The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-06-23
Haul TORTURED
BY THE POLICE,
FRIENDS CLAIM
Dragged From Cell at
All Hours to Suffer
Third Degree.
Brutality Keynote of
Treatment Accorded to
American.

CARLSRUHE, Germany, June a.
Charging that Carl Hau, the George
Washington University professor
and an American citizen, is being
bounded to his death by the tortu-
Gus methods of the German police,
American residents and visitors here
are raising Il hue and cry of fair
play for Hau which promises to
penetrate even the walls of the i'm
perial palace.
1t is alleged that Hau has been
dragged from his cell at all hours
of the night and subjected to the
most brutal treatment known to civ
ilization. It is further claimed that
no act of the Spanish Inquisition in
fiicted more torture and anguish on
its victims than has the German
third degree" upon Hau.
Distortion of Facts Alleged.
Instead of conveying the message Of
loyalty and devotion from his wife her
last earthly communication. Hau was
rudely awakened at o'clock in the
morning, so II IS said. and brutally told
that his helpmeet had killed herself and
before doing so had left a statement IN
which she said he had confessed his
guilt TO her. Through il all. the pris-
oner has maintained a stoical silence
that Is slowly crushing his life out.
Hau is held on a charge Of numbering
his mother-in-law, Mrs. M0lIonir, who
was shot at Baden Baden last Novem-
ber- Hau was arrested for the crime
two days letter. extradited and during
the last six months has been imprisoned
here awaiting trial
Confession Story Untrue.
Less than a month aeo. following the
suicide OF his wife. sensational state
ments were given out by the police that
Hau had confessed following the alleged
delivery Of note 20 the police from the
dead wife IN which she implicated her
husband. The story has since been
proved absolutely untrue by American
friends Of Hau and investigation result
ing from this incident has disclosed the
barbarous treatment 70 which the pris-
oner has been subjected.
The evidence against Hau IS purely
circumstantial and the public prosecutor
realizes that unless he gets a confession
from the prisoner conviction is going 20
be well-nigh impossible. During the six
months that Hau has been Imprisoned
the examining magistrate, Herr Un-er-
suchungrichter, has done his utmost 70
extract a confession Of guilt from Hau.
More Leeway IN Germany.
Under the laws Of Germany he has
much greater leeway than would be al
lowed an American prosecutor. At no
time since his Imprisonment. day or
night has Hau been free from visits
from the magistrate or his. deputies At
first the official adopted the tone of a
good friends and advised Hau in his
tongue TO make a clean breast Of the
alleged crime Hau remained cool and
silent.
Then he was informed that the cir
cumstantial evidence against him was
amply sufficient 10 hang him. and that
a confession would be merely a super
fluous feature. Still Hau remained sill
emit Then followed all the traps and de-
vices to bewilder. mislead. and torture,
mentally and physically. so as to bring
on despair and vanished hope for the
suffering prisoner.
Visited at All Hours.
Solitary confinement and midnight VS.
its By the prison employees were all In
availlng. Still Hau. CAIN and persist
ent in his declaration OF his innocence.
remained silent, though subjected to
treatment almost unprecedented Then
came the climax at the time Hau's
wife, loyal to her husband, but broken
hearted over his Imprisonment. COM
mitted suicide by drowning herself in
The lake of Zurich.
Then it was that the story Of his
confession" was published and the
papers containing the story shown to
the prisoner in another heartless en-
deavor to have him adjust the hang
mans moose about his own neck
The result was the same, but the or
deal is more than human nerve force
can Withstand forever and Hau's
friends, who are loyal to him, are fear
full lest his nerves give way entirely
under the torture and he break down
before the time of his trial. which is
set for July.
The subject, however, Is not enc in
which the United States Government
can take hand. The officials have
acted under the German law
The action of interested Americans is
spreading all over Europe and will prob
ably take the form Of a petition TO the
German officials before many days.
FRENCH SAILORS MUTINTED
IN AMERICA, SAYS REPORT.
PARIS, June PA dispatch from
2 1r1f Il
that the crew Of the French armored