New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-24
WOMEN APPEAL TO KNOX
Suffrage Leaders Want German
Girl Taken Off Ship at Sea.
ARRESTED IN PENNSYLVANIA
'Barbarously Treated, 1t Is Said,
by Being Put on Ore Tramp
Against Her Wishes.

Describing the conduct OF foreign and
federal officials as barbarous, Mrs. Harriet
Stanton Batch and Miss Caroline LeXow
two OF the foremost women in the suffrage
cause. have appealed to Secretary Knox of
the State Department I'm behalf or Marie
Purtz a Saxon girl, who, they have been
informed. was placed on an ore freishter
at Philadelphia and sent abroad. with two
detectives constantly giving her "thlrd
degree" methods 10 make her reveal some
secret.
Mrs Batch and Miss Lexow say 1T was
stated to them that the girl when arrested
in PENNSYLVANIA charged with some offence
against the German law pleaded with her
captors to send her back to Germany on
boat where she could have the presence
aboard of women. but instead the German
secret service men and the United states
authorities placed her on board the freight
or Excelsior with only the two secret ser
vice agents and forty eight seamen.
The New York women asked Mr. Knox
TO send a fast cruiser TO overtake the
freighter and recover or protect this de-
fenceless girl
The letter follows:
New York. May g. 1912. =.
Hon. Philander c. Knox. Secretary OF
State. Washington. ID. &.
The undersigned American women have
been informed with amaZement that
young Saxon girl Marie Purtz' oharseu ny
the German authorities with an offence
against the German law, has beer placed
on an ore tramp steamer. the Excelsior, Oy
the United States officials at fhlladelphla
for eXtradition and is now on the hlgh
seas subjected to the third degree by Two
German secret service men, with forty
eight seamen and not one woman aoodru
her prison ship. -
II is further stated TO us that this young
woman begged permission to return WIN
her captOrs 10 Germany on German pa
senger steamer, where she Would nave tue
protection Of the presence aboard OF 9'heI
omen. The quick action demanded oE
the enormity of this charge against the
decency Of official application OF eXtradi,
ton laws where a woman ls concerned VIII
not permit a searching Investigation by
us before protesting 10 you as heau OF tue
United States State Department
As American women We beg you 10 tele-
graph 10 Philadelphia, and II the facts are
az stated. rectify the abuse on INC , - o.
follow the Excelsior and recover OF P..ot.,
this defenceess girl. delivered by tnltfd
States marshal INTO position Whlch "ouiu
not be tolerated by the least progressive
local police )r prison authority In the
United States ,. -, ,,,o,tI
CAROLINE lSENON'
II Ia reported that the girl Is not Wanten
by the German authorities in connection
with any criminal case. but to wiring from
her knowledge Of some stolen state papers
that the German Chancellor is desperately
eager TO recover. The extradtion proceed
ings were based on the charg" that she
SLOW carl Ungethum. an innkeeper OF
Ruperts Green, Saxony because ne had re-
fused 10 allow her 10 marry his son. Shc
denied the crime when arrested at her
mothers home. in Cordopolis, near Pitts
burch giving an account Of her movements
and saying she was willing 10 return IN
Saxony n she could go on steamer with
other women. The German detectives So
cured passage for her on the ore tramp
and II is said the German Consul at Phlla'
oelphia was forced To use his authority y
get A police launch to take their prisoner
aboard as no philadelphia boatman Womb
s,rve them The girl waived eXtraditlOn.