St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-11
CELEBRATED BERLIN SCAN
DIAL SERIES.
Won sCHRADER WOUNDED.
THE PRUSSIAN COUhf SERI-
OUSLY INJURED,
NOW ALL BERLIN is STIRRED UP.
mOrs Formerly Current Regard
ing the Court Scandal.

BERLIN, April 1O.-There was a sensation
in court and military circles here this morn
ing. when it was announced that another duel,
growing out of the anonymous letter scandal,
had taken place in the woods, near Potsdam,
and that Baron Won Schrader, the master of
ceremonies of the Pussian court had been
shot and seriously wounded by Count Won
Kctze, The latter was formerly court cham
berlain, and was acquitted on the charge of
being the author of the anonymous commune
cations alluded to. Count Won Kotze and
Baron Won Schrader fought with pistols, and
the latter was severely wounded in the abdo-
men. He was taken to hospital where his
wound was pronounced to be of a most seri-
nature. His relatives were telegraphed
for and promptly gathered at his bedside.
Count Won Kotze's arrest has been ordered,
and his friends say he will surrender 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, and he has
repeated today his determination to keep on
fighting his enemies, one by one, until he has
settled accounts with all his list. Those
who know Count Won Kotze feel confident
that he will keep his word. The scandal
which gave rise to this series of dues began
nearly five years ago, when high court per-
sonages, male and female, old and young be-
gan receiving anonymous letters or postal
cards calling attention to this or that escapade
upon their own part, or upon the part of
relatives friends. AS a result, wives be-
came separated from their husbands and
fathers and mothers discarded their children.
Nearly everybody of Importance smirched
more or less by the venom of the anonymous
writer, who was evidently person thorough
ly familiar with all the details of court life
People began to look askance at their best
friends. Every effort possible was made by
the police 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 that the vile
communications were the work of a woman;
but gradually this opinion changed, and for
some unexplained reason, suspicion fastened
itself upon Count Won KotZe, one of the court
chamberlains, a popular man, we'll liked by
the emperor and trusted by all his friends.
Finally, volunteer spy denounced him to
the court authorities, on the ground that on
count he had found a clear reproduction of
one of the anonymous communications,
postal card Thereupon Won KotZe was ar
rested and confined in the fortress. Upon trial
he was acquitted of the charges brought
against him.
While Won Kotze was in prison the tide of
sympathy turned decidedly in his direction.
Ugly whisperings were heard on all sides, his
arrest was openly denounced as an outrage
nd he Of her Of oh
personages were mentioned. including Duke
Ernest Gunther, Of Schleswig- Holstein, the
brother-in-law of Emperor William of Ger
many. In fact, some persons even had the
audacity to cast the sidelights Of suspicion
upon a higher person than Duke Gunther,
though it would seem without any just
ground. When Count Won Kotze was
leased from prison he promptly sent out chal-
lerges to about dozen of those whom he be-
lieved to have been 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
these anonymous communications.
Among the persons challenged by Count Won
Kotze were Baron Won Reschach court mar
shall to the eX-Empress Friedrich of Germany;
Baron Schrader, master of ceremonies of
the Prussian court; Prince Won Fuerstenberg
Prince Adbert of Saxe-Atenberg and Prince
Albert Of Saxe-Altenberg. rumor, never
substantiated, also had it that Won Kotze had
challenged Duke Ernest Gunther of Schles-
wig 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 early during the
morning Of April 10, 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 exchanged, with the result that both the
count and the baron had more or less severe
flesh wounds. But, at the eighth shot Won
Kotze fell with bullet in his loin. He was
taken to a hospital, and for some time his life
was despaired of, and even when the attend
ing physicians pronounced that he would live
they coupled this statement with the remark
that he would be crippled for life.
In June last Won Kotze met Baron Won
Schrader wounded him slightly and was again
wounded himself For this Won Kotze was SEN
fenced to three months Imprisonment in the
Fortress of Glutz, and on July Is he gave him
self up to the governor of that place hnd
served his sentence, but he was treated with
the greatest consideration, and 1t was again
reported on his release that he had promised
not to fight another duel. By this time Won
Kotze had become popular hero, and his
enemies felt very uncomfortable
II is possible this might have been the last
of the series of duels, had 1t not been for
an unlocked for event. The counsel for Won
Kotze on his trial, was one of the most
famous lawyers in Berlin, DIR. Fritz Fried
man, and to the latter the court chamber
lain entrusted a bundle of important docu-
ments to be used in preparing the case for
the defense. In preparation it was neces-
sary also, to employ detectives and make
many secret inquiries. All this data re-
NAMED in DR.. Friedman's possession and al
most thunderclap echoed over Berlin when in
December last, 1T was announced that the
popular lawyer had fed from Berlin, leaving
debts to the amount of about 1000, 900 marks
and taking with him a rising young actress
Nellie Won Widenfes. He was last seen at
Masonic dinner, with his wife and heard
that warrant for his arrest had been issued
on the charge Of bribing a police officer to
allow lady client, whom the policeman was
escortlng to prison, to escape. He suddenly
or md fnn1y -rysfI,