St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-22
THEY CsUCIFIED HIM.
incidents in the Life Of the Late
DR.. Bredemeyer.

IA
Incidents in the Life of the Late
DIR. Bredemeyer.
San Francisco Examiner.
a short time ago gentleman by the
name of William Bredemeyer. Prus-
sian by birth and mining expert by
profession, died in Tacoma.
lie was quiet, unobtrusive sort of a
chap. and considered by those who
knew him to be but an everyday citizen
OF the commonplace type, save that he
had fondness for joining secret So
cietles. aud at the time of his death be-
longed to nearly every organization of
the kind in existence. He died OF par
alysls In most orthodox way, but when
the undertakers began to prepare his
body for burial they found most curl
Gus scar upon his right hand. At one
time there had been a hole made by
some sort of sharp instrument in the
palm, going in atsone side and coming
out at the other.
There was some speculation in regard
to its origin, when suddenly one of the
undertaker's assistants uttered an ex-
|, clamatlon of astonishment and held up
the deceased's left hand. There was a
precisely Identical scar upon that Also
, Men do not generally have bullet holes
| through both hauds, and Bredemeyer
had also similar sears upon each foot.
The right hand scar was not as long
as the left hand one by an inch. Both
were between the bones of the thumb
and forefnger, in the thickest part Of
the palm. The left hand scar was two
and half inches long. and ON both
sldes OF the hands the scars set out like
! mountain ranges, compared with the
J size OF the hands, the serrated top
ridges of the ugly marks being white
ana smooth, like snow-capped peaks.
Ihey were exactly like the marks of
ruclhX ion, and little wonder, for cru
!hed b redemeyer ad been, although
he had never told the story to any one.
and the fact was unknown until Brede-
meyers record of his own life was
found among his papers after his death.
bredemeyer was graduate of the
| University OF Bann, and had qualified
as member of the Prussian Pioneer
Engineer corps. That was in 1862 The
next year he entered the Dutch-Indla
service as mining engineer and expert
and advanced step by step In his chosen
profession until 1868, when the king OF
Burmah made him chief engineer of the
famous ruby mines in the Northern part
or the country. Bredemeyer had head.
quarters at Medea, in the ruby mine
district, where sapphires are also found
Inc mines are Jealously guarded, and
all the precious stones belong to the
king. From the ruby and sapphire
harvest the king realizes from $4,000 tc
S75, 600 Year.
North of Medea, in the lofty noun.
talns, there were some ruby mines
which the king had not had protected
for various reasons. No white man had
ever Ventured into the mountains of the
North among the half civilized Singphos
who, while partially recognizing the
authority of the king. were unruly and
-barbaric. Thither the king sent Brede.
meyer.
His advent was the signal for great
| excitement among the Singphos. They
had never seen white man, and not
| outstanding Bredemeyer announced
his mission under the authority Of the
king, the Singphos were not satisfied.
Their oupidity got the better of their
loyalty; they thought more Of rubies
and sapphires than they did of the
kings mandates. They decided TO cru.
clfy the white man if lie did not fee the
country.
A handful of soldiers were with Bre-
demeyer, perhaps fifty all told, but
then there were 3,500,000 Inhabitants.
| The SlngDhos were not afraid of the
soldiers. Bredemeyer refused to leave
the country until he had carried out the
orders of the king. The Singphos de.
ciared war. Bredemeyer's soldiers
went into ambush, only to surrender
the mining expert when the natives
swooped down upon them.
While the soldiers were scurrying
about for reinforcements the natives
| nailed Bredemeyer to cross made of
! two pieces OF the native oil wood. Crude
pieces OF ircn, with rough edges and
slightly sharp at the end, were brought.
and using stones for sledges the natives
drove the irons through Bredemeyer's
hands aud feet.
There was great excitement, and the
barbarians In their haste mashed the
engineers toes and fingers. Before the
brutal work of mailing Bredemeyer to
the cross was finished he became par.
TALLY unconscious. The shock was
almost fatal. The last thing he dis
tinctly remembered was the swarming
Singphos, looking like devils, with their
fiat faces. broad skulls, straight black
hair, deep brown skins. AS rule the
natives wear linen wrapped about their
and as Bredemeyer lapsed into uncon.
seriousness he remembered that the
ingie5 of the masters of the barbaric
ceremony were besmeared with his own
blood.
When Bredemeyer had been nailed to
the cross the natives prepared to raise
it and fasten the end nearest his feet
into the ground. At that instant the
soldiers returned with reinforcements
and routed the natives. Bredemeyer
was carried back to Medea
The crucifixion occurred at about
noon. At noon the next day his wounds
were dressed. The rainy season had
not set In and 1t was very warm, and
under the unfortunate conditions it was
feared gangrene would set in. He was
cared for teDderly under directions
from the king, and being accustomed
to great hardships he speedily recoy.
cred, but never again ventured into the
land Of the Singphos.
The day OF his funeral his casket was
literally covered with fraternity badges,
the gold bullion in which was valued at
$500, but 1t was doubtful il any decora-
ton there was as unusual as the four
conferred upon him by the Singphos OF
Upper Burmah.