The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-10-08


at Detroit and brought nv children
to st. Peter, Mimi, to be cared for by
half brother OF my wife, Mr.. Albert
Lonn.
Then I sailed for England and Hol-
land again to look after the affairs OF
my mother and sister, My mother
and my sister, the Countess der
Borman, were and are living I'm Eng
land. My aunt Is in charge OF the
castle I'm Belgium. ,-... ....-.-s.
I visited them in England for three
DAYS and then left for Holland on
May 3. I arrived In wesingen, Hol
land on May s. From there went To
Client and Brussels and out to my
home again. Each time I got the
proper wise on my passport, includ
ing that of Brand whitiick whom |
had known in this country. BY May
II was back In Brussels and reach
ed Antwerp on May Is with the prom
Use OF the Germans that they would
permit me to bring my mother ana
sister back to Belgium. -,,ss 49,,
Arriving In England on May 20, ]
put up at the Queens hotel in Folkstone
registered at the hotel, but failed
to register at the Folkstone police
station, as a recent revival OF the
English alien act requires. So I was
arrested as a German SOY and the
chief thing they had against me was
my own letter to my wife which I was
carrying along as a memento.
That evening they locked me In the
Folkstone jail. The next day was
before the magistrate, but he re
fused all request to let me communi-
cate with friends or relatives or even
with the American consul. Instead
the magistrate agreed to the sugges-
ton of the chief constable that be
sent to Canterbury prison for few
days. 1#'r F..5
That IL where | was taken. was
mixed with military prisoners and
kept under special guard as q Ger
man spy. Every request to send
word to friends and American offi-
Gals was refused.
On Tuesday June I. was taken
back to Folkstone and put in prison
arain to wait trial. About noon that
day was taken into court before
judges and tried to explain that
was an American and not a spy, but
was sentenced to month I'm Cantef-
bury with the additional sentence, at
the suggestion OF the crown constable
that be deported at the end of that
time.
There was no one to. defend me
and as far as could see, no evi-
dence against me, except the letter
, to my wife which the police had
seized The crown constable told me
that this letter was responsible for
my conviction. ....'.
So I went back to prison and was
put into the prison suit with the an
Choir on II. But ] was q spy" prison
er and not subject to the same treat
ment as others. was a Judas among
them. They spit on me as | passed
and the guards did not try to prevent
this. ] had to walk three miles a day
in a small circle! they. call the 'ibull
ring" German men OF good families
were prisoners there. but they were
not allowed to get near me. II was
five or six days before I could eat
the cruel and bread which was nv
prison fare. That cruel tasted like
the paste that the bill posters use
Once a board of investigators made
some inquiries. But | was forbidden
to communicate with these outside
Of the prison. On June 22 I was hale
before two investigating magis-
trates, but the only outcome was the
statement that Il was not likely that
j would have to stay there long.
On June 20 was taken i'm for the
mi, ne A,. nd
told by the prison officials that was
discharged. The prison chaplain
wished me good-by the next morn
ing. But when went to the office to
get some belongings was told ii was
a mistake, that was to be deported.
and so was taken back to the cell.
Then was taken to Folkstone
again and the alien act of 1905 read
to me. The detectives who had
charge of me threw me into another
cell and forgot me until the next day.
| had nothing to eat. didn't get
anything to eat until the two detec-
tives landed in London with me the
next day and then made mp for il all
and got the first square meal in six
weeks. One of the detectives stepped
out of the hotel for moment and
the other was not watching as close
as he might, so | ordered Z shillings'
worth of good food. But was not
permitted to telephone or otherwise
communicate with any. one / knew.
We arrived In Liverpool on July 2
and ! went to prison for another
night. At p. m, the next day four
detectives took me aboard the s. s.
st. Paul bound for New York. saw
the American consul on the dock,
but I was not allowed to speak to him
or send him word. was rushed
down to the dining salon where the
detectives stood guard until the last
gangplank was being raised and then
they left me. 'H
So there I was on my way to st.
Paul with very little money and
everything else possessed I'm Holland
or England tand still there). When I.
reached st. Paul found work hard
to get, but had to do something. so
/ got position with the city as
bricklayer's helper The work was
too hard for me, but I stayed with II
until August /, when was put to
work on Harriet island for a few
days. Since then have spent much
time cutting weeds on vacant lots.
But now I know what Il means to
be arrested as q German spy in Eng
land. II means indignity and insult,
poor food and scorn Of your rights. !
even IL you are an American citizen.
know what the uncertainty OF walt
Ing for the outcome means. 4 and