The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-25
A NARROW ESCAPE.

Just before the war broke out between
France and Germany I arrived in the
latter country with the view Of studying
at one of the southern universities. In
the meantime, however, I was spending
a few weeks at Frankfort the Main,
where I found much to interest me, and
especially in regard to the early life of
Goethe, who was born there. But the
pleasure Of the %sojourn was greatly
damped by the trouble the police gave
me.
At this time, although well acquaint-
ed with German grammatically, I could
speak but a few words of the language.
Knowing French, however, I managed
to get on pretty well, all the walters in
the hotels and cafes knowing something
Of that tongue, and most Of the trades
people talking it a little. Having be-
sides spent a little time previously in
Paris, l had perhaps become somewhat
F%renchifed. I had to this extent any
way-that l wore my hair rather short
and waxed the ends of my mustache. To
this circumstance and to the fact that
l spoke French in preference to either
English or German must, l imagine, be
attributed the annoyance, and even trou-
BILE, to which / soon began to be sub
jected.
When l first took up my temporary
abode in the imperial city, I made the
necessary announcement of my intention
to the police. l made it from the Hotel
Garni, in which l first installed myself.
I made it again from the private lodging
I hired. repeated it when I removed
to more commodious and salubrious
quarters in the suburbs of the city.
But all this was not enough. I had no
ooner settled down in my new quarters
nay, before I had time thus to settle
down. was honored by one Of the gen.
try with the pickelhaube and sword
who pass for policemen in that land of
soldiers.
He generally commenced by asking
my name and profession, where I was
OOllI, WIN Was KY ldtL-CI III ~ H.
mother, what l came to the fatherland
for and other similar questions. While
thus catechising ME he would take mi
mute stock of my apartment. His visit
would be followed in a day Or two by
that of another officer, who would put
me through the same or a very similar
catechism. Then, by way of variation,
I would be summoned to one Of the dis
trict police stations-plaoes more like
barracks than anything else-there to be
again subjected to a perfect enfilade of
questionings and cross qu%estionings.
These were all the more p~erplexing be-
of my inability to express myself in
German and my tormentors' ignorance
of either French or English.
This went Oh, as I say, for some time,
till, in fact, I was at my wits end to
know what it all meant. I asked several
of my friends, but they could not en-
tighten me. 1 proposed to shut the door
in the face of the next pickelhaube that
called and refuse to respond to the sum-
mons of the next inspector-or what
ever he might be-of police. But the
bare suggestion of such a course horri-
fed my friends, for Frankfort was then
a conquered city and was treated as
such. They informed me that to act in
such a way would be regarded as tanta-
mount to high treason, and that as the
result I might find myself in prison II
else conducted with scant ceremony e
the frontier.
Finally l had a summons from the
chief of police himself. He was a major
of the Prussian army and was a tall,
broad shouldered and very austere look
ing parsonage. My first interview with
this gentleman lasted over half an hour.
He asked me If I had ever been in the
army, used a rife, played with the
sword; If I knew Paris, Bordeaux, Stras-
burg; where I was born, where my
mother was when I was born "a literal
fact, if I had any brothers and sisters;
their names, and so forth.
A second, third, and even a fourth
time Twas closeted with this same func-
tionary, each time being piled with
more and more perplexing, and, as they
seemed to me, absurd questions. On the
occasion of one Of these visits I was
asked to produce a photograph of my
self, if I had one. As I happened to
have one which had been taken a little
while previously in Paris, 1 forwarded
this with my compliments to the major,
with the hope that when he wished to
look upon my face again he would sat-
isfy himself by gazing upon my ''coun-
terfeit presentment" instead.
Finally I became SO tired of these in
QUESTIONS, and, as I had reason to be-
lieve, private examination Of my papers
when I was out, that I was sincerely
thinking of relinquishing my real pur-
pose of becoming acquainted with Ger
man philosophy and making a little
money by newspaper correspondence. I
had gone SO far as to give my landlady
notice to quit, when suddenly a change
came over the scene.
Responding n day to a summons
from the major, I was agreeably sur
prised to find the worthy fellow in a re-
markably good humor. He shook me by