Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-25
THANKS OF EMPEROR
SILVER WATCH AND CHAIN
GIVEN TO LABORER.
George C. Ellis Saved Statue of Fred
erick the Great From Destruc-
ton by Dynamite.

BY direction of Emperor William of Ger
Tany, Baron Bussche. charge d affaires of
the German embassy In this city, to-
day delivered to the Department of
State heavy silver watch and chain,
with the request that they be de-
livered to George G. Ellis. colored, a
laborer, employed by Maj. John s. Sewell,
Corps of Engineers. at Washington bar
racks. 1t was stated that these articles
were presented to Ellis by the German en-
peror ''in recognition of his brave action in
saving the monument of Frederick the
Great from damage, through the explosion
of a package of dynamite placed near the
statue" by a crank named Rosseau, Jan
uary 10 last.
The watch and chain are inclosed In a
beautiful leather box and the back of the
watch is engraved with the imperial mono
gram. including the crown.
Ellis is borne on the rolls as "A laborer ana
is employed under contract at so much a
day He does not hold IAN office under
the government, and consequently does not
come within the constitutional prohloltioa
against the acceptance OF gifts from foreign
governments.
Following is the text of the letter from
Baron Bussche, charge d'affaires of he
German embassy, to the Secretary or state:
His majesty the emperor has had ms az
tention called by newspaper accounts 20
the coura geous conduct of the negro George
Ellis, whose intrepid interference saved
the statue of Frederick the Great from the
effect of Rosseaus dynamite bomb.
His majesty has therefore had the grace
of deciding that the inclosed watch with
chain should be in token of has recognition
of said act, and l have the honor 10 re,
quest your eXcellency to cause the lmpeslai
present to be delivered to him.
The gratitude the German emperor eX-
pressed to Ellis results from the latter
effort to save the statue of Frederick tne
done rod V a
who attempted to destroy it by dynamite
last winter January 10 last man hired
a cab at the 9Th street railroad station anu
drove to the Washington barracks at about
the hour of noon. He went directly to the
esplanade of the war college bulIding'
then. as now in the course of construction,
where the statue of Frederick the Great
stands The statue is handsome bronze
figure of the great soldier that was pre-
scented to the United States by the German
emperor. 1t is a facsimile of statue OF
Frederick which adorns the avenue of VIC
tories in the Theirgarten in Berlin.
The statue was unveiled with imposing
ceremonies November 49, 1901
Rosseau's Attempt.
The crank. Rosseau, who visited the site
in January, carried with him a small satchel
which contained a high explosive He rode
from the railroad station in a carriage, as
related, and on arriving at the site of the
the figure He was noticed to examine it,
but not with more attention than other Wis
itors had paid. When he left the place ne
hung the satchel on one of the palinSs OF
the fence which surrounds the statue to
protect it from the dirt and debris that is
thrown or falls during the erection of the
war college. Ellis, a negro laborer en-
ployed about the place, observed the bag
and saw smoke issuing from IT. He ran
to the scene took long pole and, inserting
the end of the pole in the handle of the
satchel. dislodged it and threw it as far
from the statue as he could. The satchel
exploded as it struck the ground and tore
a large hole in the earth. Rosseau was
captured in Philadelphia and was conveyed
to New York, where he was held to answer
another charge of a similar character.
Ellis was publicly thanked by the Secretary
of War for his viligance and a report Of
the incident sent to Germany by the
emperors amba ssador here. As result Of
this report the emperor decided to make
some testimnial of his thanks to Ellis and
sent the watch which was received today