The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-21
SEDAN VETERANS LAST SHOT.
KILLED HIMSELF TO JOIN son,
A GERMAN ARMY VICTIM.
Old Adam Engjehardt Pinned His Medals
on His Breast and Carried Out Old
Threat on Benefactor's Doorstep
Strange Tale Of Soldiers Hazing.

Adam Enelehardt, a veteran OF the Franco
Prussian War killed himself yesterday at
the door of Carl Hochstein, who. he faneied,
: was his enemy. On the shabby old coat
which he wore were six German army
medals, most of them given for bravery.
In his hand was bunch Of letters, telling
over and over again curious story. He
has told that same story in the German
, cafes of the East Side 30 often that the
little straight old man had become some
thing of a bore to his countrymen.
! He first appeared among the East Side
, Germans about q year ago. He was pretty
we'll dressed in those days. The army
was written all over him. He had stories
to tell, good ones, t oo, of the Franco-Prpssan
War, of bloody Sedan. He had proof Of
his service In the shape Of six medals. One
was the iron cross of Prussia; one was a
. special medal for bravery at Sedan He
talked freely of those old days, but when
any one spoke OF the modern German Army
I the little old man cursed with round, soldier
( oaths
I +They killed my son!" he would say.
, The system killed my son, and they made
mo leave Germany. Justice! There's no
Justice in the army"
'.. Then Englehardt would tell his story.
:, He lived in Bavaria. He owned pros
b porous chairmaking business there He
had son, not yet IS, who wanted to get
through his term Of military service early
= and be done with It, They petitioned the
King Of Bavaria He arranged 1t, and the
boy became a soldier.
"A fine lad, strong for his age. That's
I Why they hated him-he was such soldierH
said Englehardt.
The boy became commissioned
officer and married. Still, the other non.
CONS hated him. He was victim Of some
4. of the German Army hadng described by
. Lieut.. Bilse in "A Little Garrison
~ One day he entered a canteen where
. sother non commissioned officers were drink
ing. A glass of wine was poured out all
around Beside the bar was a bottle OF
powerful disinfectant, colored like the
wine. A hazing sergeant, winking at his
i. comrades, poured out young Englehardt's
''twine and filed the glass with the disin-
1 fectant He didn't know it, but the stun
!! was a;powerful irritant poison.
? ; The young man drank and was dead In
! I've min ntes.
r e.+Do you know what l did," said old
q tdam EngIehardt when he told the story.
4 Do you know what did? Those sergeants
/ 're1e-eo his funeral and pretended that
/ 'tiey were sorry. There was the sergeant
J trat Cid it. He laughed when he saw the
! cofhn. And shot at him over the grave.
| missed him. but l told every one what
tat German Army is that killed my boy!'
What Englehardt said about that sergeant
, and the army was leae-ma jesty. Tho
/ Public Prosecutor took notice. Engle-
= ttar.t.s family struggled him out Of tho
: country. With him he took his daughter
i in-ia9, wife OF his dead son.
: y,ln Nexs York Englehardt told the story
erywhere. His daughter-in-law went
? :, werS. She tried to find a place for him.
) but ke wouldn't work. He was too busy
T. telling about his son and the inhumanity
of tIe army. He got more and more shabby.
/. Then he nsei to add queer details to the
Z st ~ until the German East Side regarded
But Charley Hochstein, who kept the
sal .7l below his room at 1880 Seoo nd ave-
ne, Ike the old man and wanted to help
See here" said Charlie, you 20 back
: t, Germany. Let them try you. You
Won t go to pris On for more than siI months.
ter that you can sell your business and
y ring your wife to this country. I'll buy
- Charlie kept his word Next day he
q handed A ticket for Bremen to old Engle-
harit and babe him good-by. Three days
later he was surprised to see the old man
enter the saloon.
Il thought I'd better not" explained
v Engleharat, May be these sergeants
~iwoul mt let me land I've sold the ticket.
and III send for my wife to come"
" Cha lie Eochstein didn't like it, but he
80 nrt his tempe- He'd been in the army
), 70 elleotiors Of it.
The old man came back day after day, and
each time his fancies became stronger
land more. violent. One day he said that
s! s's'f, his time 70 support him--was trying
% to- disg ace him Another day it was
1 NJ spy from the army that was following
him. Charlie was afraid for the old mans
/. made an engagement to meet him at the
/, pier with ticket for Germany. Charlie
\ tent.i the appointment. but Englehardt
Z did not F.. ,5.'.
q -. That same night, Englehardt went into
Nallers cafe. OF posite the Tombs John
i Gebig, the waite, vas his friend, Gebig,
I 40. bates the Getman Amy.
-. Gan,t sta and ! can't go back, said
=. z7l,Ipglehaidt. I'm going to shoot my
: Gehig talked to him long time. show
ing what fool he'd be The old
4 tpan grew oalmet after while. But from
= that time his insanity turned to suicide.
l. Hs you'd at with crowd OF Germans
= 20 gor lie would shake hands, and say:
: .o-0ood-bya adj (, I'm going to jump into
! t7e1five-.' = So go
1 Because he never did, they took 1t as a
: mild eccentricity and laughed at him.
!, ~, One day last week he met Charlie Hoch-
- stein lie had moved away from the house
on Second avenue after his failure to show
up at the docks and Charlie hadn I seen him
-'tance. Charlie said some hard things The
old man stood straight and heard him
through. -.-.
- You were in the army said Englehardt
You are liFe all the rest, murderer. III
beat you, All. Youll remember me. I'm
going to kill myself on your doorstep"
The gang heard this and laughed. 1t
was new. turn to an old joke.
Yesterday morning in the early dawn.
the housekeeper at 1880 Second avenue
weqt down to the doorway to get the milk.
'Jpst inside the storm door was man,
,hutdled UP In heap. She took him to be
an early morning drunk" and touched Inn
with her foot He did not move. She
threw open the storm door. 1t as old
F'nglehardt, dead. The pistol with which
I. he had done it was in one hand and bundle
Of letters IN the other, Across his breast
were pinned his six medals, won by his
bravery In the service OF the Fatherland.
L. L. H. IL