Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-04
CIN(HE|D
Berlin Presented the Edify.
ing Spectacle Of an Edi.
tor Acquitted in Personal
Damage Suit and Then
Cinched For Libeling the
Same Parties

-
Same Parties
Berlin, Jan. 3-The notorious Hard .
en-von Moltke libel suit case came to
an end this evening when the accused
editor of the. Die Zukunft was sentenc-
ed to four months Imprisonment and
to pay the entire costs of both the
present and former trial.
When court reassembled at quar-
ter before six this evening the scene
was an impressive one. The five judi
ges constituting the penal bench took
their seats with the president Of the
court in the center. The only law
yers present were the attorneys for
the state and attorneys for the prose-
cution and defense. Maximilien Hard
en- and Count Kuno Won Moltke sat on
the opposite sides of the courtroom,
which was crowded.
The president of the court at once
delivered his judgment. Deep silence
prevailed and he spoke In a sonorous
voice straight at the accused man.
The president said that in spite of the I
prisoners assertion that the insinua-
tons contained in the articles that
appeared In Die Zukunft referred
merely to the scenic and artistic lean
ings OF Count Won Mo1tke and Prince
Philip Zuelenberg. and that they, had
nothing what ever to do with immoral
or unnatural practices, It was evident
4 that II this meaning had been intend
ed to convey the articles were sense.
less and purposeless. There was no
doubt, the president of the court de-
clared, that Harden had meant to Inn
ply that Count Kuno Won Moltke was
possessed of unnatural inclinations,
while his reference to the intercourse
between Count Won Moltke and Prince
Zuelenberg certainly left the impress
sion that illicit relations existed. The.
intention of the prisoner was to black
en- the count and Prince Gutenberg
in the eyes Of the public. "a.
The proceedings had proved that all
the charges made by Harden were alb
solutely without foundation. Both the
count and prince were men of artic-
tic tastes whose friendship, from their
youth had grown stronger with the
Rpassing Of the years. Harden had
founded his charges primarily on the
statements that he asserted had been
made by the late Prince Won Bismarck,
who, If he really did say these things,
had done so In moment Of anger
against certain men. Then Harden
had received communications from
! Mrs. Won Elhe, the divorced wife of
ssoupnt Won Moltke an historical wo-
man, who was embitterede against
the man to whom she had been unhap-
PLY married, while the assertions
made by DR. SchWeninger, who was at
one time physician to Prince Won Bis
marck, were undoubtedly biased. Har-
den. the president went on, had never
attempted to obtain proofs against
these men occupying such prominent
positions. Had these proofs been in
existence they could have easily been
had. No serious minded writer should
dare for political object to attempt
to injure the honor Of others. All
the charges had been utterly disprov-
ed during the trial, and Harden could
have disproved his charges himself be-
fore publishing his articles. Even the
4 notorious incident when Won Moltke
was seen kissing a handkerchief which
belonged to Gutenberg had been
shown to be perfectly harmless and
the allegations that Won Moltke used
cosmetics had been equally disposed
De. 5
The articles published by Maximil-
len Harden In Die Seukunft several
months ago alleged that Emperor Will
liam was surrounded by camarilla
that exerted an injurious influence in
4 political matters and that members
Il 81 this group. particularly Prince Phil
Il lip zuelenberg, at one time German
Il AMBASSADOR at Vienna, General Count
N Moltke, formerly military govern
Il of Berlin. and General Wilhelm Won
[ohensali nx.eommanf7ar of tl,p pua ri
5os, were men Of ahnormally vicious
lencies, and practices. After Hard