The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-03-19
PkUSSIA'S HIRED PIRATE
HOW FREDERICK THE GREAT
ENGAGED AN ADMIRAL.

WIN the expected arrival in this
! country or Prof. Uphues of Berlin,
commissioned by Emperor William II.
10 s"perintend the erection of tho
statue Of Frederick the Great Gen.
Nashington's friend" at the capital
CITY, all manners Of stories will prob
HDly DC printed of the ways and cd.
dllics or dc alto Fritz. Most Of them
are very likely known to the student
| OF history; but there are Il few-treas
urea only in rather obscure German
which, while of great in
| tercst, have never found their way into
| the textbooks.
One Of them is of particular interest
Just now. in view of the recent appeals
| OF the war lord for a larger German
navy, for it records the first beginning
| OF that marine power, and shows at
me samc time that der CROSSE kocnig
was not loath to overlook mans
| character as long as no fault could be
! found with his ability. The burden Of
ne story in question is--and its truth
| S Fouched FOR by official documents
low in the archives of the city Of Stet-
in'-that in order to get Il good admir-
| ii for his embryonic fleet Frederick the
| treat was willing to accept the services
| u man known to The police Us a Dir-
tie, and who had been kicked on, Of
he service OF half a dozen govern
mentS and arrested as many times.
1t was shortly after ;hc battle of
| N"uwarp, on Sept. 10. 1859. when tho
| twelve ships composing the German
| navy had been partly captured and
| partly sent to Davy Joncs's locker by
| the Swcdcs, that the Duke August Will
helm OF Braunschweig-B -Bcvcrn, govern
or OF St"ttin, was instructed by King
Frederick to build a new fleet There
was little enough money on hand for
| the purpose, but the task was accom-
| plishcd in less than two years. and
| in tho summer of l7Gl twelve new shirS
| rocked at anchor in the Dor; Of Stc:-
| tin. The total then was i3O but ono i'm
pnrtant post was still vacant that OF
| the admiral.
Duk" August Wilrclm ;ricd his best
| o get the right man FOR tho place. lie
| t'IcrCd il to several British officers. btli
tlry were too proud to lakc The COM
! mnnd OF the "GCrman toy navy" The
| Danes W"ro SympathiHcrS OF the
SW odcS, Prussia being in warfare with
France, Sweden and Russia, officers OF
these countries wCrc Out of the urCS-
ton and the sailors OF Holland were
after money. which the prussian gov
ernmcnt could only spare in very small
amounts, and not after glory.
In lis distress the governor appealed
to Privy Councillor Won Hccht, the
Prussi&n representative at Stcttin. This
official, anxious to serve made the
necessary inquiries, and in less than
week reported that no had found tho
very man for the post. He begged the
duke TO overlook certain impcriecti0ns
ot manner and reputation in his can
didatc. but recommended him as an
able seaman than which no better had
ever guided a ship through the surging
main.
\ few minutes later the aspirant for
the Prussian admiralship was led in
the dukes room. He was Il squatty Hol-
lander, with bloaled face and small
cleaning eyes and two ugly scars
across his forehead. His age was hard
% guess, but the duke put it at about
nfiy years. The applicant said that
his name Was 3crndt Rcbbc, and that
he was willing TO take the Job, provid-
ing he was given Il good deal OF lati-
tudc in the management OF The new
navy. lie qualified as a discriminating
dscplinarian and seaman by saying
that tho ships were badly riggrd and
the sailors band of lmruly loafnrs.
tune the moment he took command
He then Spat c0mplacently on the fine
carpet and took Il chair without hay
ing been offered ,he courtesy.
Not over-impresssed with the person.
ality Of the would-bc admiral, the duke
al first intended to drop him, but, fol-
lowing the advice OF Won Hccht. made
the necessary recommendation to the
king, not emitting. however, that he
could not very we'll sec how a man OF
that calibrc could become the highest
PruGSian naval officer.
Bat King Frederick forthwith made
ont the commission Of Bcrndt Rcbbc.
Whil" the document was on it's way
to S'cttin, a delegation from the Meth
crlAnds, accompanied by senator
from Hamburg, were ushercd in the !
dukes room. After long introduce |
tiOn the callers stated that the employ |
mcnt Of Rebbc would be considered an |
affr0nt by the government OF the Meth !
crlandS, inaSmuch as he was a danger
ou% character and had had considerable
trouble with tho auth critics of the
General States" They tncn proceeded !
TO read a long list Of excerpts from Of
fetal documents containing, among
others, the following facts: In 1889
Rcbbc had been discharged from the
naval service Of the Netherlands on ac-
count OF his participation in the nut
my on board the frigate Aphrodite. He
later made his appearance in Venetian
waters, under the name Of Bernardo
Ribbi. He was accused of attempted
fraud, but owing tC his bravery, which
he nrOvcd IN eoyrri on po o oan,ontc with