New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-16
THE ARRESTS ON THE ELBE.
GOVERNOR ABBETT HOLDS AN INQUIRY.
poi rcr,frv SAY THAT THE FIREMEN, WHOM
THEY SUPPOSED WERE MURDERERS
RESISTED THEM.

Governor Albeit Of New-Jersey. yesterday heio an
investigation in the office OF Mayor "TasNUlan Vi nv
boken 10 ascertain. II possible. the facts concerning
the arrest OF number OF hremen ana TWO ohcer' u INC
German steamship Elbc on october .. lS7'' anu NV
alleged violation Of the treaty between this country ana
Gcrnanv This investigation wa, made in compliance
with a reouest made 10y secretary Elaine, VINO ior
U,-icd 10 Governor Albeit at the same TINE the grey
auce of the German Minister. Count Won arc" NaHeS'
which set FORTH first that the arrests were iiega ana
that the policemen had no jurisdiction In the matter
Second that the treaty between the two Governments
was violated because the authorities at Hoboken dld
not inform the German Consul General OF the arrests
as the treaty declares shall be done
Owing 10 the small dimensions OF the Mayors prl-
cato Office. but one witness AT time was adihlt'cu
and &c first to explain 10 the Governor the 0rcnH-
sta,.c, was Chief Of Police Donovan. lie tod thc
story Of the beating OF Policeman Ryan on the nght III
question by the German sailors when the policeman
attempted to arrest them for dordcrly conduct. Inc
chief said Ryan beaten with his own cIuD anu
sevoreIv kicked He was injured 50 much that he was
confined in 81. Mary's Hospital for three weeks INC
policemen who aided in arTcstlne Tie seaiheh "efe
Kiylcn DAWN, Porter. Fritzen, Whtock, "aliagher
Kpp. Flaming and Faherty. These men boarded inc
vessel Chief Donovan said the police oil iioDohch
had always felt the utmost oodwill toward the Ger
man steamship companies and clted many occaSi"h>
when it had been practically demonstrated Inc Only
reason the chief did not inform the German Consul OF
the arrests that he was not then aware oi 'he
clause In the treaty which required IT, The omission
was not due TO any desire 70 show dlSreSpcct 10 INC
Germans
Dr. william X. Fischer OF ST. Mays hoNpNa,
testified that Ryans condition after he was admitted
70 Tho hospitoI was critical for several DAYS. several
nolccmen testified that they believed Ryan had been
fatally injured and that they made the arrests SoeN
for the purpose Of brn ng the guilty persons To lu'o
samuel Divers, Of EroOslyn. testified that he Waa on
the steamer Eibc October >, l7-", 'uh nc "a" 'n'
roulJc lie saw the officers Of the vessel try to stop
the police from boarding the steamer ana inc ere"
blockadcd the rangplank. lie saw several po'l'emeh
force their way on beard and chase some frcncn about
until they arrested them
A,semblyman william ID. DAILY testified mat hc hah
acted As counsel for several Of the aNsaihnS oi Romeo
man RYAN and he had advised some Of them 10 plead
guilty in the Hudson County Court 81 General Sea''o''
These men were sent - the pcnitrntiary.
The question Of the jur dct!on Of IN" police TO 60
ON boarI the Elbe and make arrests sad the lawyer
was considered By the time. and al'I the Jen'
dicton If the court to try tho defendants "iier"ad
commended that the ri did have power to Try them III
view of the decision Of tic supreme Court IN the case
OF Joseph Widemus. the Belgian sailor who was tri"i
and convicted in the Sessions AZ few year, ago OF
killing sailor on board vessel while moorcd at the
wharf in Jersey CITY The question wa argued on WITT
~ hacas CORPUS by Frederic Il. COudcrt for Wdenis
and District Attorney Charles Ii. Whitfield for the state
The subject Of the treaty between Belgium ard tho
United states entered into that discussion. The Fed
er4l Court decided that ~ arrest Of WdcnuS was
lcssl The Belgian treaty Is similar to the one riiI'
fed between Germany and the United states. took
particular interest i'm the because was at TIA;
time Assistant District Attorney for New Jersey
A dozen other witnesses, including Policeman RYAN.
testified 10 the assault Ryan, the evidence being
substantially the has been repeatedly published
and as given above and the Investigation was ended
Governor Albeit asked by a Tribune reporter
as 10 the nature Of his report "a secretary Elaine
do not care he replied, "to say anything AT al
further than that It IS clear 10 nv mind that the
IIobolcu authorities were ignorant II that clause In
the treaty that requires the German Consul General t.
be informed OF this mature The coc Is closed
now mi. IS ~ ! told Chief Il Police Donovan he I'M.
discovered some very important evidence. ucn, 81
course will hear II. Nv report Will he sent ~ So
rotary Blaine In AZ, Mt ten DAYS or two week. Moro
than this do feel at liberty at this time TO state