The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-06
HELD ASA GERMAN SOLDIER
Hugo Knie, Of New Jersey, Made
to Serve the Kaiser.
CROSSED THE SEA TO MARRY
Claims 10 Be Native American and
the Victim of Jealous Rivals
Plotting-The Secretary of State
Called on to Demand the Release
of the Young Nan. .

New York, Nov. 6.-This Government hai
been called upon to request the German
| Emperor To give up an American cltiZer
| pressed into military service in the
fatherland' and so make it possible fOf tht
unwilling soldier to return to his be
trothcd. The young man in question, IL
Hugo Knie. lie lived in Cresskill, N. j..
until last August, when he sailed for Ger
many, telling his friends that he was going
! TO HarsbeTg to be married to his sweet
| heart there. His friends say that he was
| born iu the United States, and that when he
| went to Germany he carried a passport
and had been assured that he might travel
| there in safety and without fear OF nlolesta
| tiun.
But In Seadof news OF the wedding hich
| friends expected, there has come news that
Knie never reached Harsberg, and that the
girl OF his heart has not seen him since he
partec from her years ago.
The story Is that rival, enraged at news
of Knie's successful wooing and of his aI-
pIoaching marriage, plotted his unduing, de
nounced him to the authorities as one who
had evad"1miitary service. and soimIressed
them wit b thetIut h of his assertions that "A
file Of soldiers seized Knie as soon as hc
landed, and hurried him away into service
with q regiment stationed ON the Elbe.
There as elsewhere his friends have
learned he Will be forced To serve for three
years unless the United States Government
succeeds in having him released by making
fyftn a
The facts have been laid before the Sec
ietary Of State, whose good offices have
been soughtirtLematter and knie'S Bergen
county friends expect that the case Will be
given immediate attention. Their view OF
1t isthat ne InOment tits proved that K.ie
is an American citizen his release viii fol
low as matter of course; that he may
thcu se-k hiS bride at IlarSberg and return
with her to Bergen county, where the re-
quirenienIs of military service are Tess ex.
acting, al soon as he pleases.
The hero of this international tale of love
AID war is only tweslt y-three years old.
Scme OF his acquaintance TO whom he uh-
folded his pla3 TO be married in Germ my,
warae1 him that unless he were careful
about mis- passport ne might be pressed iato
service by the GeruIan authorities. but,
although they "a he cid secure the prOs"r
papers. he mace light OF the matter. and
assured them that he would be ularried
man, and would step on American soil
again heforC harvest time.
knie's father came 10 the United States
from Germany and whs ntturalized III cali
fornie forty five years ago, hut he returned
to HarSberg in 1887, and settled there.
Hart & Hart, law yers, of Hackensack. n. j
have been employed by him to press upon
the authorities at Washington the urgent
necessity of MT pe5mitting an American
citizen to be longer separated froIu The
woman of his heart, simply to stop a gap
in the tine OF bristlfng bs yonets with which
the War Lord hedges about his territory.
Bergen county, the law yers point ouI, is
young Knie's home, and he, therefore, they
insist, ha> no earthly business filling W
willingly h uniform, OF the Emperor. The
gIrl, stid waiting for her sweetheart :n
Ilarsbcrg, has been informed Of the steps
taken lonkiEg 10 the liberation OF her hus-
hand e, be. and has been assured that re
fore the SHOW flies long the Emperur VIII
lose a soldier aud the Cnited States gain a
benedict.
Thee is deal of feeling over the attef
II CreSskill, tie young women there being
indignant that any foreign po
tentate should dare 10 confiscate, so to
speak a an.lrriageatle man venturing within
his reach. AS e!igibles are not too numer.
ITs In Bergen county, the flutterjug hearts
there regard the matter as serious indeed
AID romantic TO a degree. Sweethearts III
-heold days used to drink sometimes on Iy to
ind she Kings shilling in the bottom of
he cup, but Bergen county maintains that
vas before 1875, and doesn't 60 any
more. Hackensack lawyers have received
a letter from Enie himself. saying he had
Iccn seized as citizen of Germany, as
erting his Alnerican citizenship, and urg-
ng them to take immediate action In the
natter.