The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-10
DULLES IN EUROPE.
MORE CASES OF MILITARY QUE
RAGE OS CIYILIANS.

Americans interested In the course OF militar-
ism In Europe may ind new food daily for re-
Election In the conduct Of army officers toward
civilians. An unusual number OF outrages by
officers has been reported in the Austrian and
German dnilies In the last four weeks, probably
owing to the unusual agitation caused by the
Bruesewitz case and the subsequent debates In
the German Reichstag. One OF the latest inoi-
dents of the present war In peace Ia reported
from Oimntz. 1t Is worthy Of special notice
because IL shows that, while In Austria the ON
GERS are animated by the same spirit as In Ger
many. the civilians there are not always so
willing to forego their rights as the m
The principals in tho Olm0tz encounter were
Lieut.. Col. Strauss and Lieut.. Ganser OF the
Ninety-third Austrian Infantry. and DR.. Melt
ner, AN editor. Neither and his friend. the
actor Taciano. were In n music hall one evening
when the two officers were interrurtlng the per-
formance with shouts and jeers. The proprietor
begged them to be quiet, hut they persisted In
shouting comments and criticisms on the per-
formance. Eventually Neither. who sat at the
next table. requested them to allow others In
their part OF the room to hear the actors. The
officers called Neither n foul name and became
more uproarious. When Neither left the hall.
in disgust, the officers followed him for the
avowed purpose OF cutting him down. but sofnc-
where between their table and the door they
mltNcu nun, anu Hc TtHCUctl nOIHc III shiclys
The next day two officers OF the Nincty-third
regiment called on Neither at his office and
demanded. In behalf Of Strauss and Ganser,
that he publish in his newspaper an apology for
his cond uct, and also for an allusion to the af-
fair in his columns that morning. Neither said
he had been the sufferer throughout the dis
turbancc In the music hall and that he had
nothing to apologize for: nevertheless. for tho
sake OF peace, he would apologize IL the officers
would DO the same. Otherwise he would not
AZ ~olosize. and. moreover. II molested In any
way. lac would challenge the officers to fight.
Apparently the officers had gained what
they wanted. for Neither was willing to
fight. But In this particular case IL
happened that the commissioned gentlemen
had caught n Tartar. for Neither was q
quick man with the sword and an exact man
with the pistol. Consequently the usual hot
desire OF the officer for q duel was lacking.
strauss and Ganser decided apparently that 10
would be wiser and safer to seek revenge outside
OF the field of honor; They consulted with their
course During the consultation n messenger
from Neither announced that the editor would
afternoon. That WAS a. much as TO say thAs
Neither was read Tor a duel and would proceed
and Gauser formed their plan TO f%rustrate any
arrangement looking for a fair night They
They would cut him down. beat him, and
escape with their honor fully avenged.
In the evening these two men of action sought
their victim IN the principal theatre and found
him. After the performance they followed him
until he turned away from the crowd. and then
they set upon him with drawn swords. Now. as
already suggested. Neither was n fighter. When
he felt one slash on hts left arm and another on
walking stick down on Ganser's head. In an.
other instant he had, run In on the officer and
the "ticer had Intended to use at he same an time
with his sword. lie struck Gasner a stinging
blow In the face with the butt OF. the whip.
Then "a cut from Strnuss's sword sent tho
whip spinning out OF Mei;ner,s hand, and
inr stick to the ground. The two onhcers then
crowded the editor back and fought him, for
s swo I'n against af IA. BARE s'0 hands q. s b: Me their
sank. covered with blood. to the ground q doc
tor ran up and began to examine nj. wounds.
policemen came up and asked the oricers to go
They said they Would 60 after reporting Ii:
affair 10 their Colonel. who was waiting in .
Quilted ttsmseive. with Mei,ner. They re-
ported to the Colonel. He listened To their re-
port in silence. but when they had finished 10
Good Good! You served the fellow right"
The two officers told their story at the station
house. went to their quarters. and have not been
called TO account for their onslaught on a de-
ienseless man VINO had shown MS Willingness 10
fight man to man. in a fair field. Neither WAS
taken To his home. where. two weeks ago he still
lay nursing his w9rnd.; Meaniime his news
"HeresfteT, only civilians will be received IN
this % ONCE &C No officers need CALL for they will
An incident at the Lobe Theatre in Breslau
about the middle of December illustrates to =
dot what consideration the Lieutenant DEM nd
from the taxpayer, who buys his coat. while
showing the same taxpayer no consideration
WAS on the stage Tor the first time. The only
part OF the plot that It Is necessary to relate
here brought on the stage at one time a beanti-
ful young actress. a civilian, under whose pro-
lection she was supposed to be, and a Lieutenant.
aDEtlinCt IN invita- the in -ult she Ia AnnfDached
by the oiiceT With a drSr I'd. pIIsp0, Siys or IN, IN,
Lisatshant's ears. "EvitdssnHtly The piaSwrishs
In this case was hard pressed for something To
shock the sensibilities of his audience aad move
the excitable ones TO the condition which 10 pro-
nueed In America BY the appearances Of the
saw on the stage OF the tank drama. Al all
events. he secured the desired efrect-breayh-
Gasps. By the time the aud ience reached tho
Hssping stage some ten or twelve Officers IN the
rise, turn their backs ostcnta,iously to the &C.
tors, AID tramp down the aisles heavily with
f fasss Slowed sSH ,Ss, r sSsre ' ~.l '4oa sRsF :ae. Thor for
somebody. A Lieutenant hit for insulting y
woman; and that: too by a civilian: who was
on the stage.
To be sure, in tho next act the Lieutenant
turned up. true 10 life. and 10 Rvenge his in-
jured honor aud retstablish his prestige shoots
the civilian dead. but the officers wero not at
hand to see this conventional piece OF work, and
whom II was reported TO them they were too iu-
dignant to be a~ppeased BY it. The %crowninR in-
sui: to their class they found In the fact that
the " trc!wild" Lieutenant had on his uniform
when his ears were boxed. Such n Dissertation
OF the Kings coat must be stopped, the officers
OF the Breslau garrison decided. and they sent q
committee to the theatre to demand q change.
The director was Informed that IL he wished
To keep his playhouse in favor with the military
he must not lot anybody In uniform be hit with
even passing, impunity upon the stage. This
director could not see any way out of the DIM
Guilty nj first. He doubtless felt that he must
do something, AS to be boycotted by the lions of
nAn A. NNathli la N Ill min for m dlRaaaAE -
n German theatre; but what was that some-
thing to boz At last II came to him; he would
put the Lieutenant In civilians clothes In the
act In which he was hit and have him In uniform
In the act In which lie killed the civilian. That
would preserve the proprieties and congruities
ana add to the naturalness OF the piece. SO, on
the second night OF the "Freiwild" there was
no cause for breathiess suspense or shocked
senslbilltics. A young man In n black sack coat
received n cuff on the ear; that was natural aud
In order. In the next act n Young man In unt-
form shot dead a man in a black sack coat;
that, too. was natural and In order.
The army WA satisfied. and the officers OF the
Bre.lau garrison now CHATTER down the aisles of
| the Lobe Theatre as Of yore, aud shout bravo!'
and ".amos!" and "sChneidig!' from the front