The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-10-15
Story of Damon and Pythias Out
done by Story Of Life ofTWo
German Workmen Here
MAN BURNED WITH ACID
August Kellman and Andrew Hertlein
Friends for Twenty-Four Years
Offer Strange Case for the
Local Police Officers
From MONDAYS Daily

An exhibition OF friendship parallel
ing the friendship of Damon and
Pythias famed in song and story, was
brought to light by the Kenosha police
today when August Kellman and An
drew Hertlein, two Germans were ar
raigned in Justice McCarron IS Court
charged with disturbance. The faces
of both of the men were terribly
burned with muriatic acid, the face Of
Kellman being SO badly disfgured that
he could see with difficulty and he re
peatedly moaned with pain during the
short hearing Of the case. The two
men were arrested at the Tenhagen
house on North Main street early Sun
day morning by Officers Newhouse and
Bradley and Hertlein was originally
booked on a charge OF assault with in
tent to do great bodily harm. The
other man was charged with making
disturbance. All day Sunday doctors
remained with Kellman making an eff
fort to relieve the intense pain from
which he was suffering. The story of
the trouble revealed that Kellman had
gone to the room occupied by Hert
lein early Sunday morning and the
men had engaged in a squabble and at
the heighth of the fight Hertlein pick
ed up a pint bottle of muriatlc acid
which he poured over the face Of Kell-
man who ran from the room in greatest
pain and as soon as possible the patrol
wagon was called and both men taken
to Jail. Physicians hurried to the jail
to care for the injured man and in the
meantime Hertlein had taken some of
the acid which was on his hands and
to show his contrition had smeared it
on his face.
This morning both men were taken
before the district attorney and Kell-
man almost unable to speak on ac-
count of bis terrible burns and unable
to open either Of his eyes made a novel
plea to the district attorney for leni-
ency toward the man who had thrown
the acid on him. 81 don It want you
to send this man to prison." he said
between means. 81 He and I have been
living like brothers for more than
twenty four years and I am willing to
bear the pain Of this injury without
blame to him. 1t was all my fault that
the trouble occurred and I plead with
you not to prosecute my friend. -
Kellman then told the district attor-
ney that twenty -four years ago the two
men came together from Germany and
to Kenosha and that since that time
they had lived like brothers. sharing
their property in common both work.
ing at the Allen tannery Hertlein
made no plea for mercy, but sat crying
as if his heart would break during the
examination of the man he had so ter
ribly injured. District Attorney Baker
agreed not to prosecute the assailant
on a charge of assault with intent to
do great bodily harm. Then the two
men went to the Justice Court and
Kellman repeated his plaintive appeal
declaring that both Of them had been
drinking alcohol mingled with coffee.
Justice McCarron gave the two a lect-
III CoIIu l1ICu CctCA PO dDlL GuC COpUo "
the action. The last chapter Of the
unusual little drama was enacted when
Hertlein and Kellman got together and
pooled their money in order to get
enough to pay the fines and costs.
AS the men went out of the court
arm in arm the crowd of people who
mad gathered applauded them and they
went away happy, Kellmah to the hos
Il ital and Hertlein to the tannery to
work to get money to pay for the care
of the man he had injured in such an
unusual manner.
Had Kellman insisted on the prose
cution Of Hertlein he could have been
sent to prison for a long term.