The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-30
SAVED BY MUSIC.
A Pathetic Story of "Passion Play"
Love Told in Court.


story in which romance and misery
were strangely intermingled was told in
jefferson Market Police Court the other day.
lis hero was Anton Hoefner. who was en-
tered on the criminal calendar as a vagraut
and whose appearance bore out out the
charge preferred against him. The prisoner
was unable to speak word of English, and
but for the TACT that Detective Zimmerman.
who arrested him, is an accomplished Iiu-
guist. lie would undoubtedly have been sent
TO the tramp's retreat on Blackwells Island.
HoefneT was arrested on the steps OF St.
Joseph's Church about sunset. Ga his way
to the station he related his experience to
policeman. My name is Anton HOefner,"
he said, land l am nephew of ex- Mayor
Lang Of Oberammergau. My uncle for
many years assumed the role of the High
Priest Caiphus in the world renowned
Passion Play presented in that town, and
l occupied high social aud financial posi-
ton there. Four years ago | formed an
attachment for Miss Walburge Rnethel, alsn
a character in the Passion Play and on
Easter Tuesday of 1890 we were to have
been married.
ION March 10 of that year my sweetheart
and l went rowing on the river Amprr,
which flows past my uucle's property. The
swell OF passing vessel upset our little
craft, and | was unable to save my sweet
heart from wateTy grave. Tie teTriba
loss drove me almost mad, ard in spite If
the fearful PRAYERS Of my friends | came TO
America. | was utterly ignorant of the
English language, and failed on this account
10 find work at my profession OF wood
carving,
when my money was gone I Joined
company OF Hungarian railroad iaborers,
ana tolIed with pick on the newly butt
branch of the Lehigh Valley, running from
South PiaInfeld to New York. Nv habits
were these Of my fellow-wOrkmen. | wasted
my substance In ri0tOus living in the hope of
drowning my sorrow. To-day l came to
the metropolis to buy some coarse working
clothes, but my will had become so weak
that l spent my money for liquor instead.
Half daZed By the SIimuants had limb. bed
l was passing St. Joseph's Church, where
the vesper service was being carried on.
There the strains OF familiar music at
tracte1 my attention. The organ was peal
ing forth an anthem that / had heard scores
OF times in my childhood and youth, and in
an instant the canker Of hatred for God and
man that had been corroding my heart Tor
years was dissolved.
Grief overwhelmed me and l sat down
on the steps OF the church and ccujured up
one by one the scenes Of my once happy
life. While thus engaged you came up and
arrested me. l should have sat there till l
died had you not forced me to leave"
Hoefuer expressed absolute Indifference
when first arrested as to what disposition Of
his case should he made by the Police Jus
tice. His discharge, however, filed him
with renewed hope. To Detective Zimmer-
man. who advised him to work his passage
back TO Europe, he replied that lie would
never visit Oberammergau again. 81 shall
amply for admission 10 the franciscan
Monastery at Paterson" he declared, land
take the VOWS of temperance, obedience and
chastity"