The Ordway new era., 1917-07-13


+, ho hod not been so indiScreet as 10
huv his paper from that one shop close
to the Rue de Provence, where he i'""
rooms.
The Arrest Of General Won Trautmann:
On the third night following l stoou
in the cmperors private room at fots'
dam and made my report. explaining
NIL that I knew and what l had WIZ
messed In Paris.
"That man knows very great deai
but how does he know snapped the
emncror. "See Schunke early tomor'
row" he ordered, "and tell him to dls-
cover the link between this young
blackguard and your friends the Brei-
tenbachs and report to me-
Next morning I sat with the nstnte
Schunke at the headquarters or the
detective police In Berlin, and there
discussed the affair fully. explaining
the result of my journey to Paris aud
what I had seen, and giving him the
order from the kaiser.
But, count. II this woman Breiten-
bach and her daughter are your
friends, you will be able to visit them
ana glenn SoHetHius' he S"''
"I have distinct orders from the en-
peror not to visit them while the In
quiry is In progress" replied.
Later that same morning I returned
to the Marmor palace to report to the
crown prince, but found that his high
ness was absent upon an official visit
of inspection at Stuttgart.
In the meantime I several times saw
the great detective. Schunke. and
found that he was In constant commu-
nicatiOn with Baron Steinmetz In Paris.
The pair were evidently leaving no
stone unturned to elucidnte the mys-
terry OF those annoying letters, which
were still falling as so many bombs
into the center of the kaiser's court.
Suddenly. one Sunday night. all Ber-
lin was electrified at the news that
General Won Trnutmann, captain gem
cral of the palace guard-whOm, truth
to tell. the crown prince had long Sc
rretly hated because he had once dared
TO utter some word Of reproach-had
been arrested and sent to fortress at
he emperOr's order.
An hour after the arrest his majes-
Tvs personal adjutant commanded me
by telephone to attend Mt the Berlin
Schloss. When we were alone, the
kaiser turned to me and said:
"Count Won Heltzendorff. you will
say nothing Of your recent visit to
Paris, or Of the authorship Of those
anonymous letters-yOu understand?
You know absolutely nothing"
Then, being summarily dismissed by
n wave Of the imperial hand, retired.
more mystified than ever. Why should
my mouth be thus closed?
When returned to my rooms that
evening Schunke rang me up on the
telephone with the news that my
friends the Breitenbachs had closed
their house and left early that morn
ing for Brussels.
"Where is Seeliger" I inquired.
I'm Brussels. The Breitenbachs
have gone there to Join him, now that
the truth Is out, and his father Is
under arrest"
The emperor's fury knew no bounds.
His mind poisoned against the poor
old general, he had fixed upon him MS
the person responsible for that dis.
graceful correspondence which for so
many weeks had kept the court In con.
stant turmoil and anxiety. Though his
majesty was aware of the actual
writer OF the letters, he would not
listen to reason, and openly declarcd
that he would make an example Of the
sllver-haired old captain general of tho
guard, who. after all, was perfectly
innocent Of the deeds committed by his
vagabond son.
A prosecution was ordered, md
three weeks later 1t took place in
camera, the baron, Schunke and n
NUMBER or detectives being ordered to
give evidence. So damning, indeed
was their testimony that the indigo
phssed the extreme sentence of twenty
years Imprisonment.
ana l, who knew and held proofs of
the truth, dared not protest.
Elise BreItenbach.
| Where was the generals son-tbe
real culprit and author of the letters3
l made inquiry of Schunke, of tha
ohroh and Of others who had Mt tho
oraer or the all-highest, conspired to
ruin poor Won Trautmann. All how,
ever, declared ignorance, and vet, on.
r,ously enough, the fine house Of tho
nreitenbachs In the Alsenstrasse still
remained empty. cum
ABOUT SIX months after the secret
.rlal OF the unfortunate general I hod
accompanied the crown prince IN
visit TO the Quirinal, and one after.
noon while strolling along the Corso
~ home. suddenly came face IN roca
win Fraulein Elise Breitenbach.
IN oeiight took her into Ronz,,s
tne noted confectloner's at Tho n corna. .,
. VI the Piazza Colonna, and there n.
one OF the little tables, she exnlai,as a.
20 me how she and her mother han,na
pecome acquainted with Franz Sci,
, eer.not knowing him to be The e on
eraiB SOn-they nuAdars- eeu