Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-25
Enraged Lieutenant Pursues Mechanic and
Cruelty Butchers Him.
EVENT DEEPLY sTlRs THE COMMON PEOPLE
Military Oppression Brought Home in a
Most Forcible Manner.
TYRANNY OF THE ARMY is FELT NOW
Producing Glasses of the Empire Are
Indignantly Discussing the En-
ginc tfat Crushcs Them So
RcmorseIcssIy.

Copyright. 1885, by Press Publishing Company
LONDON. Oct 24.-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telcgram)-The lenient
punishment meted out to the German army
officer who deliberately murdered mechanic
In a Carlsruhe cafe, to save his honor,
seems to have aroused Germany as no sim
liar incident has done In years. The social
ist leaders say 1t has done more to snake
the kaiser's authority and prejudice the
mass Of the people against the vast military
establishment than all their preaching oil
q decade.
NV own information from Berlin gives a
different version OF the story from that al
ready sent to the World In the press dis
patches, and as the case seems likely to
develop into one OF great Importance. | send
herewith the probably exact facts:
In the Cafe Tannhauser at Carslruhe an
artisan named Siepmann in moving his
chair, struck the chair of Lieutenant Won
Breusewitz This was not Immediately con
strued as an insult, and the persons sit
ting at Giepmann's table first became aware
that the lieutenant was angry when he asked
the landlord to put Stephan out. There
upon siepmann rose and explained that he
knew nOtUlDB Ol bTutstWlNI' anu W
have nothing TO do with him. He left the
room for few minutes and afterward re-
turned. resumng his seat without touching
the lieutenants chair. After some time
Bruesewcitz went to Siepmann and asked
him to apologize. This he declined to do,
saying that he was not aware of having
insulted any one. Brueseweitz repeated his
request Siepmann replied "Keine ant
wort ist auch eine antwort." (''No answer
Is also an answer'D Meaning that he had
nothing further TO say.
BENT ON MURDER NOW.
The officer drew his saber and would have
struck Siepmsnn hadn't the latter sprang
behind table. Then began a regular
hunt, Siepmann lodging backward as the
lieutenant advanced The women present
shrieked and the landlord held the officer
back. Slepmann went out into the court
yard. Bruesewitz took his cap and left the
cafe, saying: MY honor is dead. l must
resign and blow out my brains" In the
street the officer found that Siepmann had
not left the cafe. He was. in fact, in the
court talking with the landlord,
who had taken him his hat
and coat. Siepmann still main
tained that he had in no way insulted the
officer. but declared his readiness to apollo
gize to save the landlord annoyance.
AS the latter was about to let Slepmann
out through private door Bruesewitz rushed
In, and though told - that Siepmann was
ready to apologize, attacked him with his
saber. Siepmann fed to the end of the
yard. Bruesewitz followed, and in the cor
ner ran Siepmann through the body. AS
Siepmann fell Bruesewitz exclaimed: 81
.a-
hour later.
The prevailing conception OF an officers
honor makes 1t incumbent upon him to kill
any person by whom he considers himself
insulted, If such person does not occupy a
social rank sufficiently high to be chal-
lenged to duel. In difficult questions a
military court of honor decides whether the
man is worthy of challenge or not. but, of
course, there can be no question as to work
men.
ATTITUDE OF THE AUTHORITIES.
Little is known as to Emperor Williams
personal attitude in regard to the matter.
No Hohenzollern has ever fought a duel
but the young kaiser is believed to favor
strict Interpretation of military honor.
The only official document in point is an
ordinance issued in May. 1872, by William
!, which enioins moderation and polite con-
duct on the part of officers, but recognizes
the necessity OF dueling in casts of gross
insult. In certain cases. adds the ordinance
''ofiicers will use their weapons" EN-
peror William III has never issued any
proclamation on this point. He congrat-
ulated a sentinel once for shooting
drunken man in the street. Frederick VIII
liam III Of Prussia however once issued
proclamation promising severe punishment
to officers and military men who do not
know how to behave properly to civilians,
who produce the bread the army eats"
The socialist newspaper, Vorwaerts, says
that the revolver law of America is prefer
able to such officers law, since under
the former both parties are armed. "If
things go on in this way" 1t adds, "it will
be necessary to Introduce in Germany the
revolver law, for safetys sake"
The sentence OF Lieutenant Won Bruese-
WITT to so-called confinement in a fortress
Is mere farce, as such a prisoner has
every privilege save actual liberty. civil
Ian who had committed such a causeless
murder would have been inevitably sent
TO penal servitude for a long term il not
promptly put to death. The officials trial
by court-martial, instead OF a civic trl-
bunal, is vigorously denounced in private
conversations, while such newspapers as
dare speak out at ALL and they speak timor-
ously, are saying that the common people
are asking II they can much longer endure
such tyranny.
CASE OF ANOTHER SORT.
simultaneously comes pathetic story of
suicide at Heubroun OF soldier. one OF
four sons OF q peasant named Bauer who
had been prosecuted to insanity by mali
clous superior officer. The latter, however.
although the facts brought out all showed
his causeless cruelty. was In nowse pun
ished' Millions Of fathers, mothers and
o'her relatives OF common soldiers are Sc
ere'ly' my Information says but angriy
discussing this common danger 10 their boys
held for compulsory military service
An extraordinary proof of inaulhcleuey OF
oireumstantial evidence Is Just now agitat-