Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-11
QUEER COURT MISTAKE
GERMAN EMPEROR AN AMERI-
CAN CITIZEN.

The Emperor Of Germany has reunonced
ell allegiance to himself. has abdicated his
imperial throne. and, by a special act of the
circuit court In the state of West Virginia,
has become a bona fide citizen OF the
United States. This announcement no doubt
VIII be somewhat startling to Kaiser VIII
liam. as there is nothing OF record to show
that he knows anything about his transfer
OF loyalty Notwithstanding this. the cir
cult court sitting In Ohio county, w. Va,
Judge Thayer Melvin presiding. has for
maily and officially declared that the Ger
man emperor be. and he is hereby. admit
ted citizen OF the United States" And
the citizen of the United States is In big
biack-face type, too.
OF course. the joke is on the honorable
court and the kaiser but the order maxi
ing the emperor citizen OF the United
states IS signed by the judge and by the
clerk OF the court. Charles Ii. Henning, and
to 1t Is affixed the seal of the court. Moth
Ing could be more conclusive and the court
Will have to have another sitting to undo
the wrong.
How It Happened.
It happened this way. An innocent and
unpretentious looking German giving the
name of Jacob Ohiinger took passage on
steamer bound for New York He had been
In this country a long while, and thought
ne had acquired a citizenship. But he
hadnt. When he landed at New York one
OF the immigration inspectors accoste,i him.
as they are wont to do, and demanded his
papers. Ohlinger proudly thrust his hand
INTO MS wallet and pulled forth an off1cious
oocument. which started out like this:
Ohio county, West Virginia; in the cir
suit court, special term, 1904" etc.
FROM the preamble the inspector learned
tnat the said Jacob Ohlinger, once a cti-
zen OF Germany, had made application for
citizenship in the United States Further
along he discovered that Mr. Ohlinger. in
the words of the document, had renowned
All allegiance to all foreign princes and
po.shtates states and sovereignties. and
particularly all allegiance he may in any
wise owe to the -" After the "the"
there was blank to be filled in with the
name of the sovereign of the country re-
houneed by the applicant. As Ohlinger
mad been good law-abiding German, the
clerk or the court wrote down the words
Emperor of Germany" So far all was
wen. But IN the next paragraph there was
another blank, also to be filled in by the
clerk, this time with the name of the ap-
plicant 1t reads thus
1t Is thereupon considered ordered and
adjudged by this court. that the said -
the United States" This should have been
filled in with Ohlinger's name But II
wasn't. Clerk Henning, who is considered
one OF the ablest court officials in the state
absent minded, for the space contains the
fatal words Emperor of Germany"
German Emperor American Citizen.
So that the paper which ohlinger handed
to the immigration inspector contained the
following announcements:
1T Is thereupon considered ordered and
adjudged by this court that the said EN-
peror of Germany be, and he is hereby. ad-
mitted citizen of the United States Sign
ed. mayer Melvin. judge; c. H. Henning.
clerk of the court"
When the eyes Of the Inspector reached
TINS announcement they grew to the d.
mansions of saucers. His hand trembled
and his voice faltered, as he wondered If
the person to whom he was talking was the
illustrious Kaiser William, travelling in
cognito.
Beg pardon the inspector Is alleged to
Germany"
Quit der jokln'," replied ohIinger, I'M
abashed. Der paper I gave you shows
I'm citizen of der United States"
The inspector was not to be outwitted,
however. II there was some deep plot to
overthrow President Roosevelt and place
the kaiser on the American throne, this In
spector was going to know something about
1t before hand. -
well" said he IF you are not the en-
States. for this paper shows that he is a
citizen of this country, and not Jacob Ohlin-
ger. whom you claim to be-
1t Is alleged that Ohiinger had something
to say concerning the honorable court, but
this part of the story is not of record AS
matter of fact, the paper was confiscated
by the immigration bureau, and is now tuck
ed away safely In the inside pocket of the
commissioner general, Mr.. Sargent who
Will endeavor to have the wrong righted
Judge Melvin Is considered to be the smart
est jurist In eleven states, and he is one of
the most popular republicans in West vir-
or fUyn JTi,
ginians in Washington who declare that
Judge Melvin will never outlive his fame as
the man who made the Emperor of Ger
many a citizen of the United States