The San Francisco call., 1904-04-19
Ge-md1, Officers Cruelty.
specsaI Oorrezpondepce.

Special Co-ezpondence.
few Of late, IN which the result OF a
military court-martial In this country
has satisfied the public, but no such de-
cision has called for fiercer denuncia-
ton than that by which Prince Prosper
Won Arenberg. previously sentenced to
death for a fiendishly cruel murder, has
been acquitted on the ground Of insan-
ity and committed to the municipal
/ hospital at Herzberge- The general
feeling Is that this titled assassin has
got of as the result OF Influence" and
that the authorities once more have
played straight into the hands Of the
Socialists by giving a further jolt to
the confidence Of the masses in those
who govern them
1t may be remembered that the mur-
der for which German law now con-
siders the Prince irresponsible was
committed nearly four years ago in one
Of Germany's Southwest African colo
nies, whittier the officer had gone with
his regiment the victim being half
breed policeman named Kahn The
murderer was sent back to Germany
for trial. and il was the court-martial
then appointed TO try him which in
September, 1900, sentenced the prisoner
to death His aristocratic friends i'm
mediately set to work in his behalf,
and the court-martial just closed was
the result Of three years effort to
have the original decision set aside.
In any ordinary court. one would
think. the testimony as TO criminal in
ClinatiOns and general viciousness on
the part of Won Arenberg from his
boyhood would have gone a long way
toward overbalancing the insanity plea
II was stated by witnesses that he used
TO attack his teachers; that he caught
cats and after cutting off their feet set
dogs upon them, and two Of his favor
ite pastimes as a small boy were said
to consist of biting the tail of his dog
and cutting the eyes from living fish.
Nor did the brutality of his charac-
ter lessen when the young noble was
graduated from a military training
school into a lieutenancy in the army.
He was known as the champion drink
er of his regiment and, drunk or
sober, made a regular practice of
beating and ill-treating his men. Like
luOEl Uullltb lOOs nG dS a COn al u
Among the witnesses at both trials
was the surgeon attached to the ship
which carried the Princes regiment
to Africa and the doctor described
how the Prince rushed on deck during
a capful of wind, wearing only a life
belt and begging to be saved in case
the ship should be wrecked.
At the military station he soon be-
came known as THE Crazy Prince"
According to the testimony of eye wit
nesses, Prince Prosper was on excel
lent terms with Kain, the half-breed
policeman, his subsequent victim, of
ten drinking with him and treating
him with a familiarity which disgust
ed his other acquaintances at the fort.
One day, however, the Prince, who
had been away from the camp, return
ed, declaring that the half-breed had
threatened his life and that he after
ward had made off intent on escaping
into English territory. So Won Aren-
berg, taking a detail of soldiers, start
ed out to round up Kain, the soldiers
having strict orders to shoot should
the half-breed resist arrest. The po-
liceman gave himself up at once, how
ever, and after making prisoners of
all Kain's family, Prince Prosper, as
jury and judge, examined him.
During all the accusations the po-
liceman declared his intention of ap-
pealing his case to the colonel of the
regiment. To this the "crazy Prince"
agreed, promising to take him before
the superior officer next day. Then,
to all appearances, he became gracious
again, allowing Kain to sit about the
camp fire and drink with him. Pre-
viously. however, the Prince had or
dered the soldiers to shoot Kain if he
tried TO escape and when the police
man made no attempt to get away the
cowardly officer tried in various ways
TO make him leave the camp.
Finally, according to an eye wit
ness, Kain arose and walked away af-
ter the Prince had spoken to him in
English. Then the Prince ordered a
sentry to shoot him because he was
trying to escape. AT the second COM
mand to fire the soldier shot Kain in
the leg, so enraging the Prince that he
ran up with drawn revolver and shot
the native in the head.