The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-07-20

to the Rue de Provence, where he had
rooms.
The Arrest of General Won Trautmann.
On the third night following | stood
in the emperor's private room at Pots
dam and made my report, explaining
all that I knew and what had wit
messed in Paris.
"That man knows a very great deal
but how does he known snapped the
emperor. "See Sehunke early tomor-
row." he ordered, "and tell him to dis
/ cover the link between this young
blackguard and your friends the Brei-
tenbachs, and report to me-"
| Next morning I sat with the astute
\ Schunke at the headquarters of the
4 detective police in Berlin, and there
discussed the affair fully explaining
the result of my journey to Paris and
/ what I had seen, and giving him the
order from the kaiser.
But, count, if this woman Breiten-
bach and her daughter are your
friends, you will be able to visit them /
and CLEAN something" he said.
Il have distinct orders from the EN-
peror not to visit them while the in
quiry is in progress I 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 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 elucidate the mys-
terry of those annoying letters, which
We're 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 Trautmann, captain gem
eral of the palace guard-whom, truth
r to tell, the crown prince had long Sc
: cretly hated because he had once dared
. to utter some word of reproach--had
5 been arrested and sent to a fortress at
7. the emperor's order.
n An hour after the arrest his maies-
j. tvs personal adiutant commanded me
h by telephone to attend at the Berlin
Schloss. When we were alone, the
he kaiser turned to me and said:
lr 'Count Won Heltzendorff, you viii
Ill say nothing of your recent visit t
!" Paris, or of the authorship of thos
anonymous letters-you understand
You know absolutely nothing"
tx Then, being summarily dismissed b
Of a wave of the imperial hand, 1 retired
II more mystified than ever. Why should
lie my mouth be thus closed?
When I returned to my rooms thai
4 evening Schunke rang me up on the
# telephone with the news that my
II friends the Breitenbachs had closed
n their house and left early that morn
d ing for Brussels.
"Where is Seeliger?" inquired.
e "Tn Brussels. The Breitenbachs
g have gone there to join him, now that
d the truth is out, and his father is
: under arrest"
4 The emperor's fury knew no bounds
His mind poisoned against the poor
old general, he had fixed upon him as
g the person responsible for that dis
graceful correspondence which for so
t, many weeks had kept the court in con-
y slant turmoil and anxiety. Though his
J majesty was aware of the actual
writer Of the letters, he would not
/ that he would make an example Of the
e silver-haired old captain general of the
guard, who, after all, was perfectly
e innocent of the deeds committed BY his
J vagabond son.
IS A prosecution was ordered, and
three weeks later it took place in
I camera, the baron, Schunke and a
o number of detectives being ordered to
give evidence. So damning indeed,
e was their testimony that the judge
It passed the extreme sentence Of twenty
years Imprisonment.
g And I, who knew and held proofs Of
s the truth, dared not protest.
e Elise 5reitenbach.
Il Where was the generals son-the
e real culprit and author Of the letters?
made inquiry of SchunSe. of the
baron, and of others who had, at the
order of the all-highest, conspired to
IS ruin poor Won Trautmann. All, how
ever. declared ignorance, and yet, GU
e riously enough, the fine house Of the
Breitenbachs in the Alsenstrasse still
II remained empty.
e About six months after the secret
/? trial of the unfortunate general I had
G. accompanied the crown prince on a
visit to the Quirinal, and one after
S noon while strolling along the Corso,
l. in Rome. suddenly came face to face
n with Fraulein Elise Breitenbach.
IS In delight took her into Ronzi's,
t. the noted confectioner's at the corner
/. of the Piazza Colonna, and there, at
it one of the little tables, she explained
: to me how she and her mother having
3 become acquainted with Franz Seeli-
n ger-not knowing him to be the gem
il erals son-they suddenly fell under
S the suspicion of the Berlin secret po-
e lice, and, though much puzzled. did not
e again come to court.
= Some weeks later mother and daugh-