The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-11
APPEALS ID POPE ID STOP THE WAR Emperor FranzJosef Writes
 Letter COUNTESS IS AT BAY Fortified in Castle and Defies Every One-Young Girl Arrested Be- cause She Thinks She's
 Joan of Arc
COUNTESS IS AT BAY
By EMIL ANDRAssY

Vienna, August 10.-(Specal. .)--In a per sonal letter. penned with his own hand, z The aged Emperor Franz Josef has made ' an appeal to Pope Plus to urge inter- vention between Italy and Turkey and bring about the close of war which his imperial majesty describes as grave danger to the progress of civilization. 'Tnstead of weakening Mohammedanism, as some suppose" the emperor writes, ''the war Is uniting Islam against Chris tians the world over. Morally, 1t has been great mistake"
 The letter was conveyed to Rome by special court messenger, who received handsome gift from his holiness. No in- timation was made to the nunciature here owing to the peculiar delieacy of the situation and the desire of the emperor fo keep the nature of the correspondence secret. The Nuncio was informed of the emperors act by friend in the papal secretariat of state. He feels deeply in- censed and has since kept away from the imperial palace where he was pre- viously a consant visitor.
 A 16-year-old girl, Bertha Kalferts, was sentenced to two years imprisonment re- gently at Prague for insisting that she is Joan of Arc come to life again to help liberate Hungary. She attacked a military officer and, securing possession of his sword wounded him severely. It took a file of soldiers to arrest her and after she was placed in a cell she so worked upon her jailer that he let her escape She was captured in Prague after making several fruitless attempts to raise an army for the liberation of Hungary. Excessive reading, physicians say. has crazed her brain.
 Tn an ancient, tumble down castle near Sadowa one woman is defying the civil and military forces of a. province. No shots or shells are being used but the siege is kept up by the beleaguring forces just as in regular warfare.
 The lone woman thus assailed is the Countess Arnst. She succeeded to her title and estates recently and found that she also succeeded to q lawsuit. The costs and damages were more than she could pay. The litigants levied under a decree but were warned by the countess to keep off her lands She flashed before the eyes of the officer an order signed by the emperor pledging the imperial word that the Arnst fam fly should not be molested in the castle or grounds under any pretext whatso- ever. The order was given the grand uncle of the countess for services rem dered the Austrian army at the battlo of Sadowa. The litigants appealed to the courts and the order of the emperor was upheld as a matter of imperial honor; but at the same time a decree was issued that the countess should be apprehended if she leaves the sane tuary of her grounds. The litigants, being wealthy and influential, secured the force necessary to surround the castle. If the countess attempts to leave 1t she will arrested. She Is still defiant and has food stores in plenty, but not even a maid to share her imprisonment.
 Father Conrad wernher a distin- guished member of the monastery of Peter the Hermit is translating and editing manuscript the contents of which will create an International sen sation It is written in obscure and faded Latin on skin which is brown and worn with age. The writer sets down what he states in a lengthy and poetic introduction to be the notes of Ro- man lawyer who was present in the hall of Herod when Christ was placed on trial. The proceedings before Annas and Caiphas are narrated and com mented upon from the point of view of Roman court pleader. Father Wernher says there is scarcely room for doubt of the genuineness of the document, from the wealth of detail presented and it's complete accuracy when subjected to the most searching tests.