The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-07-19


to the Rue de Provence, where he had
rooms.
The Arrest of General Won Trautmann.
On the third night following l stood
in the emperOr's private room at Pots
dam and made my report, explaining
all that l knew and what I had wit
messed in Paris.
THAT man knows a very great deal
but how does he know?" snapped the
emperor "See Schunke early tomor-
row." he ordered, land tell him to dis
cover the link between this young
BLACKBOARD and your friends the Brei-
tenbachs, and report to me-"
Next morning I sat with the astute
Schunke at the headquarters of the
detective police in Berlin, and there
discussed the affair fully, explaining
the result Of my journey to Paris and
what l 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.
81 have distinct orders from the en-
perOr not to visit them while the in
quiry is in progress" l 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
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 Trautmann, captain gen
eral of the palace guard-whOm truth
to tell, the crown prince had long Sc
cretly hated because he had once dared
to utter some word of reproach-had
been arrested and sent to a fortress at
the emperOr's order.
al libul utter lllt arrest HIS IudJtS-
tvs personal adjutant commanded me
by telephone to attend at 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
wave of the imperial hand, retired,
more mystified than ever. Why should
my mouth be thus closed?
When I 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.
'In 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 as
the person responsible for that dis
graceful correspondence which for so
many weeks had kept the court in con-
slant turmoil and anxiety Though his
majesty was aware of the actual
writer of the letters, he would not
listen to reason. and openly declared
that he would make an example of the
silver-haired old captain general of the
guard, who. after all, was perfectly
innocent of the deeds committed by his
vagabond son.
prosecution was ordered, and
three weeks later it took place in
camera, the baron Schunke and a
number of detectives being ordered to
give evidence. So damning. indeed
was their testimony that the Judge
passed the extreme sentence of twenty
years Imprisonment.
And I, who knew and held proofs of
the truth, dared not protest.
Elise 5reitenbach.
Where was the generals sOn-the |
real culprit and author of the letters?
I4ioht inquiry vi OCuuuhp, OF the Z
baron, and of others who had at the /.
order of the all-highest. cOnspired to
ruin poor Won Trautmann. All how /
ever, declared ignorance, and yet, GU
riously enough, the fine house of the
Breitenbachs in the Alsenstrasse still
remained empty.
About six months after the secret
trial of the unfortunate general l had .
accompanied the crown prince on a
visit to the Quirinal, and one after
noon while strOlling along the Corso,
in Rome, suddenly came face to face
with Fraulcin Elise Breitenbach.
In delight l took her into Ronzrs
the noted cOnfectiOner's at the corner
of the Piazza COlOnna, and there, at
one of the little tables, she explained
to me how she and her mother having
become acquainted with Franz Seeli-
knowing him to be the gen
erals son-they suddenly fell under
the suspicion of the Berlin secret po-
lice, and, though much puzzled. did not
again come to court.
Some weeks later mother and daugh-
ter CHANGED to be in Paris, and one 1