The record-union., 1895-11-04
The Conviction of Two Editors
Creates Widespread Interest.
BOTH CONNECTED WITH LEADING
SOCIALIST ORGANS.
Thanksgiving by Holding q Ban-
quet at the German Metropolis
Fatal Explosion of a Powder Mill
Near Breslau.

which have taken place in recent
years have so attracted public interest
as the trial and conviction last week of
Herr Dierel and Pfund, respectively
editor and assistant editor of the Vor-
waertz, the leading socialist organ, and
Herr Randmann, editor of the Volks-
blatt, resulting in the sentence of Die
rel to six months, Pfund to nine
months and Randman to twelve
months imprisonment. These gentle
men are now at liberty on bail in the
sum of S,400 marks each, pending their
appeal from the judgment Of the
court and the case is exciting general
discussion. Herr Dierel especially
drew upon himself the wrath of the au-
thoritative powers by ridiculing the
Sedan day celebration and the Kaiser
William Memorial Church, the lat
ter which he dubbed the 'Aegir
Church" and alluding to the Emperors s
having devoted the proceeds of his
recent musicale for the Song of the
Aegir," to the expenses of erecting the
memorial windows of the church
which were lately consecrated with
great ceremony.
present court and the public prosecutor
toward the offending editors has been
the subject of much public criticism.
Every day since the conclusion of the
trial the VorwaertZ has contained IL
radeS of denunciatiOJl directed against
the public prosecutor for having Sug-
gested that Dierel sold himself to the
real culprits, and really contracted for
a sum of money to stand trial and
serve whatever sentence the court
might impose upon him instead of the
actual offender. The contention of
Dierel's paper has been tnat he was
absolutely untitled and devoted him
self legitimately to literature, and not
to shame"
The Berlin Post, however. printed in
its issue of last evening, with the ap
pearance of eXactness, a statement
which it dedicates to the VOrwaertz,
asserting that Dierel was formerly an
obscure actor His age, 63 years, pre-
vented him from continuing in that
profession, and in order to make a
livelihood he avowed himself a socialist
and made arrangement with the VOr-
waertz in the capacity of a clerk at
salary of 112 marks (S2S) a month. A
short time later, upon the strength of
his contention that he was merely eat
ing of the bread of favor, instead of re-
ceiVing the compensation to which his
services entitled him, he was induced as
a consideration for the advancement OF
his stipend to sign a paper declaring
himself to be wholly responsible for the
dangerous and seditious articles
which had appeared or might there
after appear in the paper. For thus ac-
cepting responsibility for the acts Of
others he received the miserable in
crease of Il marks a month in his sal
ary- In the opinion of those who be-
lieve the foregoing statement to be true
this rendered him directly unworthy Of
sympathy, and places him in the posi-
tiOn of being morally as we'll as legally
bound to serve the sentence he volun-
tarily contracted to undergo.
The feeling of soreness and indigna-
ton over the recent alarmiSt state
ments promulgated upon the alleged
authority of the ST. Petersburg Official
Messenger has not only not abatrd
but has been aggravated by the semi
official explanation of the matter from
which it would seem that the blame
lies with the Russian official agency.
The Vossiche Zeitung, in an article
championing the cause of the operators
on the Bourse, whose transactions
We're based upon these statements, in
plain language charges Russian officials
with completely in the matter, ana ac~
cuses certain officials in st. Petersburg
with having had the intention of rut-
ting down quotations on the Berlin
Rourse. 1t is more likely, however
that the matter was the result Of an
oversight, but the act was culpable
nevertheless
This is the second occasion since
Prince Lobanoff Rostovsky was APP
pointed Russian Minister of Foreign
Affairs that the statement of the grav-
est import sent out from ST. Petersburg
have had to be disavowed upon Official
authority, the other occasion being the
recent Bulgarian sensation. which
turned out to be canard. SO intense is
the feeling of Indignation here over
these incidents that it will be a long
time before they will be forgotten, and
they will tend to increase distrust.
During the session of the Colonial
Council, which was held about the mid
die of the week Herr Kayser an
nounced that the mines which the
South African Company had opened to
the northward of Otativi contained
copper in such abundant quantities as
has seldom been found anywhere else
in the world.
The new building erected for the oc-
cuparcy of the Prussian Landtag is ex-
ternally completed, and the fitting of
the interior is proceeding rapidly.
large part of the fittings and furniture
of the old building were found to be en-
tirel1 unsuited to the new building,
and have been sold at auction. The
sale attracted large crowds of buyers
and curiosity seekers, and many Of the
articles sold brought good prices.
The Post devotes four columns to the
reports of various United States Con-
Suls, conveying the suggestion that
American breeders export horses into
Germany for the purpose of slaughter
ing them. The Post contends that live
animals could not be exported profit
ably. and declares that if the flesh of
animals should be sent here
Germany would impose restrictions
to those now in force against
live cattle and dressed beef The pro-
posal to import horses into Germany for
slaughtering purposes has met with a
storm of adverse comment.
The returns of imports of corn for the
period extending from January to Sep
tember. both inclusive, show 1880, ,331
hectogrammes as compared with 5,3337,-
81 hectogrammes for the same period
in 1894.
Prince Henry of Prussia and his wife.
Princess Irene, opened the new sea-
mems home in Kiel on Friday, in the
presence of a large company of dis
persons.
= large powder mill at Oekelwitz, |
near Breslau, exploded on Saturday. |
The building was wrecked and one man
wcs killed. Three others were injured, I
aT.i are in a dying condition.
Lieutenant G. T.. Vreland, naval at
tache OF the United States Embassy, |
has returned to Berlin from his holi-
days. I1e spent is leave OF absence in !
the dock yards in Holland.
A committee, Of the American colony
hold n tfr,er of fl,n