Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-02-08
A NARROW ESCAPE.

France and Germany 1 arrived in the
latter country with the view Of studying
ut n Of tho southern universities In
tho meantime, however, 1 was spending
q few weeks at Frankfort the Main,
where / found much to interest me, and
especially in regard to the early life Of
Goethe, who was born there. But the
pleasure of the s%ojourn was greatly
damped by the trouble the police gave
me.
AT this time, although we'll acquaint-
cd with German dramatically, I could
speak but q few words of tho language.
Knowing French, however, I 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 a little, Having be-
sides spent a little time previously in
Paris, 1 had perhaps become somewhat
F~renchifed. 1 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-
BILE, to which 1 soon began to be sub
jected.
When I first took up my temporary
abode in the imperial city, / made the
necessary announcement Of my intention
to the police. 1 made it from the Hotel
Garni, in which l first installed myself.
Imade it again from the private lodging
I hired. / repeated it when / removed
TO more c~ommodious and salubrious
quarters in the suburbs Of the city.
But all this was not enough. 1 had no
sooner settled down in my new quarters
may, before / 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 l was
born, who was my father and who my
mother, what 1 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 q 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,
/ would be summoned to one of the dis.
trict police stations-places moro like
barracks than anything else-there to be
again subjected to a perfect enflade Oh
q~uestiOnings and cross q~uestionings.
These were all the more p~erplexing be.
n Of my inability to express myself il
German and my tormentors' Ignorance
of either French or English.
This went ON, as 1 say, for some time,
till, in fact, l was at my wits end t
know what it all meant. 1 asked severa
Of my friends, but they could not en-
tighten me. l proposed to shut the dooi
in the face of the next pickelhaube tina
called and refuse TO respond to the sum
mons of the next inspector-or what
over he might be-of police. But thu
bare suggestion Of such a course horri
fed my friends, for Frankfort was theI
o conquered city and was treated a
such. They informed me that to act il
such q way would be regarded as tanta
mount to high treason, and that as tn
result / might find myself in prison o
else conducted with scant ceremony owe
the frontier.
Finally / had a summons from TIN
chief of police himself. He was a majot
of the Prussian army and was a tall
broad shouldered and very austere look
ing parsonage. MY first interview will
this gentleman lasted over half al hour
HO asked me II / had ever been in tn,
army, used a rife, played with til,
sword; il I knew Paris, Bordeaux, Stras
burg; where / was born, where m,
mother was when I was born "a litera
fact, if 1 had any brothers and sisters
their names, and so forth.
A second, third, and oven q fourtl
time Twas closeted with this same func
tionary, each time being piled witt
more and more perplexing, and, as the.
seemed to me, absurd questions. On tn
occasion Of one Of these visits I wa
asked to produce a photograph of my
self, il 1 had one. As / happened t
have one which had been taken a littl
while previously in Paris, 1 forwarde,
this with MY compliments to tho major
with the hope that when he wished I
look upon my face again he would sat
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forfeit p~resentment" instead
Finally / became 80 tired of these in
QUESTIONS, and, as l had reason 10 be
lieve, private examination of my paper
when / was out, that 1 wal Eincerel,
thinking Of relinquishing my real pur
pose Of becoming acquainted with Ger
man philosophy and making a littl
money by newspaper correspondence.
had gone 50 far as TO give my landlad.
notice to quit when suddenly a chang
came over the scene.
Responding one day to a summon
from the major, ! was agreeably sun
prised II find the worthy fellow in q ro
markably good humor. He shook mo b
the hand, as though I had long been hi
dearest friend. smiled all over his face
assured me that / was all ''goot'' an