Year: 1873

Times, at the time of his unnatural death
only twenty seven years of age, and,
until his twenty-second year. his conduct
had been irreproachable. An act of in.
justice, which he suffered in 1867 at the
hands of Prussian nobleman of high
rank, converted him from a respectable
village schoolmaster into relentless ene-
my of society, and eventually led him to
the scafold. 1t was shortly after the
Gnesen Landwehr battalion had returned
from the war with Austria, and after
Harder, who had served as private in
that corps, had resumed his duties as
schoolmaster at Grodzyk. village near
Gnesen, that be accidentally met the
Baron Won Hettsedt, the major of that
battalion The Baron was under the in
fluence Of liquor, and. without any pro,
vocation whatever, began to abuse Har-
der very grossly. Harder tried to get
away from him, but the Baron struck him
and spit in his face. This was too much
for the village schoolmaster He turned
furiously upon his assailant, and although
tire latter was in full uniform, beat him
severely, broke his sword, and left him
bleeding and almost insensible on the
ground He then left the place for parts
unknown.


On the following day summons was
issued against him by the Gnesen militia
ry tribunal, and, failing to appear. he was
sentenced to be shot. All the efforts to
ascertain his whereabouts remained fruit
less. and six months afterward the affair
was well-nigh forgotten. There was but
keenest bitterness, and that was Daniel
Harder himself While he had hidden
from the police he had brooded over the
great wrong that had been done to him.
and determined 10 wreak terrible re-
venge upon the Baron Won Hettstedt.-
The latter lived in very fine mansion
two miles from Gnesen Shortly after
midnight on the Sd of August, 1867,
fire broke out in the mansion at three
different places. The building was
speedily laid in ashes. and, ewing to the
rapidiiy with which the flames spread,
one of the .Baron's children pe,ished in
them. The confagration was evidently
the work Of an incendiary. and the peo-
pies voice at once designated Daniel
Harder as the man who had done it.


Areward of one thousand dollars was
offered for his apprehension, and the
gensdarmerie of the whole district was
sent out to hunt him up. 1t was discov-
cred that he had been in the neis ishbor-
l6cd, but he managed to elude pursuit.
Daniel Harder had set fire to the Hetts-
tedt mansion, and henceforth his career
was that of an outlaw, knowing that his
life was forfeited. Tho peasants began
to look upon him as a dare devil. endow-
ed with almost superhuman powers of
endurance, fendish malignity and the
most indomitable courage. We next
find him associated with a band Of high
way robbers. who made the vast forests
of the Gnesen district their headquarters
and whose chief he became soon after
ward in consequence of his superior in
telligence. The band, under his leader
ship, became scourge to the district
1t committed hundreds of lawless acts
it robbed, killed and burned, and at one
time fought a regular battle with ten
mounted gendarmes, in which two of the
latter were killed. Harder delighted in
bidding defiance to the authorities. Once
he visited Gnesen in disguise, and called
upon the policemaster. A few hours af-
terward he sent that dign;tary letter,
in which he informed him who his visitor
had been.


During the war of 1870 the impudence
of the Harder band became SO great
that detachment Of regular cavalry was
sent out to scour the woods and hunt the
daring criminals down, but all to no pur-
pose. Harder became such a terror to
the district that the peasants did not dare
to give information that might lead to bis
apprehension. The mayor Of the village
of Dililzka, who had volunteered in 1872
to lead the gendarmes to his place of
concealment, was brutally murdered a
few weeks afterward. 1t was this assas-
sina:ion that finally led to the arrest of
the great bandit. The murdered Mayor
of Dilitzka had four children, the eldest
of whom was Sophia Josephine Arnitz.
who at the time of her fathers death
was eighteen. She was good looking,
and endowed with superior intelligence.
The cowardly assassination of her father
made deep impression upon her. and
she swore to herself to bring his murder
er to justice.


With true feminine shrewdness and
extraordinary powers of dis stimulation,
she managed to have an interview with
Daniel Harder, and made him believe
that the renown of his bloody and daring
deeds had caused her to fall in love with
him. She was handsome, his vanity
was excited-in word, he accepte her
declaration of love, and said he would
marry her. She told him that she was