The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-08
LOSES ANOTHER
Of ITS ILLUSIONS
Young Germany Has Been
Robbed Of an Ideal
Author.
KARL MAY NOT THE
GREAT TRAVELLER OF WORLD
Man Who Had Been All Over
the World Never Out of
Germany.
BY MALCOME CLARK,
able to The Tribune.

special Cable to The Tribune
BERLIN, May Germany and espe-
clhny young Germany has just been
robbed OF one OF its most cherished illu-
s1ons, Who In the land OF the kaiser has
not heard Of Karl May. traveller. author
ana man OF adventure? He has written
a whole library describing his exn,ora-
uons in remote corners of the earth. and
many a story book based on his strange
eAperiences in those far lands. His villa
al dresden Is crowded with curios which
ne mas brought back from his wanderings,
L.iu II mas often happened that O. prince-
y parsonage has dropped in to Inspect
tne private museum OF the veteran vow
aeeL. II was understood that Karl NAV
spoke al languages that no one else In
the immediate neighborhood knew am
Sulhe ABOUT Chinese and Choctaw were
put the beginning Of the linguistic At
.alnments attributed TO him. Such was
inc harl May OF few weeks ago
All Is Changed.
But all that has now been chanyad
prosecutor In a libel action. Some one
n IL appears had referred TO him as a
porn criminal" Unfortunately for him
the me person In question undertook to prove
.nat accusation and his lawyer told n
STORY about Karl May very nearly as
strange as those which that prolific writer
is IN the habit of telling about himself
only or rather a different order. To
1ar travelled May, who is now 6S. had
never been outside of Germany till 1900
Wnen MS works OF travel had long been
gsttlng a little musty. He admitted that
those OF very remarkable kind.
Has Criminal Career.
In 1869, he said. plaintiff who already
had sentences OF six weeks imprisonment
and four years penal servltude behind
MN relapseo into career Of crime and
was soon wanted on warrant. To es-
cape arrest lie took refuge in the depths
oil the Silesian forest, where he found
a fellow outlaw in one Louis KruegeI
n deserter, who had left his regiment
with a large sum OF money out OF the
eternal friendship, and agreed, with other
Kindred spirits, to found a band Of rob-
bers.
Headquarters in Cave.
cave curtained with moss on the
Paldenburg domain was the heuduuar-
tiers OF May md his merry men. From
this center they practiced innunera bic
villianies. Their speciality was TO at
TACK peasant women returning from mar
sales. At last their raids established
such n state OF terror that attendance at
the markets began to TALL OFT. The towns
of Hohenstein and Erpsthall accordingly
II
force of troops to clear the neighborhood
OF the bandits. This wss done and with
the assistance or the local fire brigades
and gymnastic clubs the soldiers pro-
cseded to beat tho woods. The two ring
leaders OF the robber band saved them
selves by an ingenious and daring trick
Among. the plunder piled up IN their
cave they had found the uniform of a
Saxon warder. This May put on, and
having tied Krucgers hands behind his
back he marched him unmolested through
the encompassng ring.
Eluded the Officers
On another occasion they were sitting
in an Inn, where a couple OF gendarmcs
who were searching for them rode up.
As the gendarmes entered tho building
May and kruegol dropped from window.
and eaplng on 10 horses, galloped off.
Those were the most interesting. though
by no means the only incidents Of
questionable nature which defendant pro-
posed 10 prove out OF the life of the ia
nous Karl May. The latter denied the
truth OF these tales, but was obliged 10
admit his Acquaintance with the inside
of prison walls, though under what cir
he declined TO state. To
make 81 long story short the court with
out calling on the defendant to prove his
assertions, dismissed the case, and Ger
many has lost another of its illusions.