Evening star., 1898-07-16

jeste is an unknown thing may perhaps
conceive the suspicion that L am telling
tales. or. at least, am strongly exagEerat-
ing. But the following quotations from
newspaper reports will dismiss such sus-
plcions. They are, with one exception,
cases tried in single month and could be
augmented ad iibitum:
November 10. The tradesman Raurnanp
was sentenced at Stettin for six months
for lese majestic. Some women customers
with whom he had Quarreled had denounced
him.
November 5. Liebsch, a laborer in a. FUR
nishing shop at Madseburg, was sentenced
Tor lese majestic. because IN conversation
ne had sharply criticised the emparor's
composition Sang an Aegir."
November 8. The issue OF the Vorwarts
was seized by the public prosecutor sor a
paragraph containing the note that two
policemen who had been sentenced to three
months for assault had been pardoned by
the emperor. tc which note the editor added
the remark that such leniency contrasted
strangely with the aevere punishments for
lese majestic. The editor OF the yorwarts
vas sentenced TO three months imprison-
rights.
November D. Kupezyk a Polish Iaborsr
OF Neu-N eissensee. near Berlin, was sen.
fenced 10 hve months and two weeks for
less majestic. While Intoxicated he had
smashed the pictures suspended from the
walls of his own room, one of them repre-
sentins the emperor. His own wife, who
NeN thAOAAhcN SBdlASl MIN, was the GltSl
witness
November %. An invalid miner and a
piasterer. both from Essen, were taken into
custody and proceedings initiated against
them In q drunken discussion they had
uttered some words against the emperor
which We're reported TO the authorities by
their companions
November 80 A Danish actor named
Marx, while on a Iecturing tour to Ham
burg, stayed at a hotel In Sonderburg.
marx was known as a Danish agitator In
Schleswig-Holstein. He had a conversa-
ton with the parlor maid at the hotel, the
latter telling him that the soldiers OF the
garrison were going tic play comedy that
night IN honor Of the empress birthday.
Marx replied to the maid "Aa foi" Dam
Ism phrase meaning What a pity" The
maid repeated this phrase TO the authorf-
ties, ana the public prosecutor translatIng
IA toJ erroneously by ''ah fy," 'oh pfui''
IN German, at once arrested the actor and
instituted proceedings against him for lese
nia1este After having been in custody for
a long time, the actor was tried and dis
charged, the judges accepting his plea that
the words did not mean ''ah fy" but what
pity, his intention having been to ex-
press his regret that the play was to be en-
acted by dilettantes, and not by profess
sional actors. This case created something
or sensation. even In Germany.
November p A widow named Zimmer-
n ann was tried in Hanover behind closed
doors. She was sentenced to five months.
Within the Christmas week following
nine cases of lese majestic were tried three
being dismissed. The others were disposed
OF by sentencing the prisoners 10 twenty
two months. For the year 1894, the year
before the September kurs," go persons
we're sentenced for lese majestic eleven Of
them being under eighteen years OF age. In
1888 more than a thousand were convicted.
That there is no abatement in this un-
pleasant situation is shown by the follow
ing recent case selected at random from
the newspapers:
May 4. 1898. The shoemaker, Karl Cor
lich of Zaboze has been sentenced to three
months imprisonment by the criminal
court Of Gleiwitz. for lese majestic. His
wife, who is described as very plous wo-
man, was the informer
think the reader will be satisfied by
this evidence. It comes from Germany,
and there are still no signs of abatement
ror speechmaking goes on. Witness the
speeches at Kiel before the departure of
Prince Henry for Kiao-Chao, on the mail
ed fist and the gospel of your majesty's
Sc cred person" But one thing is sure: The
subject of lese majestic Will play promi-
nent part in future elections and the voics
OF the people when it finds utterance, win
be distinct enough to reach even the dulled
ears Of the resident of the schloss.