Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-10
Another Duel Caused by the "Anony-
nous Letter" Scandal.
BARON Won SCHRADER BADLY WOUNDED
Resorting to the Code to Punish
Alleged CaIumniators.
TOOK PLACE NEAR POTsDAM


iCooyr1ght, 1896, by the Associated rress)
BERLIN, April 1O-There was a sensation
in court and military circles here this
morning when 1t was announced that an
other duel growing out of the greet court
anonymous letter scandals" had taken
place in the woods near Potsdam, and that
Baron Won Schrader, the master of cere-
MONIES OF the Prussian court, had been
shot anu seriously wounded by Count Won
hotze. The latter was formerly court
chamberlain. and was tried and acquitted
On the charge of being the author of the
anonymous communica lions alluded to-
count Won Kotze and Baron Won Schrader
Fought with pistols, and the latter was Sc
verely wounded in the abdomen. He was
taken to hospital, where his wound was
pronounced tc be Of most serious nature.
His near relatives were telegraphed for,
and promptly gathered at bis bedside.
Count Won Kotze's arrest has been Or
Gereo. ana his friends say he will surren-
DER TO the authorities whenever and
wherever called upon to do So
This is the third duel of the series of
ABOUT a dozen for which challenges were
sent out last April by Count Won Kotze,
ana ne mas repeated today his announce
msnt OF his determination to keep on
nshting his enemies, one by one, until he
mas settled accounts with all on his list
Ihose who know Count Won Kotze feel
cohhoent Ihat ne will keep his word.
The Scandal.
The scandal which gave rise to this Sc
ries of duels began snearly five years ago.
when high court personages, male and fe-
male old ana young, began receiving
anonymous letters or postal cards, calling
their attention to this or that escapade
upon their own part or the part of their
relatives or friends. As a result, wives
became separated from their husbands and
fathers and mothers discarded their chill
dren, nearly everybody of Importance being
smirched more or less by the venom of the
ANONYMOUS writer, who was evidently a
person thoroughly familiar with all the de-
tails of court life. People began to look
askance at their best friends.
Every effort possible was made by the
ponce TO discover the guilty party. But, in
spite of this, the anonymous tormentor
was able to continue the cruel work for
about four years. The general opinion was
tnat the vile communications was the
work or woman, but gradually this opin-
lon changed, and, for some unexplained
reason suspicion fastened itself upon
Count Won kotze, one of the court cham
pertains, popular man, well liked by the
emperor and trusted by all his friends
FINALLY volunteer spy denounced him to
the court authorities on the ground that
on plotting paper of letter pad used by
the count he had found a reproduction Of
postal card.
Tnereupon Kotze was arrested and con-
fined in the fortress. Upon trial he was
acquitted of the charges brought against
him.
While Kotze was in prison the tide of
sympathy turned decidedly in his direction
Ugly whispering was heard on all sides, his
arrest was openly denounced as an outrage
and the names of number of very high
court personages, including Duke Ernest
Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein, the brother
in-law Of Emperor William of Germany,
We're heard. In fact, some persons even
suspicion upon higher person than Duke
Gunther, though it would seem without
any just ground for so doing.
A Dozen Challenges.
When Count Won Kotze was released from
prison he promptly sent out challenges to
about dozen of those who he believed
were implicated in a plot to ruin him in
order to save the reputation of the high
parsonage, whoever he may be, who is
looked upon as being the real author of the
anonymous communications.
Among the principal persons challenged
by Count Won Kotze were Baron Won Refs
chaca, court marshal to the ex-Empress
Frederick of Germany; Baron Won Schra-
der, the master Of the ceremonies of the
Prussian court; Prince Won Fuerstenberg,
Prince Aritert of 'Saxe-Altenburg and
Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg.
A runner. never substantiated, also had it
that Won Kotze had challenged Duke Ernst
Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein; but this has
been denied, and is not believed to be true.
The first of the proposed series of duels
was fought with pistols, in the GrunewalA
early during the morning of April IL last,
between Count Won Kotze and Baron Won
Reischach. The latter had insisted upon
severe conditions, namely, that shots should
be exchanged until one of the contestants
was so badly wounded as to be unable to
continue firing. Seven shots were ex-
changed, With the result that both the
count and the baron had more or less Sc
we're flesh wounds But, at the eighth
shot, Won kotze fell with bullet in the
loin. He was taken to a hospital, and for