The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-27
HE MUST BE TURNED LOOSE.
JACOB FRANZ WILL BECOME A
CHARGE ON THE COMMUNITY,

He Will Then Have to BE Taken Up
as a Vagrant and Sent Out to the
scriptiOns to Aid in Bringing Him
Back TO Savannah-A Case Which
Has Involved National ana Inter-
national correspondence, and
Which still Seems Far From Any
Settlement-Both the United states
and German Governments Have
Refused to Have Anything to DO
with Him and There Is No Other
Place for Him But the Poor Farm.
The case of Jacob Franz, the German
sailor lunatic, an account of which was
published in the Morning News, after hav-
ing attracted attention as an International
matter, has now come up again. There is
only one course to pursue now, and that is
to get him out on the poor farm here,
which, while no place for a lunatic, will
afford him food and shelter.
The following appeal in Franz's behalf
is published at the request of those who
have taken an interest in Franzs queer
the case is now, and that the only thing
left to do is to turn Franz loose on the
community, and then let whatever law
there is on the subject take its course. The
appeal says:
1.-THE case of Jacob Franz, an unfortu-
nate German sailor appeals to all chart
tably inclined persons; he is now confined
in DR.. Aliens Home, private asylum at
Milledgeville, Ga. where he has been for
several months past. A number of persons
have contributed already to his case, and
a sum of money was raised to defray his
expenses in the hope of restoring his mind.
This amount was exhausted over a month
ago.
Further donations are now solicited for
the purpose of bringing him back to Sa-
vannah, where some disposition can be
made of him.
Judge H. L. Ferrill and others have
had the matter in hand, and have done
everything in their power to relieve this
man from his pitiable plight. The court
of ordinary has endeavored in every con-
sistent way to ascertain under whose i'm
mediate jurisdiction this sailor is,
but in vain. The representatives
of the governments of the
United States and Germany, who have
been appealed to, have persistently declin-
ed to act in this matter, thus making said
Franz public charge on this community.
LAS last appeal Judge Ferrill requests
the cooperation of citizens Of Savannah,
especially Germans, in disposing of the
above case, as the courts have no juris-
diction. Any aid in this affair will be
thankfully received by the ordinary and
promptly acknowledged.
Tt appears from this statement of the
facts that the only thing left to be done
is to bring Franz back to Savannah and
oil i'm q NJ hannn1R a
lie charge on the community, and about
the only thing that can be done then is
to arrest him for vagrancy and carry him
before the city court to be sentenced to
a term on the county farm. This plan
has been proposed as the last resort, both
the United States government and Ger
many having refused to act in the mat
ter, and the laws of Georgia being such
as to prohibit his being taken into the
state asylum at Milledgeville.
One thing is certain, Franz could not
be allowed to remain at large While 1t
is said he has improved somewhat since
his confinement in the private asylum, he
is far from being recovered, and, it is
said, Is liable to become violent at any
time. The existence of such a case as
this, it would appear, would call for the
enactment of some law or some treaty
covering such cases, for as it now stands.
there seems to be nothing that can be
done but let a foreign lunatic run at large
or send him to Jail, where, of course, he
would not,receive the care and treatment
that such cases demand.
If a small subscription can be raised,
Franz will probably be brought down to
Savannah within a few days, and the eff
fort made in the manner stated to get
him out on the poor farm. There is now
a charge of $50 or more for his treatment
and keeping at the private asylum, which
has not been paid because, as stated, the
fund was exhausted
Franz is the German sailor who came %
this port with his vessel some eight or
ten months ago. He was found in the
cathedral in an insane condition and ar
rested. After remaining in jail a day or
two he appeared to improve, and was re.
leased He became violent again and was
a second time arrested. Efforts made to
get him in the NIilledgeville asylum deve-
oped the fact that the law was in the
way, he not being a citizen, and he was
then sent to DIR. Aliens private asylum
| through subscription raised here The
national and international correspondence
! then followed, with the results as stated