New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-10


TO take testimony in reference to the Hobolcn
riot on October 4, 1882 with view Of finding
ont the true state of affairs as requested by Sec
retary Blaine. The following is the letter of
Secretary Blaine 10 Governor Albeit:
have the honor to inclO>e herewith A copy OF q
note ana accompanying document, communicated by
the German Minister to this Department on the 20th
o November last in relation 10 the arrest Of certain
persons on the German steamer Elhe at HOboken IN
the nights oi the attn and 9TH OF October, ls7J. by tho
police of that place. complaint is made that the pro
ceedngs Of the police were not conducted in accordanee
United state OF America and the German Empire Of
necessary violence. rs II Is very important, on
grounds Of comfy well Of treaty, that all pro
cceding' in respect 10 foreign vessels I'm our ports
national character. have the honor 10 request that
an investigation Of the present complaint may be made
with view TO the correction Of the irregularities
which seem 10 have occurred. An answer 20 the Min
SteS note Will be deferred until the reception Of your
I have the honor to be Your Excellsncy's obedient
servant, JAMES G. BLAINE.
lncloscd in this letter of the Secretary to the
Governor was one from Count Arco Valley, the
Minister of Germany at Washington, to Secretary
Blaine which read:
During the night between the 4th and 9TH Of octo-
Der. l--3, airay occurred az IiObOhen y. j. be-
tween q number Of policemen ana party oi nIemcn
belonging on board the steamer Elbe near the wharf
Of the North German Lloyd steamer. During the
ARRAY one OF the policemen was Pille roughly hahiei
The policemen then obtained rcinfOrCcments, and 10
the number of about thirty manN Ot them not IN
unorm), rushed on board OF the vessel whittier IN IN?
meantime the lremen had rcrcated. Tn officers OF
The vessel who had been aroused by the noise stood
on tho sangwdy plank OF ihe steamer, Wherc an
electric light made everything as light as day Among
them the second and fourth officers together with
the second engineer, who we're IN full UNIFORM.
Mr.. V0n Baidelebcn, the first officer twh0, as
would again remark, was IN full uniform, asked tho
policemen, they rushed on board Of the yes
sci. what they wanted he also asked them whether
they had been authorized to come on board by tha
Imperial German Cou,ulatc-Generl whereupon, in
"A Y.
f,.eIy Thc second oticnr who was likewise I'm ful
uniform and who stood By the side Of Mr. Won
Barleben, was struck on th' back Of the head by tho
police (blood being drawn and was otherwise ma
crew. who had taken 10 part in the afray between tho
policemen and the ifemen were also roughly handed
into the place where the iremen lodged, pulled them
Of their beds without stopping 0 consider whether
with their clubs and dragged them ashore with no h
ng on but their niglclOthcs. y, the nremen "er'
dragged along blows mined upon them constantly
Pl'sc tn oyer,ecr Of the irnen, who had nothing
whatever 10 do with the disturbance, wa, aresed or
been on watch th" whole night and had nor been ashore
AT all. NOn Bardcleben. ihe first officer, and kou.
@m-n @ IN ,y h9nr & Ccr,rt,,ro ~ ,b% stn,ncr
They were, however. released on $500 bail II -
Notwithstanding the fact that no permission had been
given bv the Imperial Consular authorities. had no l-
cuton whatever % preyeE the p2eeme1 from com N,
iuS on board Of the v"-,el but that they Wohhi on
the contrary if they bad been properly requested 10
assisted the police ln diif>tlu- inc ElutN
hremcn. and that the latter IN noWi,e RESTED arr
70 communication was sent by tho police authori'
tie, of Hobpen either before arrest or after the arrest.
the Imperial German Consulate General AT New
York. A the convention OF December II. l-7l. bo-
tween the German Empire and the United states ex-
pre,sly stipulated should be done 80 far as para
graph > Of Article l. Of the Aforesaid Consular con-
vcnt.on j. concerned. Il i maintained by my Govern
ment. in accordance with tho position heretofore taken
by 10 IN similar cases. That The Obligation duN -
all Official proceeding, held by American local authori.
ri,, on board Of German merchant vessel AT least
To all proceedings whereby the Interests n the vessel
and those Of Il, service are e~,entllhv ate'tei. III,
i the case when person, belonging 10 the crew ot
t3i f'i mi, ar obsst"n f' to 1--WE % no-e nav eyca in Tho
case of arrests be suspended for important state
reasons, and that need then not be gwen until afier
There will always be such urgency. when. owing TO
the delay ocC>ioned by the transmission Of the notice
10 the consul conGeinet the obec Of tle prot-edinSs
cannot be attained. can be attained but partially
AID when, IN examinations, there !, cause TO far mat
the true state 81 the case VIII be oosGH'N Or NAT le
apprehension Of He guilty parties VIII be rendered I'M
hat were ntds during tie ni-t between october r
AMI - l-o9, since the lloOohon policemen, IN tOA,e
nlcmen IF the lIbe which had taken place on Nho;e
during the evening. rushed on bJad u that vessel II
torcement> quasi uno a.t" ami there lndhe arrsis
While u l. admitted That il was iHpriccdb!e t. n0uty
the Imperial Con-UltieneIa I'm NcWlork Of tile arrests
beforehand, n wa all the m're tie Gu,y u tie AmeIi AZ
authorizes &" ni'Im thr plopeF IS' man at'h & IL,
policemen IN making these arrests, especially In TIE
case of those who lad not been concerned IN the AZ
tlia the policemen were excited ~tll they went much
further thau they ought 10 have gone There W'1s no
-i>tau,c Wa, offered. The mditrcatmcnt Of the men
while under arrest and Of the officers VINO stood upon
the 3n-pluh. whcre there was bright light - tLAS
they were more easily lcc'SlHed by their uniforms
rc p.rit, Wlc, c.-,cd for the omission pre-
vou,ly notify the Imperial Consul General IN New
Work. II the hr>t arrests di not cNiNt lor th2
arrests that were made AZ midday 'n ocooe: - l--.
nor There in thc latter 'a-e any grounds Tor sU'h
~ regards the Interpretation OF Paragraph ., .Ntte
-. which requires tadt notice snail O' gwen 10 IN,
dnpo>itDn~ or statements 10 bc made by officers of
person, bclugns 10 the crew no difference oi opinion
exist between the two Governments. -
With regard 10 Paragraph =. would further lcmarH
thar the uitrd states Government, A. long aso as
LIS instructed Il, Minister AZ Berlin 10 presehl
Il complaint whch Pru,,ian police officers arrested
the captain. first mate and cook Of the
of Gcc>tcmuudc those arrests were made partially on
board Of the Ncut and partly on Land. on The ground
the cook and prcviou, notice thereof rad been given
To the competent American Consul. The Imperial
Government replied that the action Of the PiuSNIan
authorities dd not meet WIN l'N "PplnN',t. ,,,,,
In obedience 10 the instructions OF my Governments
have the rouor. Mr. secretary of state. most r..
,pcctfuly 10 inform Nou that a. ar q, the details %
this case are concerned, II admits tlat previous
notification Of the Imperial Consul General son,e.mhs
usht between October I and >. l-79 was mpiac,
ticioe. but that the omission promptly to nouiN ta'
officer subsequently OF those arrcNi, Mas IL
able: also that the violent proceedings ot the no
bokcn policemen especially IN the case Oh lhUo'fH
ru,.n btloncng to the of the flDe. cannot lr
Justified ~ to the additional arrests that we're made
nm hoard Of the Elbe al noon the 9TH of october,
--0 and rhe examination of the parties arrested s
omission i'm both cases BY the American authorities
n liyr prrvioI, notice 10 the Imperial COn-ullien-
,r,l constituted in the opinion of my Government.
"A violation of Article MI, paragraphs ana ., OF the
Con~,ilir convention OF December H. l-,l.
have the honor 10 indor>e a certified copy of ths
judicial proceeding, held i'm this case on inc @nth oi
6rtobcr l-Sa Most respectfully requesting an cA.
r.,,on of the views of yOur Department with regard
10 the principles involved, avail myself OF tins oc,
r,.inn +, o,lcr vO Mr. secretary of state, renewed
assurance of my most distinguished con, ,dcration
ARCO.
The drunken fight that has resulted in this
correspondence happened jim this way number
of frcmcn of the steamer Elbc, on the night oil
October I. 1859. were on snoe drunk ohe ol
them placed German flag on the sidewalk and
SID tn Policeman RYAN that he would Kill any
freshman who walked on IT. Ryan attempted II
Irt and kuOclpd down