The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-22


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vor lin genade) allow him Cvon Ehr-
hardD to retain the iron cross For
| Won Ehrhardt, who was to be punished
ir this way, was a grand soldier, who
had fought in s21 engagements in 20
| and '66 He refused the emperors Of
fer, and wrote back to him these words
I have copy of them made by Won
| Kamptz:
Since Justice Is denied me, since 1 may
| not wear the sword which bore in two
| campaigns for my emperor and my coun-
| try, neither will wear the iron cross
which his majesty the Emperor william
| the Great granted me for gallantry in ac-
| tion. Your majesty has graciously al
| lowed me to retain 1t. With the most
| humble thanks I again place 1t at your
| maJesty's disposal.
And may I ask what was your part
| in this affair?''
| Oh" said Mr.. Rhein with a shrug,
the public prosecutor took action be-
| cause | challenged the members of the
| court of honor. AS new president of
| the SDiritualist society and a. comrade
| or the two officers l wanted to show
| up the whole thing. AS a rule there is
dead secrecy In regard to these courts.
The petghbors see an officer going
about without his uniform and they
! say to enc another, Something bad
mas happened; he has forfeited his
honor.' l. wrote to the papers there
when my challenge was refused, say
ing that 1 had told the court they
were scoundrels and why The civil
law purishes me for challenging to q
duel; the courts of honor and the em-
peror punish my two friends for re-
fusing a challenge. 1t is funny, is it
not?"
INSIDE HISTORY.
I asked Mr.. Rhein if he would give
me some instances of the way the
courts work in other directions and he
complied
They are only supposed to come in
you must understand, when there is a
public scandal. Thus nothing was
done to me after the incident in the
restaurant until a civilian mentioned
the affair one night to the general
How is this?' said the general to my
colonel. He should have used his
sword. There must be an inquiry.
But is 1t honor to use arms against an
unarmed man? - If the army says that
Is honor why should the common man
not be allowed to use his knife? 1
said in my defense before my com
rades that / could put up with other
men being as cowardly as they liked
but that l wouldn't be coward at
other mems orders. In my regiment
were two officers responsible for the
affairs of the mess, who used the mon
ey for themselves. But, as it did not
| leak out, the court of honor did not
| interfere, the affair was hushed UP and
| the officers stayed on in the regiment
Now l say that honor is not promoted
in such ways. l know a good officer
who. once in a way, had had enough
| to drink at a liebesmahl, or friendly
| dinner, and who was convicted by
Well-known, confirmed drunkards, men
who could not do their duty for drink.
| but who were clever enough to avoid
becoming a scandal amongst the civ
| ilians. Then, gambling amongst Off
| GERS is supposed to be dealt with by
| the court of honor. There was an Off
| Ger of hussars who played with his
| comrades till he had got through his
| fortune. He only had a horse and car
| riage left. He gambled them away,
| and they went wandering about in the
| regiment, backward and forward, and
| the colonel and everybody else knew it.
| But this officer played one night with
| q civilian. This was a public scandal,
ana his brother officers, who had won
| all his money, sent him out of the
| army. Then, again, no officer must
take debts. OF course, no officer is
out of debt, from the emperor down
| ward, so it has been qualified by pro-
| Eibiting dishonOrable debts. What is
| this honor and dishonor in such a con-
| ngction? Is it dishonorable to owe for
| beer or what? Oh, it is all a fine
| muddle, this honor Officers must not
| speculate or make money in any
| doubtful way. This has now been in
| terpreted to mean that a poor officer
may not teach or help himself in any
such way. Moltke was very poor as a
| young man, and he used to make some
money by translating English books.
| My father-inlaw, a lieutenant, gave
| private lessons in mathematics, and a
general, who was an uncle of mine,
did the same thing. All this has now
become a public scandal, and the courts
of honor will not permit it,"
| But does tine emperor use his in
|
men to serve in your army, by discour-
| aging luxury and the like?"
| oh, certainly, certainly. There are
admirable things said by the emperor
about this every year, and we all have
to obtain his permission before we
rrarry with this very object. Either
| the means of the officer must be ade.
| 1uate, or his wife must have means.
| Failing this the emperor will not per-
nit it. But what does it all come to?
The officer is enjoined by the code of
| honor to live up to his high standard.
| He must buy the best uniforms, which
| he doesn't pay for because he can't. !
| Know an officer who was about to be
| punished by the court because his uni
| form was shabby, so he went into debt
| tc buy a new one. The officer must al
ways go to the best place at concerts
| and theatres, and he must keep up his
| high position if he is a second lieuten.
ant on G3 15s. month, or "a los. il
he is a first lieutenant. No; the en-
| peror would be the first to come down
| on an officer if his uniform was not OF
| the grandest. The old emperor, who
was careful of his money, was differ
| ent. He was noticed by the officers OF
the guards to be wearing an old pair
| of orIn A l.