New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-10
KEPT UNDER CLOSE GUARD.
~ AMERICAN CITIZEN DETAINED El
GERMAN MILITARY AUTHORITIES
THE STATE DEPARTMENT STARTS AN INQUIRY
AS TO WHY HERMAN Flick OF fAThRSoN'
\. j. Is KEPT A PRISONER in
KOHLEN. GERMANY.

kOlLEN. bEtMANl.
herman Flick. 0, Paterson. y. j., a naturaized
.tlzen OF the United States has for almost h'e
,norths /, ,s said been confined under military
d ir tho village OF Kohlcn by Ringstcdt. in
cor,nanv Thc cause alleged for his imprisonment
&c his liability to service in the army OF the country
hut rs he is provided with passports from the De-
,or,ncn; of State and is. moreover. much un"er
the height required for recruits 1t is thousht INA"
,be,e are some other and unstatod reasons
Flick has been confined to the house OF his bro'her
,,,av under guard. since January 81 "A period OF
aln,os, five months and although native OF Ger
many has lived in this country during the greater
rart of his life and. when he made APPLICATION Tor
passport produced certificate OF Naturalization
dated October H. 1874 passport was issued to him
on November G. but 1t was not until Jdhud'! """'
he finally started.
Flick went TO secure legacy which a distant rel
alive in the village kohlen by Rngstedt had left
HIM He reached his destination safely, nut haruly
were the greetings with his relatives endeG Wheh !"
squad of 'gendarmes marched to the house. and the
officer in command informed Flick that he was Ia
BILE TO service in the German army and must either
enlist or &c, over the border in three days
F,ck displayed his passport and said that he had
come on business which could not be accomplished
in three days. and that, as his passport showed hm
10 be an American citizen he would hardly nave
IN enlist in the army The officer in response rude
ly seized the passport and after glancng at H. cast
1t OH the ground
"That is OF no use here: you must make your
choice and either Join the army or leave In three
days"
well IL You will not respect my American citi-
zenship they will do at Berlin, and ! VIII go
there and state my case
you will rot leave this house unless under
guard OF six rusty men, and while you are in IL.
YOU will also be under guard. II your brother-h-
law attempts to help you from the place, he VIII
make himself liable TO arrest and summary punish
ment."
And since then Flick has led the life Of jealousy
guarded political criminal! His greatest recreation
has been to walk through the town, and TINS ne Is
compelled 10 do under the surveillance OF TWO SOL
diers. Flick expressed a desire on one occasion 10
20 TO Bremen to bid farewell TO a number Of friends
who were about to sail for America, and was told
that he might do so under seXtuple guard. Rather
than go in such style he stayed at home. but II was
through one OF these friends that the first news OF
his troubles reached his adopted land. his letters
having been examined and suppressed. young
woman who was among the voyagers Informed Gus
tave LANCE, OF Paterson. relative Of FOX. OF the
latter's predicament, and John \. Baumann was
engaged TO Try and have the matter rgnted. Inc
State Department communicated WIKI, ana the
following response received:
Department; Of state
Washington June !, 1885.
John A. Baumann. ESQ. Paterson. y. }. ......
letter OF the 10Th ultimo in relation 10 me c'Se Oh
Mr.. Herman Flick who has been arrested in Ger
many upon the charge OF beng Aaule 10 service III
the army Of that country ,
The ambassador OF the United States at Berlin
has been Instructed 10 investigate the case. and 10
take such steps as may be found proper TO obtain
the release OF Mr.. Flick and permission for him TO
return to the United states
Upon an examination of the records Of the De-
partment il appears that passport issued 10
Mr. Flick on November s. 1894. upon his producing
certificate of naturalization dated october l9. 1884
ANY information which the Department may re-
ceive In regard 10 the matter viii be promptly com
munca'ed to E YSS {or Tgffens cng Secretary
a reporter saw Mr. lange Yesterday ana j. ne
how il was that such circumstance could have so
long remained unknown TO the representatyes OF
the United States in Germany. he said that Kohen
is a farmland pace. and that knowledge or what
happens there could readily be kept secret for