The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-07-28
4 NARROW ESCAPE.

LIZ bCltLS NiIS a. loho ot&U Y
France and Germany l arrived III tho
latter country with the view OF studying
at ere OF the southern universities. IL
the meantime, however, 1 was spending
few weeks ct Frankfort-on-the-Mair,
where I found much to interest me, and
especially in regard to the early life CT
GoGtlle, who was born there. But the
pleasure Of the s~ojourl was greatly
damrea by Ito troublo the police gave
me.
At this tine, although we'll ~aoqaaint-
ed with German grammatically, [ could
speak bat q few words Of the language.
Knowing french, however, ] managed
to get on pretty we'll, all the waters N
the hotels and cafes knowing something
of that tongue, and most Of the trades
people talking it a little. Having be-
sides srort g little time previously i'll
Paris, had perhaps become somewhat
-Frenchifee. / had to this extent any
{ way-that / were my hair rather short
and waxcd +ho ends Of my mustache. To
this circumstance and to the fact that
I spoke French in preference to either
English or German must, | imagine, be
attributed the annoyance, and even trou-
bic, to which I oon began to be sub
jected.
When I first took up my temporary
abode il the imperial city, I made tho
necessary announcement Of NY intention
: to the police. I made it from the Hotel
Garni, in which | first installed myself.
I maGei it again from the private lodging
I hired. I repeated it when | removed
{ to more con1raodious and salubrious
quarters in he suburbs Of the city.
But al this was not enough. [ had no
sooner settled down in my new quarters
nay, before I had time thus to settle
down. wog honored by one Of the gen
try with t*e pickelhaube and sword
who pass for policemen IL that land Of
soldiers.
He generally commenced By asking
my name and profession, where | was
born, who was my father and who my
mother, what ] came to TIE fatherland
fer and otror similar questions. While
thus catechising me he would take mi
mute stock If my apartment. His visit
would be followed in q day or two by
that Of another officer, who would put
me through the am or q very similar
catechisln. Then, by way of variation,
l would be summoned to one of the dis
trict police stations-places more like
barracks then anything else-there to be
again subjected to q perfect enfilade Of
~questionings and cross questionings.
These were al the more perplexing be-
cause Of my inability to express myself in
German and my torE2entors' ignorance
Of either French or English.
This went on, as [ say, for some time,
till, III fact, ] was at my wits end to
know what it all meant. I asked several
of my friends, bat they could not en-
tighten me. I proposed to shut the door
III the face Ct the next pickelhaube that
called and refnse to respond to the sum.
mons Of the nezt inspector-or what
ever he might be-of police. But the
bare suggestion Of such q course horri-
fed my friends, for frankfort was then
q conquered city and was treated az
such. They Informed me that to act in
such q way would be regarded as tanta-
mount to high treason, and that as the
result l might find myself il prison or
else conducted with scant ceremony over
the frontier.
Finally | had a summons from the
chief OF police himself. He was q major
Of the Prassian army and was a tall,
broad shoulaered and very austere look
ing parsonage. Ny first interview with
this gentleman lasted over half an hour.
He asked me If 7 had ever been il the
army, used o rife, played with the
sword; if ILlew Paris, Bordeaux, Stras-
burg; where / 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 was c,csated with this same func-
tionary, each time being piled with
more and more perple1ing, and, az they
seemed to me, absurd questions. On the
occasion Of one of these visits / was
asked to produce a photograph Of ny
self, if I had one. As / happened to
have one which had been taken a little
while previously in Paris, | forwarded
this with ray compliments to the major,
with the hope that when lie wished to
look upon ny face again he would sat
isfy himself by gazing upon my ''coan-
terfeit presentment' instead.
Finally I became SO tired Of these in