The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-04-22
Man Who Fooled kaiser's Army.

Man Who Fooled kaiser's Army.
wilhelm voight, alias captain Koe-
peuick." the cobbler who made all Ger
many laugh by Incorporating as an
army officer arresting the mayor Of
small town and raiding the municipal
treasury. arrived In New York recently
10y way OF Canada and is now retelling
to Germans the story of the adventure
which made him famous
Weight went to New York on visit
and incidentally, Ms was made appar-
enr the other night, TO make money by
selling photographs OF himself in the
uniform Of an officer OF the kaiser's
regiment OF guards. the dress he adopt
ed when commanding the kaiser's
troops"
TO the clink OF glasses In the Cafe
Bismarck Weight spoke of his trip from
Canada. He is n rather tall, well built,
elderly man, with fringe OF gray hair
and blue eyes, the twinkle OF which
tells that he Is not without a keen
sense of humor
In his adventure which landed him
In German prison he sees no wrong
and declares that he neither expected
to benefit from the money obtained In
the raid on the treasury nor be lifted
from the obscurity OF the cobbler's
bench. His act, he said, was Il protest
against the scheme OF society which
made the follies OF the rich the crimes
of the poor.
Appreciated tho joke.
Twice, he said, he lost his position
through intoxiCation, and then the
scheme dawned upon him of imper-
sonating All officer OF the kaiser's regi-
ment. Weight was Il cobbler near Ber-
lin. On Oct. II, 1906. he obtained a
uniform of n captain Of the First reg
iment of guards, stationed in Berlin.
He went to the military station at
PloetZensee and ordered company OF
guards to accompany him to Koepe-
nick. He marched his little company
to the city hall, explained to the mayor
he was sorry, but must take charge
of his person and the city funds
ne ulItSltu lle mayor anu dppTOpTl-
ated the $50 In the city treasury,
following the action by discharging his
soldiers and making his escape. When
eventually he was arrested he was
tried and sentenced to n term OF i'm
priSonment from which he was re-
leased over year ago. The German
people then began to appreciate the
joke on the predominant military spirit
In Germany, aud when they laughed
the world laughed with them.
II got here on March II, landing at
Halifax" said Captain Weight. Il WIS.,
tied Detroit and Chicago. | come here
simply as "A visitor and expect to re-
main six weeks. | have brother-in-
| law in Dallas. Tex, but | do not be-
| lieve | will be able to see him. | want
| ed to see the United States. | do not
believe the sensible and the humor-
ously inclined will object to my visit"
Weight spoke through an interpreter,
Every one seemed to know him, and
| frequently he had to stop and bow
| to new arrivals.
AT the time | became captain Of
| KoepeniCk' ii was not for the money,
| but | wanted to show the absurdity Of
| the system. Twice | was thrown out
| of employment because became
drunk, and | said | will initiate those
| in a higher sphere. | felt | was an
abused man and wanted to protest
and get even. | was practically
brought up near barracks, and |
] knew the drill, though | had never
! served in the army. The military was
the author ~, and what more natural
than that should seek to ape 1t?
had no idea that my act would be
sensation or that it would raise me
from the cobbler's bench"
| What the Kaiser SAID to Him.
| Voight said that he liked what he
had seen of America. and when asked
| whether he did not think the immigra-
| ton officials would consider him an
undesirable alien because he had been
convicted and sentenced TO serve a
term in prison he said, II do not see
why any one should object to me-"
| Weight was asked whether he had
ever had an interview with the kaiser
since his world famous adventure. He
| laughed and said ii was a secret.
Finally after some rapid fire talk with
the Interpreter his remark was trans
lated like this:
"YeS, | saw the kaiser. He said to
me, Can you keep NUM-? and | said,
Il can. so can L. replied the kaiser. -
That was all he would tell of the In
terview
During the evening an aid circulated
through the cafe selling postal cards
representing Weight in civilian clothes
and as the captain Of Koepenick. The
sale was good. Voight was kept busy
signing his autograph.
The noncommissioned officer Of the
seven guardsmen who were fooled by
the captain testified that he ordered
them around in lusty, imperious tone
that might have been heard a mile
away. All the comic papers Of Ger
many utilized the incident for weeks.
Norfolk Needs Paving.