The Washington herald., 1907-06-23

Carlsruhe. Germany. June 2.-Charging
that Carl Hau. the George washington
University professor, and an American
citizen, is being bounded 20 death by the
medieval torture methods Of the German
police, American residents and visitors IN
Germany are raising a cry Of fair play
for Hau, which promises TO penetrate
even the walls Of the imperial palace.
Iau is held on a charge OF numbering
his mother-in-law. Mrs Mouitor. who was
shot a. Baden-Baden last November. Hau
was arrested In England, two DAYS later
on a charge Of having killed her. extra
dited. and during the last six months
has been imprisoned here awaiting trial
Less than q month ago. following the
suicide of his wife. sensational state.
monts were given out by the police that
Hau had confessed. following the deliv-
cry Of note % the police from the dead
wife I'm which she IMPLICATED her nus
band The story has since been proven
absolutely untrue by American friends Of
Hau. and investigation resulting from this
incident has disclosed the barbarous
treatment 70 which the prisoner has been
subjected. The evidence against Hau is
purely circumstautial, and the public
prosecutor realizes that unless be gets
confession from the prisoner. conviction
is going TO be well-niph impossible.
Try to Get Confession.
During the six months that Hau has
been imprisoned tle examining magis-
tratc. Herr Tn-erSuehune=riclte-. has
done his utmost 20 extract a confession
of guilt from Hag. Under the laws of
Germany De has much greater leeway
than would Doe allowed AN American pros
ceutor. At Ho time since his imprison-
meut, day OF night. has HaU been free
from visits from the magistrate or his
deputies
At FIRST the official adopted tho tone Of
q good friend and advised Han iu his
own interest to make "a clean breast OF
his alleged crime. Hag remained cool
and silent Then Do was informed that
the Cireumstaatia' evidence against him
Yves amply sufficient % hEDg him. and
that confession would be merely
sarHr6gous feature. Suu HaG remained
silent Then followed aU Che traps and
devices 60 bawI'5er uislead. and torture,
mentally and physically. so as 20 bring on
despair and vanished hope for the suffer-
ing prisoner.
Earbarous Methods Employed.
Solitary confinement, midnight awaken
ines. rude nervous shocks of every de-
sc-ipri0n were employed by the a1th0ri-
ties on this man. who is an American
subject Suu Hau calm and persistent
i'm his iuuoCause. remained uurutHed.
though subjected 70 treatment beside
which TIE most heartIa-s tLIrd-degrea
methods of American police would seem
mere child play
Then came fEe climax M the time Haus
wife. loyal t1 her husband. but broken
hearted over his Imprisonment. committed
suicide by drowning herself I'm the lake Of
Zurich. Tie last act ot the desrai-inS
woman was 10 write letter to her hus-
band. nli1d with love and assurance Of
loyalty and belief in his innocence But it
was no part 0f the prosecutor scheme 70
allow his victim the consolation of any
such methods
Instead Hau was vanked from his rris-
ON bunk at 8 o'clock iu the morning and
The shocking news broken 10 him without
the least consideration for his feelings.
the messenger adding that Mrs. Hau had
left letter saving tlat her husband had
on the day previous confessed his guilt TO
her when she had visited him in the
prison. and that this confession had
driven her to her death
midnight, and at the lattrr- hour of
greater grief told him that further denial
was useless and that le might as we'll
make clean breast Of IT, SIu the pris-
oner unccmrlannsIv bore up under the
torture and refused to say word
story OF Confession.
Then it was that the story OF his con-
fession was published and the papers
containing the story shown TO the rr.s-
oaer in another heartless endeavor 20
have him adjust The hanEmau's moose
about his own neck. The result was the
same. but the ordeal is more than human
nerve force can withstand forever and
Hau's friends. who are loyal % him. are
fearful lest his nerves give way entirely
uGder she torture. and no break down
before the time of his trial. which is set
for July
The subject. however is not one in
which the United States government can
take a hand. The officials have acted
under the German l8v. and official pro-
test would avail nothing. There is the
belief. however. that sufficient hue and
cry can b7 raised ~ Americans TO cause
the German Bureaucracy 90 cease their
activity and give the prisoner a chance
20 face a fair and open trial. % which he
entitled
The action of interested Americans is
spreading all over Europe. and will prob
ably take the form Cf petition 20 the