The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-11-08
A MEDIEVAL TYRANT.
BRUTAL FEUOAL WAYS REVIVED BY
A GERMAN NOBLE.
NVbs Holds Himself Above the civil
Law and Commits Grimes with
Impunity- His Cold Hooded Grimes
Binds an Army Necessary.


Binds an Army Necessary.
In this age a bacon who sets out TO
rule his estate as though he were a
king and his property OF several humid
red acres a kingdom. maintains an ar
my OF retainerS and tenants for pro-
lection and kills servants and those
who provoke his anger az he pleases.
seems TO be an nnachroism too obsurd
TO exist outside OF novel. But, inn
probable as II may seem, such a char
acter does exist In the parsonage OF
Baron Won steitencron. lately OF the
German army and now proprietor OF
the estate OF Oberweiler In Germany.
This estate is near property owned by
the Kaiser in Lorraine on which stands
the Chateau OF Urvile.
A regular medieval noble Ia the
Baron Won steitencron. Feudalism
when II prevailed In its greatest de-
gree In the country which the kaiser
now rules never had more devoted
adherent than this German baron, and
the peaslntry never had more exact
ing overload nor one who held more
lightly their right to the enjoyment
Of life and liberty In the baron's lit
tie domain the feudal idea as II was
developed in medieval Europe ia still
cherished. and crimes. II would seem,
are committed by the baron with an
impunity characteristic OF former
age.
Above the Civil Law.
II is because OF his service in the
army which entities him 10 be CON
slderod as belonging to the reserves
that the baron holds himself hmena-
BILE to none Of the laws OF the commun-
ity in which he lives. Only to mill
tary tribunals will the baron submit
himself. and there appears to be a sin
gular unwilllngncss among military
authorities to bring him to terms.
A correspondent OF the Milwaukee
Sentinel recently paid visit 10 the
part OF Germany where this strange
character holds sway to investigate
some OF the stories regarding his
crimes and idiosyncracles Most OF
them he found were thoroughly borne
out by the facts. It was Just after the
baron had executed his second victim.
As in the first case. Il was, so this
visitor says. nothing less thnn murder
on the part OF this subject OF the kai-
ser, and murder II would have been
adjudged in most countries calling
themselves civilized. But TO the baron
his act was simply removing from this
earth. almost without warning. n peas
ant who had been found tr spasslng on
his domains. As In all other cases
the baron went unpublished for his
crime.
The estate on which this curious
condition OF affairs obtains covers 500
acres. In this sma domain Baron Won
Steitencron maintains an establish
ment patterned as nearly as possible
after those kept by his ancestors when
feudallsm flour shed. His servants and
laborers make up his army. uniformed
and armed by the baron. and drilled
as carefully as though the possession
OF the land depended upon the prowess
OF his men.
Finds an Army Necessary.
OF this force OF retainers he is the
general. while TO his valet he has dele
gated the duties OF adjutant. with his
forester as the colonel The baron
finds much need for this army force
and he keeps his men constantly do
ing sentinel duty about the estate. On
Sunday he holds review OF his men
appearing before them in much the
same manner as the emperor appears
at the grand military maneuvers.
Sunday on the estate Mt Obsrweller
10 also trial day, with the baron as
sole arblter OF the fa;o OF those who
recognize him as their overload,
The baron has various mo les OF pun
ishihg his men II is a common thing
for him to conslgn offenders to a dun
geon on the premises with hunger
thrown in to make them little more
obedieni 10 his pleasures the next time,
and in some Uses the lash ia resorted
TO. Even the baron's wife has known
what It is to be a prisoner In his dun
geon. for disregard of his will by
one 30 near him is visited with no less
heavy a hand than in the case OF more
mental offenders.