The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-22
A COMICAL ADVENTURES.
An American Imprisoned and Fined for
Joking in Bad German.

An American Imprisoned and Fined for
Joking in Bad German.
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 a
convent in order to share the Joy and
burden of life with him. 1t was deter
mined that the wedding trip should
comprise tour of Europe.
The excursion across the sea and as
far as Herbistal, near where Belgium
borders ON the confines of Rhenish,
Prussia, was accomplished in a piping
and pleasant way.
At Herbistal the French garde gave
way to German schdfner, and when
the young American was asked BY the
new conductor to show his ticket, he
swiftly marshaled his knowledge of
German, and inquired: "Sfnd s0ir in
Preussen9" Care we in PrussiaD and,
receiving an affirmative answer, he said:
Aus dieSem land kOnlnes ale unsere
spitzbaben her." From this country
come all of our tramps.)
Among the Germans of the Mississip-
pi valley the word .'spitzbuben" is some
times used in the sense of tramp. In
Germany it means thief and 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 SER
vice, 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 mis-
demeanor, punishable with fine or i'm
prisonment, or both.
When the conductor heard the words
of the American he replied with some
excitement: "Ich s0erde Inea zieQen
tUoe die spitSbuben sind wen Uir in
Aachesl asbona1,e,s" q will show you
where the spitzbuben are when we ar
rive at Aachen). The window of the
coupe went down with crash. and the
train sped on across the Prussian from
tier, on over spur of the Ardennes,
and twenty minutes later rolled into
Aachen, the famous old kaiserstadt.
The conductor was true to his prom
Use. As the train halted two policemen
approached the coupe occupied by the
bridal pair and requested the husband
to step out. He Indignantly refused,
and was helped out. No words were
wasted. No explanations were allowed.
The prisoner was hurried along 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 forcibly from her, and found
herself alone at night in a strange land,
amidst strange faces, hustled along by
an officer of law toward a second-class
hotel, where she threw herself ON sofa
and lay PROSTATE for hours, dumbfound-
ed and dazed at the 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 pass
port, intimated that the American citi-
zen would like 10 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 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 and afford her all necessary
protection. The consul left the prison
chief of police, where he presented the
details of the case TO that officer with
the request that the American should be
released, vouehing at the same time for
his appearance at court the next day.
The order for the release was granted, |
and at o'clock in the morning the |
western gentleman was given back to
his young bride, whom he found hall |
crazed with fright and anxiety.
At 10 a. m. the next morning all par
ties concerned met at the office of the po-
lice commissioner and the consul, fully |
aware of the severity of the German
courts in all cases of ndjestats beleids-
gtIng Gnsult to the crown) endeavored |
TO effect settlement, but without avail. |
The testimony was heard. The con-
ductor swore that the prisoner said
"Alle Preussen sind spitzbnben" All |
Russians are spitzbuben). The Ameri- |
can insisted that the conductor had mis- |
understood him, and that he had only
intended to say in fun that from Prus-
STA 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
aslstsgerIcht, where the evidence was re-
viewed, and from there the case went to
the schofengericht for final trial.
1t usually requires days, and some-
times weeks. to dispose of such case,
but by energetic management seventeen
hours after the alleged offense had been
committed the final judgment of the
court was made known. The prisoner
was sentenced to pay fine of 500, in
addition to $40 in costs and he was
warned that the mild and merciful SEN
tence was owing to his ignorance of the
law and the true meaning of the often
sive phrase by which he had insulted a
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 muffled tones, to the con-
sui: Mum is my name until l 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 morer - Washington Re-
publican.