New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-28
FLEECING EMIGRANTS.
DETAILS OF THE oUTRAGES PERFORATED
UPON THE PEASANTS OF GALICIA.
AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION FROM MINISTER
CRAFTSMANSHIP AGENTS AND IN
pERIAL OFFICIALS IMPLICATED
"A GREAT TRIAL IN PROGRESS


"A GREAT TRIAL IN PROGRESS
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE ThrBuskl
washington, Dec. 27.-Two weeks ago the caoie
brought some startling information regafuins near
swndles practised upon poor and ignorant
IN calcia and other parts Of the Austrian Empire ny
the AGENTS of rival steamship lines who palmeo then
selves off, in most cases. as officials OF the Empire
hack ND their extortionate demands Inc s'a'e Do
nartment received to-day, from minister urah'' an
obcial communication on the subject wmch was az
once transmitted to the Secretary OF the treasury
~ de believed. will order a Special agent to be
sent to NewYork for the purpose OF sun iurlher III
yestigating the subject.
Tho Ga,ician peasant victims, owning In the ma
,ority OF cases. "three acres and COW SEEM acooiu
ing TO the reports OF Minister Grant TO nave oeeh sy
Dramatically done out Of the three acres ana te cow ny
the officials of the Emperor. aided ana ihstlsa'ou -
course by the steamship agents. TO talA
a. .radnlous rustic over, by representing
20 him the countless advantages emsrauoh
has to offer, comparatively easy 'eA
proyided always the agent was suihclehty q"ain.o
in the manner Of lying and in the prac'ce Oh uupO',
IN every conceivable shape, to win the cohiuoi00 -
b,s victim. The agents of the various companies "
nnear wore badges and colors to distinguish thein
from one another II often happened thS' "h en''
-rant won over by the agent Of one color OF COM,
.ry foil subsequently into the hands OF rival agent
and uas neeced a second time, and SUBJECTED u "u
ditjonal insults and impositions "heh ilN"i "e'"U
mot ouorres which terminated In hghtS' ho' III
frequently eDsued. ..s
The trade tariffs IN human merchandise fuctuated
according the prosperity OF the business III Sons
cases the agents were entitled to eight forms heau
on avery emtgrant in Others higher or lower sum was
oeorea The object Of the agent was not TO lose
sight of his victims. The emgrants had strco oruerS
on starting on their long journey, on II" account "
enter into conversation with any person theS nlishO
meet on the way, but. reaching junction s'a'io'
srcb as Vienna to be on the lookout for the agent
who had orders to meet them there, ana whom 'heS
would recognize by the color of the badge on MS ha vi
coal which color corresponded with the one worn
nv them BY this the subagent al the 'uiio'io"
station had no difficulty in singing out MS prey anu III
keeping strict watch over him until ne cohuhuou MS
tourney The agent lying In walt at 'he l"il""'
station provided the emigrant with FOOD ana 'lcn
kept him under lock key to prevent all chances OF
his escape. 49,, ,,.,o. =,
The excitement Of the populace In inc u'ul0' ~
wadowice during the trial. which Is now going on' -
so great that the authorities fear inc o'eaA"e o"
a riot and the military have had to be summohcu ~
maintain order Twelve Of the accused VINO arc ran
Uav conductors, and who have been dlschareeo ior
hrr, aided the agents in the transfer OF their human
,o,cbt have petjtioned the magistrates to be lmprlS
oned during the trial, they are destitute anu arc ~
able TO provide themselves The law court ueouu
IN allow them the sum Of forty Keutzers DAY ior
their a
in the case of seven others of the accused Announcer
a,t.ssiDg instance demanding special notice is that
~ a turor named Miedzlbrodsk This man, the 1ather
Of seven children is destitute that he was ooIseo
TO sleep with some of the accused on straw III
shed The scandal was so great that the Minister oil
Justice gave the Geographic order TO pay each !uro
three forms per day during the tI1al.
II appears that the greatest rivalry existed between
the agents Of the North German Lloyd and the Ham
burg Packetfahrt Acten Gesellschaft, though the
Cunard Line also figured in the business Ing prili-
cjpal point Of contention was at Itue pace Ill
Galicia called Ausschwitz Minister Grant IN MS
report encoses the translation of an article published
in the Vienna "Fremdenolatl'' from "n0h 'n0 1oi
lowing is taken
The struggle between the two competing agencies
was most desperate one, and fights were OF frequent
occurrence at remote villages, at railway stauVIs anu
in the cars, between the representatives OF iva!
agencies. The scenes at the railway stdtlon "a, az
nosted themselves TO receive the emgrants, defy de
scription Blood flowed freely, each party trying 70
get possession of the emgrants who thereby sunere9
as much as the runners Themselves by beng knocked
about After the fight was over each parry 1Iove
rs victims to its own agency The Office OF tie nam
burg agency was divided of in the centre by alnhg
in front Of which stood crowded toge1her tt uf in T
fancy Uniform irving to make believe that he was an
Imperial official. while his clerks addressed nm as
"Herr Bezirkshauptmann." picture OF the EMPEROR,
in fesize adorned the WALL for the purpose OF giving
the room the air OF an Imperial Office OUTSIDE the
door were posted several runners, with orders 10 Ie
nobody in or out during the proceedings, sd Ihe
emgrants we're then told to hand over their docu
mens and their cash. which they usually ana wll9uG
any remOnstrance. Arbitrary prices were uemanueu
for tickets In OF refusal, the C0mmssary Oh
Police sent for who appeared IN iuIi ulloaii t
and threatened the stubborn ones with arrest ana
transportation home If these threats 9ad mo chem hem
over to the military authorities for eVadlng mlltdIy
duty. This would Invariably have the desired result result
II an emgrant short Of money, the agent WOuiu
telegraph in the emgrants name TO the relatives "
Nor did the robbery end here One of the clerks,
HaIatek, conceived the idea of bringing an alarm
clock to the Office, when emigants were told lhat
whether there was still vacant berth: The alarm
clock was set in motion, and after awhile AN answer
came back, for which the emigrant as mater , oI
course. had 10 pay. kilograms were also sent 70 tie
"Ameroan Emperor" to find out whether he would
permit the landing Of certain emiglant All these
kilograms had TO be paid for by the emlgrant.
Another trick to extort money was Tor one OF the
clerks 10 put on fancy uniform ana pretend 10 oe a
surgeon to examine the emlgrans and hnd our whchef
they were fit to go to America TINS " examination
pronounced to be unit. and he was given to under
Stand that by Offering ten horns to the surgeon" he
would be passed which was frequently zone, PasT
ports for America also issued and charged for with
ten 10 twenty forms AT the Hotel De Zator. kept
by one Of the gang. the emigrans had 10 paw eVorbi
tan prices for the poorest kind OF accom9odatlons
What was left 70 them in Austria was finally taken
away from them when they reached Hamburg.
From May, 1887. TO July. 1889, 5799 persons ages
from twenty Ia thrtyt two years and liable therefore
10 military duty, were taken from the population
Finally. however. the catastrophe came week
before the cGng m o9 9 ana the p1
LEGATION Of each others doincs AT the beginning Of
July. lSc-. the Governor OF province VI ''dI'If
and the president Of The police at Krakow instructed
q police officer TO proceed 10 Ausschwitz and make a
mn report. on his arrival there last attempt was
made 70 avert The impending ruin by Landerer. who
tried TO bribe the officer by Offering him 80 forms
and valuable ring. The officer accepted both and.
after depOstnc them. reported everything 10 his
superiors. who after Investigation. arrested the whole
gang. Three hundred and seventy seven witnesses
viii give testimony Al the main trial during which
less than 430 letters and other communications will he
read among tho latts~ two communications from the
Ministry Of Public Defence dispositions Of the Austro
Hungarian COnSulatcs In Bremen. Hamburg and New
York statements made by the Minister Of War and
letter OF the Ministry Of the Interior Of the German
Empire.
A NEW FLAG ADOPTED FOR THE NAVY.
-trar 0I--rhn o. lie Nar