Sharp County record., 1890-08-14
PROSECUTED EDITORS.


Crime of Offensive Opinion.
German editors are so accustomed to
being arrested, fined and imprisoned,
that they usually accept their
share of imperial discipline without
protest or complaint The German jour
nalist, said the Voss.sche Ieitung re-
Gently, is constantly doing an egg dance
between gross misdcmeanor' on one
side, and 'insult of majesty" or dis
respect of State institutions on the
other Two cases of brutal abuse OF
editors imprisoned for political ofFcnses
in Germany have, however reused a
storm Of Indignation in all the radical
newspaper offices of Germany and Aus
tria.
Herr Boshart was cditor-in-chief Of
the Gotha Gazette, a radical daily in
Sachsen-Coburg-G -Gotha. lie was keen
and courageous writer, and consequently
had no end OF trouble with the little
princeling of his province. Some time
ago he was condemned to Imprisonment
for the fifth or sixth time, and was incar-
ceratcd in the Ichtcrshausen ponitcn-
tiary near Erfurt. There he was bar
barously maltreated. A few weeks after
tho beginning of his confinement, his
wife was admitted to him. She found
him with head and face close shavon,
and in the cast.oiT, patched and un-
washed prison suit Of the previous occu'
pant of his cell. When he perceived the
horror of his wife on account of his pitt
able appearance he began to weep. She
begged him to dry his tears. lilo an
swered that he could not, as the iailor
had taken away all his handkerchiefs.
He had also been deprived of all his lin
en-, undcrclothes and ovcrgarments, as
we'll as of soap, towels, brushes and
slippers. Although he had an abnnd-
ance of money, the privilege of all other
prisoners to buy place at the keepers
table was denied to him. Frau Boshart
was carefully watched throughout her
visit in her husbands cell in order that
she might be prevented from leaving
with him any article Of comfort,
The Eiberrelder Freio Presse tells a
story of similar abuses in the case of
August Bolger, editor and proprietor of
the Wcstphalian Workingmen's Gazette
Bolger was imprisoned last summer un-
der the drag-net press law, which con-
templates ''gross misdemoanor. When
his term was about to expire he was
brought in chains to court in Dortmund
to get another dose OF imperial Justice.
The insulting of policeman and disre-
spect Of State institutions were the new
charges against him. He was found
guilty and sentenced to one month moro.
Herr Bolger had becS6spablo to tell any
one outside Of sv1so, Acerning his life
in condns'< hihlsSy!!sssSsssts pro
mind Eating In 1T ever since he began
uvmg tlme," He was shaved clean, he
said, his hair was cut close, and he was
put into n convicts unwashcd suit, al
though mon in the same prison for fell
onious assaults were permitted to wear
beard and their own clothes. lie was
kept in solitary confinement without O
word to read, When he complained the
turnkey would give him pile of stock
ings to darn, Letters that he wrote tC
his wife woro overlooked by prison ori
cials, and every line referring to the
mNltreatment he was suffering wa
stricken out
The most aggravating feature OF tho
maltrcatmcnt of Boshart and Bolgcr wa,
that it was unlawful, and could TAX,
place only with tho connivauco of higl
officials who could have no interest il
aiding and approving such acts of bar
barity unless they had been inspired b,
superior authority.