The Washington times., 1901-07-30
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES
a. Il. Voos Tells the state Depart
ment Tale of Woe

The story of how his visit to Germany
was spoiled by hotel waiter. two Ameri-
can consular officers. the police and some
other people, is told in Il letter to the
state Department from AlweII E Voos
OF IS Montgomery Street Jersey City.
Mr.. Noos. in his letter of complaint. tells
tale of over-ofiiciousness, Indifference,
iack OF sympathy, inhospitality and of
mans fnhumapity to man. The letter is
written on the note paper of the steam
snip Mesaba, upon when Mr. Voos pre-
sumably returned to his Jersey City home.
some of his trouble came from the fact
that he could not sleep on the night he
arrived at Munster Germany. That was
on April q. He went to a hotel and bat
tied with insomnia until O'Clock in the
morning. Insomnia won and Mr. Voos
started to leave the hotel for a walk
But waiter wouldn't permit him to
leave until he had paid his bill. Mr.. yoos
protested that his trunk was in the ho-
tel and that he had arrived only that
night His pointblank refusal to pay
caused the waiter to summon policeman.
who arrested Mr.. Voos II was taken
to Jail and kept there for three weeks
and two days for examination. On May
Il l was discharged-no case"
But the subsequent experience of Mr.
Noos was more interesting. and forms
the chic, subject of his complaint From
Munster he went to Hamburg. where he
visited. lie says. a certain house, and
while the was made drunk and robbed
The loss' sustained by Mr. voos are
enumerated as follows: Two pawn tick
cts, one for diamond pin worth 500.
and the other for gold watch valued at
$40; meerschaum cigar holder. a silver
plated cornet mouthpiece, and a passport
From other statements in his letter he
apparently lost SIS at the same time.
What happened when Mr.. Voos woke
up is told my him in short. crisp sentences
that show the indignation he felt when
he wrote:
Il went to notify the police. 1 was
laughed at. Then went to the American
Consul. 1 told him my tale of woe. He
merely said, 'Pshawr and turned his
back to me. / was indignant and ex-
pressed myself accordingly. when an
other German gentleman presumably
the Vice ConsuD said: Do not make any
kicks here or we will have you arrested
left and went to see lawyer"
1t cost Mr.. Voos 20 marks to see the
lawyer. The lawyer told him that his
money, s75. was lost, as the police would
keep it for their trouble, but the pawn
tickets would be returned to him in six
months. 1t is an outrage Mr.. Voos says,
that the police should keep his pawn
tickets and thereby compel me to pay
interest for six months"
Just what Mr.. Voos wants the State
Department to do is not explained in the
letter. He closes with the hope, express
ed to Secretary Hay that you will in
tercede for me" but does not say whether
he wants redress or only the pawn tickets
The matter of Nr. Voos' arrest and i'm
prisonment at Munster will not be taken
up by the department. which holds that
Mr.. Voos' remedy lay in the courts there.
A copy of Mr.. Voos letter has been sent
to the Consul at Hamburg. With the let
ter Mr. Voos sent his certificate of natu-
raiization to show that he is an Ameri-
can citizen.