Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-16
A MARROW ESCAPE.

latter country with the view of studying at one of the southern universities In the meantime, however, was spending Q few weeks at the Main, where found much to interest me, and especially in regard to the early life of Goethe, who was born there But tho pleasure of tho sojourn was greatly damped by the trouble the police gave me
 At this time, although well acquaint- ed with German grammatically, could Knowing French. howevCS. managed to get on pretty we'll. all the walters in the hotels and cafes knowing something of that tongue, and most of the trades people talking it e little Having be- sides spent a little time previously in Paris, had perhaps become somewhat Frenchificd- I had to this extent any way-that wore my hair rather short and waxed the ends of my mustache- To this circumstance and to the fact that spoke French in preference to either English or German must, l imagine, be attributed the annoyance, and even trOu- ble, to which I soon began to Dc sub iected-
 When 1 first took up my temporary abode in the imperial city. l made the necessary announcement of my intention to the police. l made 1t from the Hotel | GarrIi, in which first installed myself I made it again from the private lodging hired repeated it when I removed | to more conlmodious and salubrious | ,,, sF. StrH, ss& fhn FsaF But all this was not enough had no sooner settled down in my new quarters nay, before l had time thus to settle down-I was hunOred by one of the gen try with the pickelhaubc and sword who pass for policemen in that land of | soldiers
 He generally commenced by asking my name and profession, where l was born. who was my father and who my mother, what 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 fin 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, | 1 would be summoned to one of the dis trict police stations-placcs more like barracks than anything else-thcre to be again subjected to perfect enfilade of | questionings and cross qucStioningS These were all the more pcrplexing be- cause of my inability to express myself in | German and my tOrmentOrs' ignorance of either French or English
 This went on, as say, for some time, | till, in fact. 1 was at my wits end to | know what it all meant l asked several | of my friends but they could not en- tighten me. 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 inspcctor-or what ever he might be-of police But the bare suggestion of such a course horri- fled my friends, for Frankfort was then conquered city and was treated as such. They informed me that to act in such q way would be regarded as tanta- mount to high treason. and that ss the result l might find myself in prison or else conducted with scant ceremony over the frontier.
 Finally 1 had 6 summons from the chief of police himself. He was a mnjOr of the Prussian army and was a tall. | pTpdu VII AASNtAc ANAnN' 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 rife. played with the sword; if knew Paris. Bordeaux. Stras. burg; where was born. where my mother was when was born la literal fact), if had any brothers and sisters; their names, and SO forth
 A second. third, and even q fourth timo was closcted with this same func tionary, each time being piled with moro and moro pcrplexing. and. as the! seemed to me, absurd questions. On th' occasion of one of these visits l wa. asked to produce n photograph of my self, if 1 had one. As l happened t'
 havc one which had been taken httl'
 while previously in Paris, furwardcS
 this with my compliments to the major
 with the hope that when he wished t'
 look upon my face again he would sIt
 isfy himself by gazing upon my ''coun
 terfeit presentment" instead
 Finally l became so tired of these in Quisitions. and. us had reason to be | heye, private examination of my paper when I was out. that I was sincercl. thinking of rclinquishing my real pur pose of becoming acquainted with Ger , man philosophy and making a httl money by newspaper correspundence } had gone so far us to give my landlad. notice to quit. when suddenly q chang ] came over tho scene.
 , Responding one day to q summon 3 from the major. l was agreeably sur ! prised to find the worthy fellow in a re markably good humor. He shook me h
 the hand, as though had long been hi
 dearest friend, smiled all over his face
 assured mo that I was all "gOot" an , ,, 'recht, " and so dismissed me more per plexed than ever.
 Very soon afterward war was de ciared, and in the turmoil. danger am , excitement that ensued well nigl
 forgot the annoyance and frequent in
 convenience I had been put to by tn
 suspicious of the police Possibly
 should have thought no more about then : and have quite forgotten them by thi
 lime but for m incident that occurre } shortly after the close of the war.
 was again in Frankfort. paying . short visit to friends One evening was at a party given by lady residin l in the city. While engaged in converss
 ton with the editor of one of the loca
 papers the hostess approached me an z said;
 Allow mo, Mir. -. to introduc
 you to my very good friend. Colon,
 Gutsmicht
 turned to be introduced, and wh
 should I sec before mo but my frien
 tho major, formerly the chief of polio
 at Frankforti
 We both smiled as we recognize
 each other.
 aAh xou bava raat fsafora then ?