Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-30
ARMY OFFICERS DISGRACE.
Tricked Into Lending Tone to the
Usurer'S Very Shoddy Ball
IN THEIR BRILLIANT UNIFORMS.
The Kaiser and His Council Are InveSti-
eating the Affair
TWENTY-FIVE OFFICERS IMPLICATED



BERLIN, March 29.-The Kaiser and his
military council have before them long
list of officers of high and low degree who
recently appeared in full uniform at a ball
given at the house warming of a usurer OF
as thev call him here, "HalSabschneider, u
named Abrahams. The latter'S new pala-
tial residence has been built upon the ruined
careers OF 4 host of young aristocrats and
army men, and Abrahams. who is a very
smart man, thought the time had arrived
when his daughter might aspire, in spite ol
her ill-breeding and Iowly origin, to a posi-
ton In society among ladies of rank.
To set the ball rolling, Abrahams called
upon each of his debtors, and under promise
of greater leniency or further advances, as
the case might be, induced them to appear
at his ball en- gr8nde tenue such as thev are
only allowed 10 wear at great court recep-
tions, when infantry officers have to appear
in white wooden trousers and cavalry men
with the broad stripes usually worn only by
gentlemen. 1t was, he said, Ior the purpose
of meeting some friends from the country
who had never seen such q spectacle, and
who had to be obliged, rs they were the real
bankers in the money-lending concern.
ADrahamS' Little Joke.
When the officers arrived they found the
house lit up and swarmirg with hired wait
ers. many of whom they had met before
at popular restaurants and hotels. They also
encountered, to their great surprise, number
of comrades and in many cases superors,
though each OF them had been assured that he
the only invited army man. ADrahams re-
ceIved them with big diamond on his unusu-
ally clean shirt front and smile two wards
vide, assuring his friends that IL was only
little joke after ali.
Al The dinner the highest in social rank
among the officers were placed next to Abra-
hams daughter, while Mother AbTahams was
attended by real live prince. who holds an
important command in the body guard of
hussarS. Aside from AbrahamS' female rela-
tions there were a number of young and pretty
women. known only by their Christian names.
Like the waters. they were. however, not total
strangers to their cavaliers.
One or two of the elder officers went to their
host TO demonstrate with him, but Abrahams
assured hem that they were mistaken. Most
Of the ladies, he said were personal acquaint-
anCes OF his daughters, and only few stray
ones had been procured at the last moment at
the instance of the head waiter to take the
place OF those who were prevented from full
filling their engagement
Forced TO Bear Disgrace.
"Besides," /" continued Abrahams with willy
smile, 'those gentlemen who object to m. hos
pItality are at liberty to withdraw but must
beware of the consequences" The threat
worked like charm. and the poor deluded
victims had to bear their disgrace. The ordeal
lasted for four hours and concluded with
bacchanalian scene after the officers had sue
Ceeded in drowning their modification in
heavy pOtatiOus.
After the feast they were packed into second
class ca abs provided by a Abrahams. and dispatched
10 their respective lfomes. The whole thing
got abroad, through the indlscretiOn of the
hired walters as well as the boasting of one of
the Misses AbrahamS, who had the impudence
to appear at the kaiser's last gala night at the
ROYAL Opera and familiary greet Lieutenant
Colonel in His Majpstys suite.
About . officers are how implicated in the
affair, some Of them personal friends of the
Emperor: others distinguished by birth or
special talents. The deliberations Of the mill
tary council will probably result in saving these
gentlemen from being degraded, by rearrang-
ing their financial affairs and at tine same time
giving them a wholesome lesson. Abrahams
will be prosecuted for usury