The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-30
cObbIer Who Took a German
Town by Downing Uniform
Is to Lecture.
SERVED TIME FOR A JOKE
GERMAN WORSHIP OF BRASS
BUTTONS, HE STATES, MADE IT
POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO PERPE-
TRATE THE AFFAIR.
tamerican News serv,c.v


Chicago, March 3o.-The "Haupt-
mann Won. koepenik" is in Chicago.
In private life he is Wilhelm voigt, a
cobbler of the duchy of Luxembourg.
He gained the title which is loosely
assigned him by putting on captains
uniform. ordering out a company of
soldiers and taking possession of the
town of Koepenik, suburb of Berlin.
Weight performed the hoax in re-
venge for being refused passport to
Bohemia by Herr Burgermeister Lieut..
DR.. Langehans of Koepenik He
bought secondhand captains uni
form and by virtue of it's authority or
dered out troops from the nearby fort
ress Of Ploetzensee and put all the
municipal officials of Koepenik under
arrest -..--
The uniform, the coat, the buttons,
the, cap, that is the god of Germany
said Voigt yesterday at the Hotel Bis
marck. THE mayor looked at me and
said. This man has no power Then
he looked at the captains coat and
bowed his head and surrendered to the
buttons.
Just Worth the imprisonment.
They put me into prison for awhile,
but 1T was worth it to me to see the
mayors face when he surrendered to
that secondhand uniform.
He was only lieutenant. The uni
form wore was that of a captain.
When a lieutenant in Germany beholds
the uniform of a captain his powers of
thought desert him. He becomes lost
in button worship. His nature is
merged in the spirit of subordiation.
When thought I would like to see
Russia and Bohemia l went to this
mayor-lieutenant-doc and said,
Herr Burgermeister, please, pass
port He looked at me and saw a cob
bier and became pulled with authority.
BE off with you,' he said. DO not an
noy me with your affairs. Government
officials do not upset their routine for
cobblers. Later for your passport,
cobbler, or, maybe. never
II went to Berlin and bought the
uniform. Then went to the fort
while the officers were at luncheon,
and l gave my orders. Nobody ques-
toned. They looked at my coat and
ran wherever l told them.
Orders Out the Soldiers.
Il took ten grenadiers, three gen.
darmes and ten policemen, and saw
that they had $50 rounds of ammuni-
ton. l led them to Koepenik and sur
rounded the Rathshaus. Then enter
ed the burgermeister's Office
"'You are under arrest l said to
the mayor-lietenant-doct You have
given offense to a worthy citizen Of
the duchy of Luxembourg
He looked at my uniform and the
power of speech and of thought desert
ed him, as l knew that it would.
put him and his clerks and all the
officials that were in the Rathshaus in
a wagon and ordered the men to take
them to the fort. A captain had order
ed it and they were satisfied"
There were 100000 marks in the
treasury of Koepenik. Voigt took sew
eral thousand just to show how easy
it was and. leaving a receipt for the
sum, went by train to the fort to wit
ness the arrival of the mayor and his
staff
He was sentenced to four years i'm
prisonment The laughter which his
jest caused throughout Europe was
participated in by Emperor William.
who caused his confinement to be made
easy and pardoned him at the expira-
ton of q year.
Voigt, since his release, has been
saving money for trip to the United
States. He has. relatives in Dallas.
Texas, whom he intends to visit. He
will lecture Friday night on his cap
ture of Koepenik at North Side Tur-
ner hall.