The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-01-19

WILLIAM VolGr. was the scene of
his exploit. He has added a new verb
to the dictionary-to koepenick. Elk
cept in officialdom, which he so beautl-
fully fooled the only regret felt in con-
nection with the incident is that he has
been caught.
Now that his personality has been re-
vealed to the world, the greater grows
the admiration for the colossal audaci-
ty which enabled him to carry his plot
through successfully. 1t would be hard
to find a man outwardly more Ill suit
ed to the role which he played. Low
class" is writ large all over him. 1t
is the fetish Of the military uniform
which made it possible for such a man
TO carry out his daring coup. Nowhere
else but in Germany could he have
succeeded. That is one of the lessons
which Germany is taking to heart
Voigt fully realizes the fame that he
has achieved, and not even the pros
pect of spending the rest of his life in
prison lessons his satisfaction. When
the idea of his coup first came to him
Voigt frequented music halls and other
places where military officers resort
that he might study them and their
ways. The Difference with which he
observed they were everywhere treated
soon convinced him that the uniform
counted for vastly more than the man
inside of it. He had first thought of
raiding one of the Berlin munlcipali-
ties, but came to the conclusion that in
a place where there are so many Of
ficers about the risk was little too
great. Then he selected Koepenick, a
thriving city of $4,000 Inhabitants on
the outskirts of the capital, for his ex-
plot.
After donning a discarded uniform Of
p captain In the First Regiment of in
fantry guards, which he purchased in
a second hand clothing shop, he stroll
ed calmly along street in the east Of
Berlin, awaiting the return of detach-
ment of grenadier guards from the
drilling ground to their barracks. True
to his calculations, the detachment ap-
peared, consisting of twenty-four men,
each carrying a rifle.
"Your men must follow me-" said
Voigt, accosting the corporal. 81 have
the Kaiser's orders to make an impor-
tant arrest and need your assistance"
Grimy and battered though he was,
and much too old for a captain, none
of the soldiers thought for an instant
of challenging the seedy uniform of the
first guards. They obeyed him like
sheep. He marched them to the near
est railway station, whence he took
them by train to Koepenick. Arrived
at Koepenick he ordered them to fix
bayonets and march to the town hall.
Hating at the telephone exchange,
voigt ordered the official In charge to
cut off communications with the town
hall for the next two hours under pen
atty of mourning the Kaiser's displeas-
ure. The uniform trlumphed again.
The trembling official promised implicit
obedience.
The chief OF the Koepenick police
took orders from yoigt without ques-
tlon. The uniform hypnotlzed him, as
It did everybody else. BY Voigt's d.
rections he placed a squad of police
around the town hall to keep the crowd
back, and as proof Of his zeal, actually
arrested FIVE citizens whose curiosity
got the better of their discretion. In
his widest extravaganzas Gilbert never
conceived anything more ludicrous
than a municipal police force helping a
thief to loot the municipal treasury and
arresting honest men to make things
easier for him.
Now only red tape fettered Official
dom which has been held up to ridi-
Guile feels sore over the exploit. The
fetish of the military uniform has re-
ceived a deadly blow. The day may
come when Germany, freed from the
tyranny of military bureaucracy,
may recognize that 1t owes debt of
gratitude to the cobbler who made the
whole world laugh.
voigt's case has called attention to
another form of tyranny which needs
reforming in Germany. 1t Is the sys-
tenn OF police supervision Of ex-con-
victs. That made 1t impossible for
Voigt to make an honest living. 1t was
he says, because there was no way
open to him by which he could make
decent living honestly that he con.