The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-26

the reserve forces, it will readily be seen
how wide-reaching are the operations of
these military courts of honor, which, con-
shutting an imperium in imperio, decree
and enforce laws of theft own making
WHICH are Numerically opposed to those
of the land.
Thus, Baron Won Kotze. the principal
figure in the anonymous letter scandal
at Berlin, after having fought two duels
in vindication of his honor, receiving in
one of the encounters a wound that will
cause him to limp for the remainder of
his life, decided to resort to the courts
of law for the purpose of clearing in the
eyes of the general public his character
of the aspersions that. had been cast
upon it with liberal and cruel hand. So
he instituted suits for criminal and civil
libel against those who had been most
outspoken in their accusations, his fell
low-master of the ceremonies being the
first to be served with a writ. When
was declared that Won Kotze had resort
ed to dishonorable means to vindicate
himself, and on the matter being brought
before a military court of honor, the lat
ter decided that Won Kotze, having pre-
ferred the law courts to a single en-
counter. was no longer fit for the society
declined to ratify this finding, in so far
as it decreed that the baron was unfit for
the society of noblemen and gentlemen
and this leaving him free to fight, he
honor, as well as by threats of social
ostracism, into the duel which resulted
IN the death OF Baron Won SC0faeQer.
Another instance in point is the case of
Dr. Zenker, who two or three weeks ago
received bullet through the heart from
the pistol of his intimate friend, Baron
Won kettleholt. DR.. Zenker was one of the
most prominent lawyers in Berlin, and in
the enjoyment of a large practice. His fam
lily consisted of three children and a wife,
the latter an extremely pretty woman dis
posed to coquerty and Irritation, which,
however, were a source of more amuse-
ment to her husband than of annoyance
~ ~ lnf DO - f11a IL
their home, is a hotbed of gossip and of
scandal, and 1t was not long before the
name of lovely Frau Zenker was connect
ed by slanderous quidnuncs with those of
certain of her husbands friends, prOmi-
nent among whom was Baron Won Kettle
holt, lieutenant of the Imperial Navy
and an officer on board of the emperor S
yacht Hohenzollern.
Some officious person seems to have
brought the gossip current about Frau
Zenker to the notice of the court of honor
of the Potsdam garrison, and after a
searching investigation the court decided
that DR.. Zenker's honor was at stake, and
called upon him to vindicate it by chal-
longing Lieut.. Won Kettleholt to a duel,
under pain of FORGETTING his commission
as an officer of the Reserve, which of
course, would have entailed social ostra-
cism of such a character as to render ii
impossible for him to remain in Germany
DR.. Zenker al first held back thinking
that to challenge his friend would cast a
reflection upon the reputation of his wife,
but finally yielded to overwhelming press
uTe. and fought the duel which cost him
his life.
Lieut.. Won Kettleholt has not yet been
arrested, but has been ordered to hold
himself at the disposal of the court mar
tial appointed to deal with his case He
will be sentenced as is invariably the
case in instances of this kind, to three
months detention within the precincts of
a fortress and can count upon an impe-
rial order being issued for his liberation
before he has been there ten days, Empe-
ror William adopting this means of affect
ing a compromise between the demands
Of the laws of the land on the one hand
and those of the army and of society on
the other.
These sentences of imprisonment In
.fortresses for duelling are held in so lit
tie account that Baron Won Kinderlen-
Waechter, the intimate friend OF the en-
peroT and his Fidus Achates who Grim
pied a newspaper editor at Berlin the 9th
er day for commenting on his ingrati-
tude toward Prince Bismarck, received
leave of absence from his post OF Ger
man minister plenipotentiary at Copen-
hagen in order 10 undergo the term OF
Imprisonment in the fortress OF Ehren-
hreltstein to which he had been sentenced
Tor hghtlng a duel He was liberated by
decree OF the emperor after only five DAYS
OF confinement, during which time TIE
herman government paid for the cost OF
MS being represented al the court OF co.
penhagen by charge d'anaires, so that
pccuniarlly