AS the train moved away he opened
the window of his compartment and
said, in somewhat mufiled tones, to the
Consul; "Mum Is my name until get
out of this country, but I'll watch for
the frontier, and when we cross it I'll
open my mouth as wide as the delta Of
the Mississippi and shout; Thank God,
we are safe once more = JVaShHg
ton Republican