The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-07
REPORTER HOLD oouRr IN CHINA.
His Burlesque Trial of Thirteen Chi
namen Accused OF Murder.
From the New Yorll Sun.

namen Accused OF Murder.
From the New York Sun.
During the negotiations between Ger
many and China for a cesson of territory
on the part of the latter and the appoint
ment of a commission to take testimony
in the case of the murdered German mis-
sionaries. Mr.. Eugene Wolf, correspond
ent of the Beginner Tageb,att, wac travel-
ing through the Celestial empire. He man
aged to get some facts in regard to the
massacre, and proceeded south to the pro-
vince of Chan-Toung. Waen ne reached
Tschu ia he called upon the German pro
viclr, or chief of the missionaries. Pastor
FreydanemetA who gave him all the de
tails. The correspondent, assuming an air
of authority, told him that he was charg-
ed by the German government to clear up
the affair. The Provicar said that the 10
cal authorities had arrested thirteen Chi
namen, and that he was not sure that
among them there was a single one really
implicated in the massacre.
Thereupon Mr.. Wolf took it into his head
to improvise a court and to try the pris-
oners himself. He was aided by the pro-
vicar, man of little experience, who act
ed as Interpreter. Through him he COM
PEELED the mandarin to send for the accus-
ed in their prison. Then Mr.. Wolf, accom-
panied by his dog, which he calls Herr
Won Schuster and the proWcar, made his
solemn entree into the court room, whcre
the mandarin awaited him The journalist
Immediately took the highest chair and
made his dog take the chair on his right.
To the proVicar he assigned the chair on
the loft and n the mandarin Tho fourth
chair.
According 10 a letter sent to the Ger
mania by Pastor Stenz of the Congre-
cation of the Divine Word, in the Prov
ince of Chan-Toung, the mandarin asked
Mr.. Wolf for his credentials But the
journalist, Knowing perfectly we'll the sort
of man he had to deal with, simply eXhib-
tied a folded paper, and in tone which
tolerated no reply, ordered the court to
be opened and the accused to be summon
ed to the bar. The proceedings commenc-
ed, and the following is a specimen of
what took place, according to Pastor
Stem:
Mr.. Wolf to the Mandarin-Say, old
fellow, I have come here 10 find out how
you are getting along with this case. The
ambassador is very angry with you He
heard that you were a very learned man,
and consequently had great hopes of you.
He gave me the names of the real assas-
SINS and now he wants you to have them
arrested as quickly as possible. 1 have
found out that the accused parties are
absolutely innocent.
Mandarin-That is not possible. They
have admitted their guilt. Guilty or not,
they Will be executed.
Mr.. Wolf-Not by a jugful, old fellow.
If they are innocent, they must be dis
charged.
The prisoners, when brought before the
bar, presented a pitiable appearance, with
their dirty clothes, the chains that were
gnawing their limbs, and the evidence
of the tortures which had been inflicted
upon them. to force. q confession. Mr..
Wolf during their examination, learned,
through the interpreter, that debtors or
creditors had denounced some of them
for motives of vengeance, while the others
had been arrested merely to please the
German government. 1t did not require a
very long examination by Mr.. Wolf to
convince him that there was no edse what
ever against the prisoners. Not only were
the unfortunate men innocent, but they
had not even heard of the assassinations
for which they were about to be behead-
ed. f ~
The journalist listened with paternal So
licitude to their protestations of innocence,
and at the end of each otie's story said:
you are discharged. You may go now"
After having held court like a judge on
circuit, Mr.. Wolf saluted the mandarin,
and the chief of the missionaries. mount
ed his horse and trotted away, followed
by his faithful four-footed companion,
Herr Won Schuster. Then he continued
his trip through China as a simple report
er. Without his Intervention ana the pro-
ceedings of his court, the unfortunate Chi
namen would all have lost their heads.
Mr.. Wolf is one of the best military
correspondents in Europe at The present
time. He is well known IN Paris, where
Ix &c frI41 rV tod ali
officers for the accuracy of his reports
upon the French operations in Madagas-
car. He wants to deny the accuracy of
this story; but the missionaries and Ber-
lin papers insist that 1t is true
-S-n--s--~7
AT the Ticket Window -feyVhan Joae