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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..212c3d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51065 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51065) diff --git a/old/51065-0.txt b/old/51065-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a867db4..0000000 --- a/old/51065-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7044 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The History and Romance of Crime: German and -Austrian Prisons, by Arthur George Frederick Griffiths - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: The History and Romance of Crime: German and Austrian Prisons - Prisons of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Austria-Hungary; the Fortresses of Magdeburg and Spielberg - - -Author: Arthur George Frederick Griffiths - - - -Release Date: January 28, 2016 [eBook #51065] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE OF CRIME: -GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS*** - - -E-text prepared by Wayne Hammond, Chris Curnow, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 51065-h.htm or 51065-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51065/51065-h/51065-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51065/51065-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/historyromanceof08grif - - - - - -THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE OF CRIME FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES -TO THE PRESENT DAY - - -[Illustration] - - -The Grolier Society -London - - -[Illustration: _Heidelberg_] - - -GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS - -Prisons of Prussia, Bavaria, -Saxony and Austria-Hungary -The Fortresses Of -Magdeburg And Spielberg - -by - -MAJOR ARTHUR GRIFFITHS - -Late Inspector of Prisons in Great Britain - -Author of -“The Mysteries of Police and Crime -“Fifty Years of Public Service,” etc. - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -The Grolier Society - -Edition Nationale -Limited to one thousand registered and numbered sets. -Number 307 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Interest in penal matters in Germany and in Austria-Hungary centres -rather in the nature and number of persons who commit crimes than -the methods pursued in bringing them to justice or the places in -which penalties have been imposed. The character and extent of crimes -committed from time to time, attracts us more generally than the -prisons designed and established for their punishment. This is the -more marked because such prisons have not achieved any remarkable -prominence or notoriety. They have been for the most part the ordinary -institutions used for detention, repression and correction, more noted -for the offenders they have held than their own imposing appearance, -architectural pretensions, or the changes they have introduced in the -administration of justice. Only in more recent years, since so-called -penitentiary science has come to the front and the comparative value -of prison systems has been much discussed, have certain institutions -prominence in Germany and become known as model prisons. -These have been erected in various capitals of the empire, to give -effect to new principles in force in the administration of justice. -Among such places we may specify a few, such as Bruchsal in Baden; the -Moabit prison in Berlin; the prison at Zwickau in Saxony; the prisons -of Munich and Nürnberg in Bavaria and of Heilbronn in Württemberg. To -these may be added the prisons of Stein on the Danube, of Marburg on -the Drave, and of Pankraz Nusle near Prague in Austria-Hungary. Many -others might be mentioned which have played an important part in the -development of penitentiary institutions. - -The conflict of opinions as to prison treatment has raged continuously -and as yet no uniform plan has been adopted for the whole German -Empire. Each of the constituent states of the great aggregate body -has maintained its independence in penal matters and the right to -determine for itself the best method of punishing crime. At one time, -after 1846, the theory of complete isolation was accepted in all German -states, although the means to carry it into effect were not universally -adopted. Reports from the United States had deeply impressed the -authorities with the merits of solitary confinement, among others the -well known Professor Mittermaier, one of the most notable judicial -authorities of his time. But reaction came with another no less eminent -expert, Von Holtzendorff, whose works on prison administration are -still held in great esteem. After visiting Ireland, he was won over -to the seeming advantages of the progressive system, the gradual -change from complete isolation to comparative freedom, and he strongly -favoured the policy of cellular imprisonment. His proposals laid hold -of the practical German mind, and to-day the scheme of continuous -isolation finds little support; it left its mark, however, in several -prisons which will be referred to in the following pages. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - INTRODUCTION 5 - - I. PRINCIPAL PRISONS 13 - - II. FRIEDRICH VON DER TRENCK AT MAGDEBURG 41 - - III. NOTORIOUS POISONERS 81 - - IV. THREE CELEBRATED CASES 106 - - V. CLEVER IMPOSTORS AND SWINDLERS 137 - - VI. TYPICAL MURDERERS 173 - - VII. THE STORY OF A VAGRANT 201 - - VIII. SOME REMARKABLE PRISONERS 224 - - IX. SILVIO PELLICO AT SPIELBERG 249 - - X. BRIGANDAGE AND CRIME IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 273 - - - - -List of Illustrations - - - HEIDELBERG _Frontispiece_ - - FRIEDRICH VON DER TRENCK, IN HIS CELL IN - THE STAR FORT _Page_ 52 - - SILVIO PELLICO AT SPIELBERG “ 256 - - - - -GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS - - - - -CHAPTER I - -PRINCIPAL PRISONS - - The Bruchsal in Baden--The Moabit in Berlin, the prison - Stein--Penal methods in force--Adoption of solitary confinement - not universally accepted--Bruchsal opened in 1848--Penal - methods employed--The annex where prisoners are kept in - association--The Protestant brotherhood and their work in - the Moabit prison--Munich--The work of Obermaier--Bavarian - penal code--Capital Punishment--Long Trials--Case of - Riembauer--Hans Leuss’ account of Celle and his imprisonment - there--Flogging--The “bed of lathes”--Zwickau in Saxony--Humane - treatment in force--Heilbronn--Prison reform in Austrian and - Hungarian prisons--Three new prisons erected in Austria-Hungary. - - -The cellular prison at Bruchsal in the grand-duchy of Baden was -commenced in 1841 and opened on October 10, 1848. It stands at the -northeast of the town of Bruchsal, on the highway to Heidelberg, in a -pleasant part of the country, enjoying a mild and healthy situation. -Hills rise in the background, while in front stretches the plain of -the Rhine, with its rich fields and wealthy villages. Immediately -adjoining the prison are two larger and two smaller buildings -containing official abodes for the superior and lower officers of the -penitentiary. The main building is a stately edifice, on an elevated -site, and the entire group is surrounded by a wall. This wall, of -considerable thickness and height, is a regular octagon, flanked by -turrets at the angles, which serve above as sentry boxes for the -military posts and below as dark cells. The soldiers who guard the -penitentiary walk about on the wall, which is four hundred feet long -and encloses a plot of ground of more than seven acres. - -The discipline imposed at Bruchsal is very severe in character and -it has been found that the rule of isolation cannot be persisted in -for much more than four years. Only nine per cent. of the prisoners -could support so long a term; and the director has reported that after -three years of cellular confinement the muscular fibres become so -weakened that it is almost impossible to expect hard work from those -subjected to it. Bruchsal has an annex or auxiliary establishment -where association is the rule for certain prisoners: First, those who -have undergone six years of cellular confinement, unless they elect -to remain in the cell; second, those who are above seventy years -of age; third, those whose bodily or mental health unfits them for -separation. Industrial and other education go hand in hand at Bruchsal; -the earnings of the inmates at many various trades are substantial and -the prisoners value the teaching of the schoolmaster. The trades are -various, to avoid interference with private labour. The contract system -is not employed, but the prison authorities manufacture goods on their -own account. All needful attention is paid in the Bruchsal prisons, -whether cellular or associated, to hygiene, diet, clothing, bedding and -so forth. - -In Prussia, long before the establishment of Bruchsal, the method of -solitary confinement found many advocates, and, beginning in 1846, -several large, separate cell prisons were built. The first, the Moabit, -which was organised by Dr. Wichern, the famous creator of the Hamburg -Raue Haus, is a cellular prison on the “wheel” or radiating plan, with -four wings and 508 cells in all. An interesting feature of the Moabit -is its management by a Protestant brotherhood, that of the Raue Haus, -or Hamburg reformatory, whose members are regularly trained for this -useful work on lines laid down by Dr. Wichern. All the brothers do -not devote themselves to prison management, however, but are sent as -required to various fields of labour. - -At Moabit it soon became evident that the separate system was not -suitable, and that secret intercourse among the convicts was not -preventable. The doors of the cells were therefore left open during -working hours, and a number of convicts worked in company. In church, -during exercise, and in school no isolation took place, but silence was -always enforced. On the whole, the Prussian authorities were not in -favour of prolonged isolation. As to the general result, it has been -thought that the cellular system lessened the number of reconvictions, -but that the experience had no lasting effect upon hardened or habitual -criminals. On the other hand, first offenders, or those who had been -tempted by opportunity or carried away by passion, were believed to -have been returned to society changed and reformed after a period of -cellular confinement. Progress continued to be made, although the -introduction of a new system of criminal procedure in 1849 led to such -an increase in the number of sentences that much overcrowding of the -prisons followed. Attention was in consequence directed rather toward -providing further accommodation than to experiments in treatment. -Such reforms as were urgent, including the separation of the sexes -in different buildings, were accomplished, while the building of new -prisons went steadily on and the fine specimens of the Stadtvogtei in -Berlin, the cellular prisons at Ratibor in Silesia and Rendsburg in -Schleswig-Holstein, a cellular police prison at Altona and similar -institutions in other provinces, showed that improvement did not tarry -by the way in Prussia. - -Bavaria made the most marked progress, which was worthy of the country -that produced the famous Herr Obermaier, and the great state prison of -Munich is still worked upon the lines he introduced in 1843, although -cellular confinement, which he did not favour, has been to some extent -installed. Obermaier was one of those rare characters, another -Montesinos, who left his mark on prison administration. He was a man -of the same indomitable will and commanding personal influence, who -could work wonders with prisoners and change their natures entirely. -When he assumed charge, the prison of Munich contained some six or -seven hundred prisoners in the worst state of insubordination. They -defied all discipline, although the harshest and most severe had been -tried. They were chained together and to each chain so heavy a weight -was attached that even the strongest found a difficulty in dragging -it along. Soldiers, a hundred of them, were on duty all through the -prison, at the gates, around the walls, in the passages, inside the -work-shops and dormitories; at night, as an additional precaution, -a pack of from twenty to thirty large and savage bloodhounds roamed -at large through the yards. Obermaier called the place “a perfect -pandemonium, comprising within the limits of a few acres, the worst -men, the most slavish vices, and the most heartless tyranny.” By -degrees he relaxed the severity of the discipline, lightened the chains -and sent away the soldiers and the dogs. - -The prisoners became humanised and in return for the confidence placed -in them, grew well-behaved. They managed themselves, and public -opinion among them checked flagrant misconduct, all yielding ready -obedience to those of their fellows who were appointed overseers. -If a prisoner was inclined to break a rule, the warning, _es ist -verboten_, was sufficient to deter him. The most satisfactory industry -prevailed, and the prisoners became self-supporting, making their own -clothes, building their own walls, forging their own fetters, and -more especially manufacturing useful articles which found ready sale. -In these employments they earned good wages, part of which was given -to them on discharge. Nor was the conquest thus achieved over these -turbulent spirits merely evanescent, disappearing after release. It was -proved, “on irrefutable evidence,” that about five-sixths of those sent -out from the Munich prison returned to society improved and that the -percentage of relapse was exceedingly small. - -Bavaria has four cellular prisons in all; one at Nürnberg and three -others intended to serve the district courts of justice and filled -mostly with prisoners not yet tried. Other prisons are conducted on -the collective system. Many of them are ancient convents and castles, -little suited for the purpose to which they have been converted. Crime -is very prevalent, owing to a generally low standard of morality, -the neglect of education and the rough manners and customs of the -population. The peasants in many parts of the country are in the habit -of carrying long stiletto-like knives at public houses and dancing -places, and murderous conflicts, after nasty quarrels, when grave -injuries are inflicted, are very common. - -The penal code of Bavaria, compiled chiefly by Anselm von Feuerbach, -a distinguished criminal jurist, was adopted by the government in -1813, and became the basis of criminal legislation for all the German -states. In Bavaria the peculiar merits and defects of this code -were strongly accentuated. The laws are severe and the punishment -merciless, but blood is never shed until the most minute pains have -been taken to secure proof of guilt. Circumstantial evidence is never -held sufficient to justify the extreme penalty, and sentence of death -cannot be passed unless the culprit has confessed his crime.[1] Two -witnesses are deemed sufficient when they testify to facts seen with -their own eyes, and the statement of one witness is accepted only -as half proof. By far the most important evidence is that given by -the prisoner himself. He is questioned by the examining judge in the -presence of the notary only, who is employed to take down his replies. -The judge seeks to elicit a full statement by suggesting that ample -confession may soften punishment. An attempt is made to entrap the -prisoner into untruthfulness by asking him if he knows the real reason -of his arrest, and if he affects ignorance or gives a false answer he -is gravely admonished and warned that lying will prejudice his case. -All the questions put to him are aimed to mislead him and obtain -unwary admissions inconsistent with innocence. If the prisoner has -replied truthfully, he is closely cross-examined on his own story, -which is twisted and inverted until he is confused into contradicting -and committing himself. - -[1] This practice of requiring confession in capital cases doubtless -had its origin in the influence of the Church and the doctrine of the -confession as necessary to absolution. - -All this time he is kept in the dark as to the exact nature of the -accusation laid to his charge, and it is illegal for him to seek -enlightenment. He is not furnished with a copy of his own evidence or -of that of the witnesses for or against him. Pitfalls are laid for him -by his unexpected confrontation with an accomplice. If he obstinately -refuses to speak, he is sentenced to bread and water. If it is a murder -charge, he is brought face to face with the bleeding corpse, or it may -be that the decaying remains are exhibited to him. The most curious -feature in the proceedings is their prolixity. - -Criminal trials in Bavaria have lasted for years. The reports in one -leading case, that of the priest-murderer Riembauer, filled forty-two -folio volumes. The most minute and searching investigation was made of -the secret motives and inmost feelings of the accused, as well as his -open actions. Feuerbach has written an account of remarkable crimes and -lengthy trials in Germany, and among others tells the story of Francis -Riembauer. He was a parish priest whose first worldly venture was the -purchase of a farm near the village of Lauterbach between Ratisbon -and Landshut, where he lived with the former owners, a widow, Mrs. -Frauenknecht, and her two daughters, Magdalena and Catherine. All were -esteemed by their neighbours. Riembauer passed for a model of apostolic -zeal and charity. Though the son of humble parents, he had a fine -person and was an eloquent preacher. In 1808, after passing with great -distinction the examination for ecclesiastical preferment, he obtained -the benefice of Priel, sold the farm and moved with the Frauenknecht -family to his new parsonage. - -Soon after the change, the mother and the elder daughter Magdalena -died. Riembauer then endeavoured to persuade Catherine, the remaining -daughter, to continue to live with him as his housekeeper in her -sister’s place. She refused, however, and left him to take a position -as a domestic in another family. It was noted that for some time -afterward she was subject to periods of great gloom and depression. -Finally she confided to a friend, and then confessed to a priest, that -she was the possessor of a dreadful secret: that Riembauer had murdered -a woman; that she and her mother and sister had witnessed the deed; and -that he had also appropriated the entire fortune of her family. The -priest to whom she confessed counselled silence, but wrote Riembauer -in an attempt to bring about the restoration of the fortune, with no -result. - -Catherine was bright and clever and she was not satisfied to let the -matter rest there, but laid the whole story before the tribunal of -Landshut. She was then seventeen years old, but as the Bavarian law -would not allow her to be sworn until she was eighteen, it was not -until the following year, 1814, that her deposition was taken. She -testified that several years before a woman had called at their house -to see Riembauer, who was then absent. A few months later the woman -returned, and at that time the priest took her up to his room. She had -not been there long when the sound of crying reached the family below. -They hastened up-stairs and heard Riembauer say, “My girl; repent your -sins, for you must die.” And on looking through the keyhole, they -were horrified to behold the man bending over the woman in the act of -choking her. - -When Riembauer came out, he told them that this woman had borne him a -child and had asked him for money, threatening to denounce him to his -ecclesiastical superiors if he refused, and that he had killed her. -Catherine’s mother and sister threatened to reveal his secret but were -prevailed upon to keep silence out of respect for his office, and soon -after both died very suddenly and under suspicious circumstances. - -Riembauer was arrested as a result of Catherine’s accusation, and gave -his own version of the murder, acknowledging that he knew the woman -whom he said he had promised a position as cook, but stating that Mrs. -Frauenknecht and her daughter Magdalena had committed the crime. He -knew nothing, of course, at that time of the deposition against him. - -During a period of three years, examination followed examination. He -was confronted with the skull of his victim, and every possible method -was tried to shake his testimony, but it was not until October, 1817, -that Riembauer, broken physically and mentally, confessed to having -murdered Anna Eichstaedter. His confession contained the statement of a -remarkable “code of honour” which he professed to follow. “My honour, -my position,” he said, “my powers of being useful, all that I valued in -the world, was at stake. I often reflected on the principle laid down -by my old tutor, Father Benedict Sattler, in his ‘Ethica Christiana’ -... ‘that it is lawful to deprive another of life, if that be the only -means of preserving one’s own honour and reputation. For honour is -more valuable than life; and if it is lawful to protect one’s life by -destroying an assailant, it must obviously be lawful to use similar -means to protect one’s honour.’” - -On the 1st of August, 1818, he was declared guilty of murder and -sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in a fortress. The regular -punishment for murder was death, but in this case the learned jurist -Feuerbach admitted that had the court not accepted Riembauer’s -confession, he could not have been convicted, because the evidence, -though strong, was purely circumstantial. It was proved that the woman -had visited him; that an umbrella marked with her initials was in his -possession; that she had been buried under a shed on his farm, and that -the floor of his room was stained with blood and showed the result -of efforts to remove the stains with a plane; yet the court held that -evidence was lacking as to marks on the body for sufficient proof of -the actual manner of death. - -The use of physical torture was abandoned in 1806, and then only -with a strong protest from judges of the old school, who parted with -great reluctance with so simple and expeditious a method of obtaining -evidence. - -Curiously enough, the accused persons in the Bavarian courts were -generally moved to confess. Many reasons for this are given. Some few -confessed from remorse, others could not beat off the pertinacious -interrogatories of the judge, not a few were anxious to end the long -period of acute anxiety and suspense, and many were exasperated beyond -measure by the strict discipline and compulsory silence enforced in -Bavarian prisons. Rather than be condemned to perpetual silence, the -accused would speak out even to his own undoing. - -Capital punishment was legal in Bavaria and was inflicted by -decapitation with a sword, or breaking on the wheel from the feet -upwards. But where conviction rested on circumstantial evidence only, -or assumed guilt was not borne out by actual confession, imprisonment -for life in chains was substituted, and it was a terrible penalty. The -sentence annihilated civil existence; it was moral if not physical -death. The culprit lost all rights as a husband, father or citizen; he -was deprived of property, freedom and honour; nothing remained but -bare life passed in slavery and chains. There was no recovery even -if error were proved. He did not get back what he had lost, and if -his wife married again he could not recover his property. It was not -capital punishment, but it was death in life. - -In the progressive national development of Prussia, as wars were waged -and fresh territory acquired, prison reform obtained attention. In -Hesse-Cassel, prisons were in a very backward state and many were -condemned as unfit for habitation. In Hanover alone conditions were -more satisfactory. The journalist Hans Leuss served a term of three -years’ imprisonment in 1894 in one of the chief prisons, that of -Celle-on-the-Aller, which he graphically describes in his autobiography. - -“It lies on the river bank. The front looks toward the avenue which -in Celle forms the approach to the station. The external aspect of -the terrible house is not unpleasing; neither does the appearance of -the inside give the most distant conception of the conditions under -which the prisoners live, nor of their situation, so that visitors are -rather favourably impressed than otherwise. On arrival we were led into -the vestibule of the building and drawn up in line, while an official -cross-examined us. Until noon, one formality after another had to be -gone through. We were first taken to the bathroom where, after being -plunged into hot water, we had to sit on the edge of the bath while -the barber shaved us. I shook so with cold that he had to let me return -to the water while he finished his operations, and we dressed standing -on a cold floor in our prison gaol. We next went before the governor -and other officials, and then partially stripped again and had to cross -a cold passage to the doctor’s room, who in my case found both lungs -affected. I have always ascribed to the hardships endured on that first -day in Celle the severe chest complaint from which I suffered during my -imprisonment, and the effects of which I still feel. - -“These disagreeable preliminaries over, a cell was allotted to me. I -was put under a warder who was the most hated by the prisoners, the -most trusted by the authorities. He had a diminutive body, a large -and powerful hand, a bitter and suspicious countenance. He made my -life a burden and yet I pitied him. The deep lines of care on his face -convinced me he was wretched and made me sorry for him in my heart. -We were twenty-four prisoners in the middle ‘cell passage’ as the -‘station’ was officially called. All conversation was prohibited to -us. I was set to cane chairs. The prison diet was poor and the lack of -fat contained in it reduced me to a state of complete emaciation. I -learned nothing of my surroundings. The first person who spoke a kind -word to me was a humane warder who encouraged me, although this was not -necessary as my courage always triumphed over every hardship; yet it -did me good and I was gratified by the man’s kind intention in assuring -me he had seen several educated men endure long times of punishment -without being broken down. - -“One day the door opened and a man entered whose appearance filled -me with surprise. He was a giant of spare build with a long dark -beard, delicately modelled, sympathetic hands and the countenance of -a real saint. He resembled neither a clergyman nor a fanatic, but was -evidently of a nature as gentle as his mind was vigorous. A man whose -outward semblance was unforgettable, how much more his soul, which -stands as clear in my recollection as does his tall stature. This was -the prison chaplain. The advantage of becoming acquainted with this -representative of the noblest form of humanity would alone suffice -to compensate me for the terrible sufferings I endured in the course -of those few years. Parson Haase has lived nearly a century as the -confidant of the sufferers in prison. His powerful but healthy mind -was ever impressed with the infinite misery around him. He became -a friend of the prisoners, gave them his confidence and received -theirs. I owe this man more than I can say. After him, and thanks to -him, the most humanising influence in the gaol was the library, which -became a priceless boon. This chaplain was a liberal-minded man who -did not limit his choice to books of devotion when making the yearly -additions, but he provided the prisoners with works to amuse as -well as improve, selected after careful consideration of the varied -tastes and requirements of their readers. With books of travel and -adventure were scientific manuals and works of still higher pretensions -to suit the better educated, and which helped them to escape from -mental breakdown and served to counteract the deteriorating effects of -cellular incarceration. The chaplain’s assistant-librarian at Celle was -an ex-murderer who had killed an intimate friend, a bookseller, whom he -robbed. It was a senseless crime, the discovery of which was certain, -and its cause was never explained. - -“Religious exercises were strictly observed at Celle. The chapel was -constructed on the well-known plan of providing separate boxes like -lairs for each individual. All turned towards the altar which was -adorned with a copy of Guido’s crucifixion. The services were given -well and on a regular date there was a church ‘visitation day’ when -a high dignitary preached a stirring discourse, with no other effect -than that of starting a controversy among his prison congregation as -to whether his cross was of gold or silver. Other subjects formed the -staple conversation. One was always deeply interesting, the news that -corporal punishment had been ordered and that a prisoner was to be -strapped to the block.” - -Hans Leuss animadverts strongly upon the discipline at Celle and -quotes several cases from official reports in which much cruelty was -exercised. One was of a man well advanced in years, who suffered from -misdirected acquisitiveness and frequently found himself in gaol, where -he constantly misconducted himself and was punished by long committals -to the dark cell. In the end his health gave way, but the trouble was -not diagnosed and he was very harshly treated. One morning he declared -he was unable to leave his bed, but he was nevertheless dragged up -and into the exercising yard where he was unable to walk and fell to -the ground. The governor, believing the illness was feigned, would -have flogged him but was reluctant to order corporal punishment for so -old a man, and had him put into the straight-jacket. Then the doctor -interposed, being in grave doubt as to his mental condition, and took -him into the hospital for observation, and he died that same afternoon, -of senile decay. It is horrible to think that the coercion of this poor -old creature was carried so far that he was nearly flogged, and that he -was actually confined in a straight-jacket so short a time before his -death. - -Another prisoner in Celle was adjudged to be feigning insanity and -subjected to very harsh treatment; to douches and the jacket by the -order of the medical officer. He was suffering really from religious -mania, which took the form of exaggerated reverence for holy things; -he raved of them all night, abused Dr. Martin Luther and perpetually -asked to be flogged until he died for the glory of the faith. He -constantly sought to enter into disputation with the chaplain upon -whom he greatly imposed. No one thought he was mad, and his punishment -continued unceasingly until one night he hanged himself. - -A third case of medical shortsightedness is reported from Celle, where -an habitual criminal, with a long record of crimes and punishments, -came under a new sentence for robbery. He was ill and would eat -nothing, and the doctor prescribed a blister. He did not mind, declared -he could not work and went for days without food. The doctor thought it -was catarrh of the stomach and decided that the man was quite fit for -light labour, but the governor only admonished him as he seemed really -weak from want of nourishment. Still the medical reports were against -him, and he was charged again with malingering, which took him for five -days to the dark cell. He did not improve, however, although it was -presently admitted that he was out of health and he was taken at last -into hospital, the doctor having diagnosed the disease as hemorrhage of -the kidneys. He rapidly grew worse, ice and port wine were ordered, but -not very regularly given to him. Within six weeks of his first arrival -he suddenly died. The post mortem examination revealed an advanced -cancer in the liver. - -The practice of flogging was long retained in Prussian prisons, and is -still employed as a disciplinary measure. The prisoner was strapped -over a block by his hands and feet and the implement used was a stick, -the buttock piece of an ox, a leather whip or a rod with which the -prescribed number of strokes were laid on. A stalwart flagellator -usually acted as executioner, and the strokes were regulated by the -clock--one a minute. This punishment was in former times administered -in the most terribly cruel manner and permanent injuries to the spine -often resulted. A choice selection of whips of various sizes and -description may be seen in the strong room of Prussian prisons, most -of them of hard cutting leather unevenly plaited. Hans Leuss asserts -that at Celle prisoners detected in the manufacture of false coins were -always flogged severely. - -The power of inflicting the lash is vested in the hands of the -governors of prisons and superior authorities. The former can order up -to thirty, the latter up to sixty stripes. The assent of the higher -prison officials to the governor’s decree is required, but is a pure -formality. It is little likely that the sanction of a majority of the -subordinates would ever be refused to the governor. The administration -of a prison is bureaucratic, and the governor is nearly always a -military officer and thoroughly imbued with the importance of his very -responsible position, which gives him power over hundreds of human -beings. The subordinate officials are usually selected from the ranks -of non-commissioned officers. Both the chaplain and the doctor may and -do raise objections to the governor’s orders. The doctor can enforce -his objection on the ground of health if he believes the man to be -punished is not a fit subject, but for this reason only. Any other -excuse he may offer is liable to be disregarded by his colleagues; if -the majority of the superior officials are not with him, the governor -can still have the punishment carried out. As a matter of fact, their -consultation only occupies a few minutes and is a pure formality, -the governor alone deciding. Up to 1902 the infliction of corporal -punishment was not at all rare. - -Herr Krohne, a privy councillor and member of the prison board in the -Prussian Home Office, has described the hideous administration of the -punishment of flogging in his hand-book of prison law. Herr Krohne is -an opponent of flogging and of the “bed of lathes,” another form of -punishment practised in German prisons, which he rightly considers a -survival of barbarism. This last named punishment of the bed of lathes, -_lattenarrest_, consists of solitary confinement in a room, of which -the floor is laid with three cornered lathes or boards with pointed -side uppermost--in Saxony the walls also used to be lined with these -lathes--the culprit being stripped to his linen shirt, his underwear -and stockings. After a time he suffers pitifully; he can neither stand -nor lie down, cannot rest night or day and his body becomes gradually -covered with welts in stripes. - -In the five years from 1894 to 1898, in all of the prisons of Prussia -taken together, there were 281 inflictions, and during the same period -the bed of lathes was ordered 176 times and in some cases for female -prisoners. The first curtailment was in the reign of King Frederick -William III, and in 1868 it was altogether abolished for women, -although not without violent protest from some prison governors who -were much opposed to the reform. It was further reduced in 1879 and -might only be administered in correction of the most serious offences, -as a rule after a previous offence. It has of late fallen into -disrepute and was rarely employed in the Moabit, the Gross Strehlitz or -Cologne prisons and the bed of lathes has almost disappeared. It was -generally adjudged as the punishment for attempted escape and inflicted -after the recapture of a fugitive. - -Among the German States, Saxony has held a rather exceptional -position. A system of classification of prisoners was introduced by a -minister named Lindeman as far back as 1840, and ten years later the -penitentiary of Zwickau was opened, in which reformation was pursued -by individual treatment on humane and careful lines, with education -and industrial employment. The dietaries were ample and must be said -to have erred on the side of over-indulgence, in that Saxon prisoners -had at one time a choice among ninety different dishes for dinner and -twenty-eight for breakfast and supper. The discipline enforced was -generally mild. Corporal punishment was allowed by the rules and also -the bed of lathes, but neither of them has been applied for many years -past. Industry was encouraged by the hope of reward, pleasanter labour, -and remission of a part of the sentence in the form of leave of absence -or conditional release. Many excellent prisons exist similar to Zwickau -above mentioned, such as Waldheim, Hubertusburg and others. All of -them are kept up to a high standard and improvements are constantly in -progress. Separation by night is the general rule while dangerous or -incorrigible convicts are completely isolated. - -In the Kingdom of Württemberg the cellular plan of prison construction -was adopted in 1865 and the first building, that of Heilbronn, was -occupied in 1872. Other places of durance are mostly on the collective -system as at Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg and Gotteszell, but means of -isolation and separation by night is practised generally. Discipline -is firm but not harsh, and corporal punishment is excluded from the -penalties for misconduct. Deterrence is held to be the primary object -of imprisonment, but moral reformation is not overlooked. - -A few words may be inserted here as to penal institutions in other -German states. Thus in the grand-duchy of Hesse the principle of -herding the prisoners together prevails, although efforts have been -made to introduce the isolated cell system. The chief prisons are -the “Marienschloss” and those in Darmstadt and Mainz. The national -penal institution of Dreibergen serves both of the grand-duchies of -Mecklenburg as their chief prison. Peculiar interest attaches to it in -view of the almost forgotten fact that here a sort of transition stage -was instituted for convicts with long sentences who were during the -latter part of their term removed from the isolation cells and sent out -to such work as was calculated to develop their physical powers. - -In the history of prison management, Oldenburg earned an excellent -reputation through the remarkable individuality of Hoyer, for years -the director of the house of correction at Vechta. He advocated -cell isolation until the latter years of his life, when he declared -himself in favour of the Irish system. His plan of forming settlements -for convict labour on waste lands was discontinued, as the results -were unfavourable, and a modified form of solitary confinement was -reinstated. A portion of the Thuringian states was under Prussian and -Saxon jurisdiction with regard to their prison system. The rest formed -a combination among themselves for the building of prisons to be used -by them in common. The principal one was in Ichtershausen. - -The improvement of penal institutions was undertaken by Austria in -the early forties and a special commission was appointed to examine -into the merits of various systems recommended, with the result that -solitary confinement was recognised as the most suitable form of -punishment for all prisoners awaiting trial and for those sentenced -for a year or less. But before this could be put into practice in the -new prisons, the political situation changed and the projected reforms -were delayed. The old system was not changed, but efforts were made to -provide further accommodation to meet the great increase in the number -of sentences. Much energy was devoted to the work and considerable -outlay, which produced prisons large enough to contain thirteen -thousand inmates. The entire prison administration was entrusted to -religious orders and even prisons for male offenders were placed -under the superintendence of nuns, a cardinal error resulting in much -mischief. Under the minister of justice, in 1865, reforms were again -instituted; he assumed the supreme control, and prison management was -made to conform to the spirit of the then prevailing liberal views. The -system of imprisonment hitherto in force throughout Austria remained -untouched for the time being. Among other reforms, corporal punishment -and chains were abolished. - -In 1868 the penal institutions of Garsten and Karthaus came under -government inspection, the contracts with the religious orders ceased, -and in 1870 all male prisons were put under direct state control. A new -male prison for three hundred inmates was opened at Laibach in Carniola -and another at Wisnicz to accommodate four hundred. In April, 1872, -the system of solitary confinement was partially introduced, but the -progressive principle of prison treatment was kept steadily in view. -After a period of cellular confinement, prisoners lived and laboured -in association, care being taken to separate the worst from the less -hardened offenders. Juveniles were segregated and, of course, the -women, the whole number falling into three principal divisions,--the -first offenders, the possibly curable and the hopeless, habitual -criminals. - -A prominent feature in the modern administration of these institutions -has been the employment of prisoners approaching the time of their -release in a state of semi-liberty, at a distance from any permanently -established prison. The first experiment was made in 1886, when a party -was sent to improve the bed of a river in Upper Carinthia. They went -from the Laibach prison and were followed by reinforcements in the -following year. Similar public works were undertaken in 1888-9 in Upper -Carniola, Carinthia, Upper Styria and Galicia, for the construction -of canals and roads and the opening up of rivers. In some cases the -prisoners took with them a portable shed-barrack, in others they built -huts in the neighbourhood of their works. The labour performed was -cheap and effective, the discipline maintained excellent, and the -prisoners are said to have much benefited, morally and physically, -by the trust reposed in them and by the healthfulness of their daily -occupations. The building of the reformatory at Aszod was undertaken -by convicts, a number of whom, to the great alarm of the villagers, -arrived on the newly bought lands, where they lodged in huts without -bolts or bars. Their conduct, however, was exemplary. It has been -claimed, not without reason, that this method of employing prisoners -has been most successful. - -A large operation was undertaken in the district of Pest-Pilis-Solt, -where the torrential river Galga does considerable damage at flood -time. Owing to the demands of harvest and agricultural works, free -labour was not to be had in the summer, when alone the river was low -enough to admit of interference, and the local authorities having two -large prisons within easy access sought for a concession of prison -labour. It was granted, and two sets of prisoners commenced at either -end of the river valley. These were specially selected men; they -encamped at the places where they were busy, being supplied with canvas -tents by the military authorities; they ministered to their own needs -and cooked their own food, which was brought in the raw state from the -neighbouring prison. Excellent results followed their employment for -three consecutive years. Not only was a work of great public utility -completed, but the prisoners conducted themselves in the most exemplary -manner. Although they were held under no restraint in the midst of a -free population, there was not a single attempt at escape during the -entire three years; there was no misconduct, and discipline was easily -maintained by the mere threat of relegation to the prison. The prison -administration has in consequence decided that it is now unnecessary -to construct special intermediate prisons; places where men, as in the -old Irish farm of Lusk, might be suffered to go half free while proving -their fitness for complete liberty. - -Three new prisons were built in Austria-Hungary during the latter years -of the nineteenth century, all of them imposing edifices. One of these -is at Marburg on the Drave and holds eight hundred prisoners, partly -in cells, partly in association; another is at Stanislau in Galicia -for the same number, which has but few cells, as separate confinement -is not suited to the agricultural classes constituting the inmates of -the prison. The farm land and gardens surrounding are extensive and the -work done is mainly agricultural. A third prison is at Pankraz Nusle -near Prague and stands on a height behind the celebrated Wyschehrad. -The prison can accommodate one thousand inmates and has replaced the -old building at St. Wenzel. A portion of the building at Marburg was -carried out by convicts. Till these new prisons were built, that at -Pilsen was considered the best in Austria. Another at Stein on the -Danube, between Linz and Vienna, holds about one thousand prisoners -sentenced to a year and upwards, and is organised on a very sound and -intelligent basis. The discipline at Stein, according to the reports -of competent visitors, is very creditable. It is claimed for it that -the daily average on the punishment list is only nine and that there -has not been a sign of a mutiny in sixteen years. Corporal punishment -does not exist, but the methods by which order is maintained seem harsh -and afford another proof that the abolition of the lash calls for -other penalties which are physically more injurious and morally quite -as debasing. A writer in the _Times_ in 1886 gives a description of a -prisoner whom he saw who had been sentenced to a month in a punishment -cell for destroying materials entrusted to him for manufacture. He -was to spend twelve days in darkness on bread and water; twelve days -absolutely fasting, with only water to drink; to have no work, to sleep -on a plank bed, and for four whole days was to wear a chain and shot -on his ankles. Finally, for the last eighteen hours of his punishment -he was to be “short-chained”--a torture which consists in “strapping -up one foot at right angles to the knee of the other leg, so that the -prisoner cannot stand but can only sit in a posture which after a few -minutes becomes intolerably fatiguing, and then acutely painful.” - -Strait-waistcoats are also used for the refractory, and a very -effective but cruel gag,--an iron hoop with a brass knob like a door -handle. The knob is forced into the mouth and the hoop passed over and -locked behind the head. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -FRIEDRICH VON DER TRENCK AT MAGDEBURG - - Two barons Von der Trenck--Friedrich a cornet of the Gardes du - Corps--Favoured by the Princess Amelia--Incurs the displeasure - of Frederick the Great--Sent to the fortress of Glatz--Escaped - to Bohemia and passed into Russia--Re-arrested at Danzig and - sent to Magdeburg--Plans for escape--The grenadier Gefhardt - a faithful friend--Communication established with friends - outside--Funds obtained--Plot discovered--Removed to the Star - Fort and loaded with irons--Terrible suffering--Attempt to - cut through the doors discovered--His prison is strengthened - but his courage is unbroken--Fresh plans made--A new tunnel - begun--Plot discovered--The sympathy of the Empress-Queen of - Austria aroused--Released on Christmas Eve, 1763--Married and - settled in Aix-la-Chapelle--His death on the scaffold during - the French Revolution. - - -There were two barons Von der Trenck, Franz and Friedrich, in the -middle of the 18th century, both intimately associated with the prisons -of their respective countries, for although cousins, Franz was an -Austrian, and the other, Friedrich, a Prussian. Both were military -officers. Franz was a wild Pandour, a reckless leader of irregular -cavalry, who for his sins was shut up for life in the Spielberg, -the famous prison fortress near Brünn, where he committed suicide. -Friedrich, after enjoying the favour of Frederick the Great and -winning the rank of cadet in the Gardes du Corps, was eventually -disgraced and imprisoned in the fortress of Magdeburg, where he was -detained for ten years and treated with implacable severity. Friedrich -von der Trenck was richly endowed by nature; he was a gallant young -soldier with good mental gifts and a handsome person which enabled him -to shine in court society and achieve many successes. He was fortunate -enough to gain the good graces of the king’s sister, the Princess -Amelia of Prussia, who greatly resembled her celebrated brother both -physically and mentally. She possessed the same sparkling wit, the same -gracious vivacity and, like Friedrich, was a distinguished musician. -She was a warm votary of art, science and literature and was always -surrounded and courted by the most cultured German princes. All her -contemporaries describe her beauty with enthusiasm. So far, she had -declined the many proposals of marriage, which, as a matter of course, -she had received. Her heart belonged to the cornet of the Gardes du -Corps, and a secret understanding existed between them. The lovers were -at first cautious, but soon became bolder, and the king’s suspicions -were aroused. At first he tried fatherly remonstrances, but in vain. -The extraordinary liaison became the talk of the hour. A lieutenant of -the Prussian Foot Guards taunted the favoured lover about his relations -with the princess, they quarrelled, and a duel followed. The king -was furious, and a catastrophe was imminent, but was avoided by the -outbreak of war. Then this gay and reckless courtier allowed himself -to be drawn into a correspondence with his cousin in Vienna, the -notorious colonel of the Pandours, and the measure of the king’s wrath -overflowed. Trenck was cashiered and sent to the fortress of Glatz. The -king wrote with his own hand to the commandant of the fortress on the -28th June, 1745, “Watch this rogue well; he wished to become a Pandour -under his cousin.” Undoubtedly Frederick intended to keep Trenck -imprisoned for a short time only, but he was detained for a whole year, -during which time he made more than one attempt to escape. - -The following account is in his own words: “At last, after I had spent -about five months in confinement (at Glatz) peace had been proclaimed, -the king had returned to Berlin and my place in the _gardes_ had been -filled. A certain lieutenant Piaschky of the Fouquet regiment and -the ensign Reitz, who was often on sentinel duty outside my cell, -offered to make preparations to enable me to escape and take them -with me. Everything was settled and agreed upon. At that time there -was in the cell next to mine a certain Captain von Manget, a native -of Switzerland. He had been cashiered, was condemned to ten years’ -imprisonment and had only four rix dollars to spend. I had shown this -man much kindness out of pity, and I wished to save him as well as -myself, and this was discussed and proposed to him. We were betrayed -by this rascal on the first opportunity, he in consequence earning -his pardon and liberty. Piaschky had wind that Reitz was already -a prisoner, and saved himself by deserting. I denied everything, -was confronted with Manget, and because I could bribe the judge -with a hundred ducats, Reitz escaped with castigation and a year’s -imprisonment. I, on the contrary, was now considered as a corrupter of -the officers and was locked up in a narrow cell and strictly confined. -Left to myself, I still meditated flight, as the seclusion in a small -cell was too irksome to my fiery temperament. The garrison was always -on my side, therefore it was impossible to deprive me of friends and -assistance. I was known to have money, so that all was possible to me. -The first plan was as follows. My window was above the ramparts, about -ninety feet from the ground, and looked towards the town. I could not -therefore get out of the citadel and must find a place of safety in -the town. This was assured to me through an officer, in the house of -an honest soap-boiler. I then cut with a pen knife that had been made -jagged at the end, right through three iron bars of enormous thickness, -but as this took up too much time, as eight bars must be sawn through -before I could get out of the window, an officer provided me with a -file, with which I had to work very carefully so as not to be heard -by the sentries. As soon as this was accomplished, I cut my leather -knapsack into strips, sewed them together with the thread from an -unravelled stocking, brought my sheet likewise into requisition, and -let myself down from this astounding height in safety. It was raining, -the night was dark and everything went off well. I had, however, to -wade through the public drain and this I had not foreseen. I only sank -into it just above the knees, but was not able to work my way out of -it. I did all I could, but stuck so fast that at last I lost all my -strength and called to the sentry on the rampart, ‘Tell the commandant -that Trenck is sticking in the mire!’ - -“Now to augment my misfortune, it happened that General Fouquet was at -that time commandant in Glatz. He was a well known misanthrope, had -fought a duel with my father and been wounded by him, and the Austrian -Trenck had taken his baggage from him in 1744. He was therefore a great -enemy to the Trenck name, and consequently made me remain in the filth -for some hours as a public spectacle to the garrison, then had me -pulled out and confined in my cell, allowing no water to be taken to me -for cleaning purposes. No one can imagine how I looked; my long hair -had got into the mud, and my condition was really pitiable until some -prisoners were permitted to wash and cleanse me.” - -When he finally escaped from Glatz, he went to Bohemia, to Nürnberg and -to Vienna, whence he passed into Russia and entered the service of -the czar for a time. Then he again travelled through northern Europe -and returned to Vienna, where he was coldly received, and he started -once more for Russia, but was intercepted at Danzig and again arrested -in 1753, after which he suffered a more severe imprisonment for nearly -ten years, characterised with such inhuman treatment that it must -ever tarnish the reputation of the monarch who posed as a poet and a -philosopher, the friend of Voltaire. Frederick the Great would hardly -have earned his ambitious epithet had it depended upon the measure he -meted out to his turbulent subject, Friedrich von der Trenck. He hated -him cordially and persecuted him cruelly, behaving with a pitiless -severity, and exhibiting such a contemptible spirit of revenge that he -has been hopelessly disgraced by the enlightened verdict of history. - -Von der Trenck has told his own story in one of the most remarkable -books published in the eighteenth century, as the following excerpts -will show. He was taken into custody at Danzig, despoiled of all his -cash and valuables, and carried in a closed coach under escort to -Lauenberg, and thence via Spandau to Magdeburg, where he was lodged in -the destined prison. “It was a casemate,” according to his own account -of the cell, “the forepart of which was six feet wide and ten feet -long, and divided by a separation wall in which were double doors with -a third at the entrance of the casemate. The outer wall was seven feet -thick, with one window giving upon the top of the magazine, sufficient -for light, but I could see neither the heaven nor the earth. It was -barred inside and outside, and there was a narrow grating in the -middle, through which nothing could be seen. Six feet beyond my wall -stood a row of palisades which prevented the sentry or any one from -coming near enough to pass anything in. I had a bed with a mattress, -the bedstead clamped down to the floor so that I might not drag it to -the window and climb upon it to look out. A small stove and night table -were fixed in like manner near the door. - -“I was not ironed, and my daily ration was one pound and a half of -ammunition bread and a jar of water. I had an excellent appetite, but -the bread was mouldy and I could barely touch it. Through the avarice -of the town major, the supplies were almost uneatable and for many -months following I suffered torture from raging hunger.... I begged for -an increase, but prayers and entreaties were of no avail. ‘It is the -king’s order,’ I was told; ‘we dare not give you more.’ The commandant, -General Borck, cruelly reminded me that I had long enough eaten patties -out of the king’s silver service, I must learn now to be satisfied with -ammunition bread.” - -Von der Trenck turned his thoughts at once to the possibilities of -escape. He soon found that he was left very much to himself; his food -was brought every day and passed in to him through a slit in the door; -but his cell was actually opened only once a week for the visit and -inspection of the major of the fortress. He might work, therefore, for -seven days without fear of interruption, and he proceeded forthwith to -execute a plan he had formed of breaking through the wall of his cell -into an adjoining casemate, which he learned from a friendly sentry was -unoccupied and unlocked. This sentry and another spoke to him through -the window, despite strict orders to the contrary. They gave him a good -idea of the interior arrangements of the fortress, and told him that -the Elbe was within easy reach. He might cross it by swimming or by a -boat, and so gain the Saxon frontier. - -Thus encouraged, he devoted himself with unremitting energy to his -gigantic task of making a practicable hole in the wall. He found bricks -in the first outward layers, and then came upon large quarry stones. -His first difficulty was to dispose of the debris and material produced -by the excavation; after reserving a part to replace and so conceal the -aperture formed, the rest he gradually distributed when ground down -into dust. The quarry stones gave infinite trouble, but he tackled them -with the irons extracted from his bedstead, and he got other tools from -his sentries,--an old ramrod and a soldier’s clasp knife. The labour of -piercing this wall of seven feet in thickness was incredible. It was an -ancient building, the mortar was very hard, and it was necessary to -grind the stones into dust. It lasted over six months, and at length -the outer layer of bricks on the side of the adjoining casemate was -reached. - -Fortune now favoured Von der Trenck in the discovery of a veteran -grenadier among his guards, named Gefhardt, who proved to be of -inestimable service then and afterwards, and a devoted ally. Through -the sentries’ good offices, Trenck was enabled to communicate with his -friends outside, and through Gefhardt he made the acquaintance across -the palisades of a Jewish girl of Dessau, Esther Heymannin, whose -father was serving a sentence of ten years’ imprisonment in Magdeburg. -With splinters cut from his bed board, the prisoner manufactured a long -staff which reached from his window beyond the palisades, and by means -of it obtained writing materials, a knife and a file. This was effected -by Esther with the assistance of two friendly sentries. Trenck wrote -to his sister, who resided at Hammer, a village fourteen miles from -Berlin, begging her to hand over a sum in cash to the girl when she -called; he wrote another letter to the Austrian ambassador in Berlin, -enclosing a bill on his agent in Vienna, for Trenck, although in the -Prussian service, was of Austrian extraction and owned estates in that -country. The girl succeeded in her mission to Hammer and took the money -to Berlin, where the Austrian minister’s secretary, Weingarten, assured -her that a larger sum was on its way from Vienna, and that if she -would return to Berlin after carrying her first good news to Magdeburg, -it would be handed over to her. But on approaching the prison, the -wife of one of the sentries met her with the sad news that both men -had been arrested and lay in irons awaiting sentence, and Esther, -rightly judging that all was discovered, hurriedly fled to Dessau. -It may be added that the thousand florins to come from Vienna were -retained by the Austrian secretary, and although Trenck years later, -after his release, made constant applications to both Count Puebla and -Weingarten, he never recovered the money. Weingarten had acted the -traitor throughout and it was on his information, extracted from the -Jewish girl, that the plot to escape became known. The consequences -were far reaching, and entailed cruel reprisals upon Von der Trenck’s -friends. The two sentries, as has been said, were arrested, tried and -condemned, one to be hanged and the other to be flogged up and down -the streets of Magdeburg on three successive days. Trenck’s sister was -cruelly persecuted; she was fined heavily and plundered of her fortune, -a portion of which was ingloriously applied to the construction of an -entirely new prison in the Star Fort of the Magdeburg fortress, for the -special confinement of her brother. - -Von der Trenck, as his measures for evasion had become ripe, was on the -point of breaking prison when a more terrible blow fell upon him. The -new prison in the Star Fort had been finished most expeditiously, and -orders were suddenly issued for his removal after nightfall. The major -and a party of officers, carrying lanterns, entered his cell. He was -roused and directed to put on his clothes, and manacles were slipped on -his hands and feet, but not before he had managed to conceal the knife -on his person; he was blindfolded, lifted under the arms and conveyed -to a coach, which drove through the citadel and down toward the Star -Fort, where it had been rumoured he was to be beheaded. He was thrown -into his new place of durance, and forthwith subjected to the pain and -ignominy of being loaded with fetters; his feet were attached to a -ring in the wall about three feet high by a ponderous chain, allowing -movement of about two feet to the right and left; an iron belt as -broad as the palm of a hand was riveted around his naked body, a thick -iron bar was fixed to the belt, and his hands were fastened to the bar -two feet apart. “Here,” says Trenck, “was I left to my own melancholy -reflections, without comfort or aid, and sitting in gloomy darkness -upon the wet floor. My fetters seemed to me insupportable, until I -became accustomed to them; and I thanked God that my knife had not been -discovered, with which I was about to end my sufferings forthwith. This -is a true consolation for the unfortunate man, who is elevated above -the prejudices of the vulgar, and with this a man may bid defiance -to fate and monarchs.... In these thoughts I passed the night; the -day appeared, but not its brightness to me; however, I could, by its -glimmerings, observe my prison. The breadth was eight feet, the length -ten; four bricks were raised from the ground and built in the corner, -upon which I could sit and lean my head against the wall. Opposite -to the ring to which I was chained was a window, in the form of a -semicircle, one foot high and two feet in diameter. This aperture was -built upwards as far as the centre of the wall which was six feet -thick, and at this point there was a narrow grating, secured both -without and within with strong close iron bars from which, outward, -the aperture sloped downward and its extremity was again secured with -strong iron bars. My prison was built in the great ditch, close to the -rampart, which was about eight feet broad on the inside; but the window -reached almost to the second wall, so that I could receive no direct -light from above and had only its reflection through a narrow hole. -However, in the course of time my organs became so accustomed to this -dimness that I could perceive a mouse run, but in winter, when the sun -seldom or never shone in the ditch, it was eternal night with me. On -the inside, before the grating, was a glass window, the middle pane of -which might be opened to let in the air. In the wall my name, ‘Trenck,’ -might be read, built with red bricks; and at my feet was a gravestone, -with a death’s head and my name inscribed upon it, beneath which I was -to have been interred. My gaol had double doors made of oak; in -front of them was a sort of antechamber, with a window, and this was -likewise fastened with two doors. As the king had given positive orders -that all connection and opportunities of speaking with sentries should -be debarred me, that I might not have it in my power to seduce them, -my den was built so as not to be penetrated; and the ditch in which -the prison stood was crossed on each side by palisades twelve feet -high, the key being kept by the officer of the guards. I had no other -exercise than leaping up and down on the spot where I was chained, or -shaking the upper part of my body till I grew warm. In time I could -move about four feet from side to side, but my shin bones suffered by -this increase of territory. - -[_Baron Friedrich von der Trenck_ - -_After the painting by Marckl_ - -A love affair with the Princess Amelia was the cause of the long -imprisonment of Von der Trenck by Frederick the Great, first in Glatz, -from which he escaped, and afterward in the Star Fort of the Fortress -of Magdeburg. He endured almost untold hardships, and his numerous -attempts to escape showed marvellous persistence and almost superhuman -endurance. His life was romantic and stormy. He went to Paris during -the French Revolution and was finally guillotined by Robespierre. - -Illustration] - -“In this prison I sat for six months, constantly in water, which was -perpetually dropping down upon me from the roof of the arch. I can -assure my reader that my body was never dry during the first three -months and yet I continued in health. As often as I was visited, -which was every day at twelve o’clock after guard mounting, the doors -were obliged to be left open some minutes, or the stifled vapour and -dampness would have extinguished the candles of the lantern. In this -condition I remained, abandoned by friends, without help or comfort; -where reflection was my only employment and where, during the first -days, until my constancy became confirmed and my heart more obdurate, -nothing but the most frightful images of grief and woe were perpetually -presenting themselves to my diseased imagination. The situation could -not have been more calculated for despair, nor can I describe the cause -which restrained my arm from suicide, for I was far above all narrow -prejudices and never felt the least fear for occurrences beyond the -grave. My design was to challenge fortune and obtain my victory in -spite of every impediment. The ambition to accomplish this victory was -perhaps the strongest inducement to my resolve, which at length rose to -such a degree of heroism and perseverance, that Socrates, in his old -days, could not boast of more. He was old, ceased to feel, and drank -the poison with indifference. I, on the contrary, was in the fire of -my youth, and the aim to which I aspired seemed to be on all sides far -distant. The present situation of my body and the tortures of my soul -were of such a nature as gave me but little reason to expect that my -frame could support them for any length of time. - -“With these thoughts I struggled till midday, when my cage was for -the first time opened. Sorrow and compassion were painted on the -countenances of my guards; not one spoke a word, not so much as a -good-morrow, and terrible was their arrival, for not being used to -the monstrous bolts and locks, they rattled nearly half an hour at -the doors before the last could be opened. A wooden bedstead with a -mattress and a woollen cover were brought in, likewise an ammunition -loaf of six pounds; upon which the town-major said: ‘That you may no -longer complain of hunger, you shall have as much bread as you can -eat.’ A water jar, containing about two quarts, was placed beside -me, the doors were again shut and I was left to myself. How shall -I describe the luxurious delight I felt in the moment I had an -opportunity, for the first time, of satiating the raging hunger which -had been eleven months gnawing at me! No joy seemed to be more perfect -than this, and no mill could grind the hard corn with more expedition -than my teeth devoured my ammunition loaf; no fiery lover, after a long -and tedious languishing, could fall with more eagerness into the arms -of his yielding bride, nor any tiger be more ravenous on his prey, -than I on my humble repast. I ate, I rested, ate again, shed tears; -took one piece after another, and before night all was devoured. My -first transports did not last long and I soon learned that enjoyment -without moderation creates disgust. My stomach was enfeebled by long -abstinence, and digestion was impeded; my whole body swelled, my water -jar was empty; cramps, colics and at last thirst, with incredible -pains, tortured me continually until the next day. I already cursed -those whom a short time before I had blessed for giving me enough to -eat. Without a bed that night, I should certainly have despaired. I -was not accustomed to my cruel chains, nor had I learned the art of -lying extended in them, which afterward time and habitude taught me; -however, I could sit on my dry mattress. That night was one of the most -severe I ever endured. The following day, when my prison was opened, -I was found in the most wretched condition. The officers were amazed -at my appetite and offered me a loaf. I refused it, believing that I -should have no occasion for more. However, they brought me one, gave me -water, shrugged their shoulders and wished me happiness, for to every -appearance I could not suffer long; and the door was shut again without -my being asked if I wanted any further assistance.... During the first -three days of my melancholy incarceration my condition appeared to me -quite insupportable and deliverance impossible. I found a thousand -reasons which convinced me that it was now time to put an end to my -sufferings.” - -Yet we read that this man’s indomitable pluck survived and once more -his thoughts turned to escape. He was encouraged at finding that the -doors of his cell were only of wood, and he conceived the idea that he -might cut out the locks with the knife he had so fortunately brought -with him from the fortress. “I immediately made an attempt to rid -myself of my irons, and luckily forced the fetter from my right hand -though the blood trickled from my nails. I could not for a long time -remove the other; but with some pieces of the brick from my seat I -hammered so fortunately against the rivet, which was but negligently -fastened, that I finally effected this also, and thus freed both my -arms. To the belt round my body there was only one hasp fastened to -the chain or arm bar. I set my foot against the wall and found I could -bend it; there now remained only the principal chain between the wall -and my feet. Nature had given me great strength; I twisted it across, -sprang with force back from the wall, and two links instantly gave way. -Free from chains and fancying myself already happy, I hastened to the -door, groped in the dark for the points of the nails by which the lock -was fastened, and found that I had not a great deal of wood to cut out. -I immediately cut a small hole through the oak door with my knife and -discovered that the boards were only one inch thick, and that there was -a possibility of opening all the four doors in the space of one day. -Full of hope, I returned to put on my irons; but what difficulties had -I here to surmount! - -“The broken link I found, after a long search, and threw into my sink. -Fortunately for me, nobody had examined my cell because they suspected -nothing. With a piece of my hair ribbon I bound the chain together, -but when I tried to put the irons on my hands, they were so swollen -that every attempt was in vain. I worked the whole night to no purpose. -Twelve o’clock, the visiting hour, approached. Necessity and danger -urged me on; fresh attempts were made with incredible torture, and -when my keepers entered everything was in proper order.” - -After this Trenck concentrated all his efforts upon cutting out the -locks of his doors. The first yielded within an hour, but the second -was a far more difficult task, as it was also closed by a bar and the -lock was opened on the outside. The work was carried on in darkness and -his self-inflicted wounds bled profusely. But when the second door had -been cut through, he came out into half daylight, which enabled him to -cut out the third lock as readily as the first. The fourth, however, -was placed like the second and involved equal labour. He was attacking -it bravely when his knife broke in his hand and the blade fell to the -ground. - -Despair then seized him, and picking up his knife blade he opened the -veins of his left arm and foot, meaning to bleed to death. When almost -insensible, a voice crying, “Baron Trenck!” roused him, and on asking -who called, he learned that it was his staunch friend and ally, the -grenadier Gefhardt, who had come to the rampart to comfort him. He told -Gefhardt that he was lying in his blood and at the point of death, but -the stout old soldier consoled him with the assurance that it would -be much easier to escape here, as there were no sentries over him and -only two in the whole fort. Trenck listened with revived hope and -determined on a new plan of action. The seat in his prison was built of -brickwork, still green, and he quickly tore it down to provide himself -with missiles, which he laid out ready for use against his gaolers at -their next visit. They came at midday and were horrified to find the -three inner doors opened, the last of them barred by a terrific figure, -wounded and bleeding, and in a posture of desperate defiance. In one -hand he held a brick and with the other he brandished his knife blade, -crying fiercely, “Let no one enter; I will kill all who attempt it. You -may shoot me down, but I will not live here in chains. Stand back. I am -armed.” - -The commandant had inadvertently stepped forward but retired at these -threats, and ordered his grenadiers to storm the cell. The narrow -opening allowed only one to enter at a time and a combined attack was -impossible. All halted irresolute under the menace of the missiles, -and in the pause the major and chaplain tried to reason with Von der -Trenck. The former implored him to yield and surrender the knife blade, -as the major was responsible for his possession of it and would no -doubt lose his place. These entreaties prevailed, and Trenck gave in, -being promised milder treatment. His condition cried aloud for pity; -he lay there suffering and exhausted. A surgeon was called in to apply -restoratives and dress his wounds, and for four days he was relieved -of his irons and was well fed with meat soup. Meanwhile the cell doors -were repaired and bound with iron bands. The fetters were reimposed, -but that which chained the prisoner to the wall and which he had -broken was strengthened. No amelioration of his state was possible, for -the king was implacable and still ferociously angry. Von der Trenck -remained in extreme discomfort. As his arms were constantly fastened to -the iron cross bar and his feet to the wall, he could put on neither -his shirt nor his breeches; the former, a soldier’s shirt, was tied -together at the seams and renewed every fortnight; the breeches were -opened and buttoned up at the sides; on his body he wore a blue frock -of coarse common blue cloth, and on his feet were rough ammunition -stockings and slippers. - -“It is certain,” says Trenck, “that nothing but pride and self-love, -or rather a consciousness of my innocence, together with a special -confidence in my resolutions, kept me afterward alive. The hard -exercise of my body and my mind, always busy in projects to obtain my -freedom, preserved at the same time my health. But who would believe -that a daily exercise could be taken in my chains? I shook the upper -part of my body and leaped up and down till the sweat poured from my -brows, and by this means I grew fatigued and slept soundly. - -“By degrees I accustomed myself to my chains. I learned to comb my hair -and at length even to tie it with one hand. My beard, which had not -yet been shaved, gave me a frightful appearance. This I plucked out; -the pain was considerable, more especially about the lips; however, -I became accustomed to this also and performed the operation during -the following years, once every six weeks or two months, for the hairs -being pulled out by the roots required that length of time to grow -again long enough to lay hold of them with my nails. Vermin never -tormented me; the great dampness of the walls was not favourable to -them; neither did my limbs swell, because I took the exercise already -mentioned; the constant darkness alone was the greatest hardship. -However, I had read, learned and already seen and experienced much in -the world; therefore I always found matter to banish melancholy from -my thoughts, and in spite of every obstacle, could connect my ideas as -well as if I had read them, or written them on paper. Habit made me so -perfect in this mental exercise that I composed whole speeches, fables, -poems and satires, and repeated them aloud to myself. At the same time -they were impressed so forcibly on my memory that after I obtained my -freedom I could have written a couple of volumes of such works. - -“I employed myself in projecting new plans. That I might be more nearly -observed, a sentry was posted at my door who was always chosen from -what were called the trusty men, or the married men and natives. These, -as will be related in the course of my memoirs, were easier and safer -to bring over to my relief than strangers; for the Pomeranian is honest -and blunt, and consequently easy to move and be persuaded into anything -you please. About three weeks after the last attempt, my honest -Gefhardt was posted sentry over me. As soon as he came upon his post we -had a free opportunity of conversing with each other, for when I stood -with one foot on my bedstead my head reached as high as the air-hole -of the window. He described the situation of my gaol to me, and the -first project we formed was to break under the foundation, which he -had seen built and assured me was only two feet deep. I wanted money -above all things, and this I contrived to get in the following manner: -After Gefhardt was first relieved, he returned with a wire round which -a sheet of paper was rolled, and also a piece of small wax candle which -luckily he could pass through the grating; I got likewise some sulphur, -a piece of burning tinder and a pen; I now had a light, pricked my -finger, and my blood served for ink. I wrote to my worthy friend, -Captain Ruckhardt, at Vienna, described to him my situation in a few -words, gave him a draft for three thousand florins upon my revenues and -settled the affair in the following manner: He was to keep one thousand -florins for the expenses of his journey and to arrive without fail on -the 15th of August in Gummern, a small Saxon town, only two miles from -Magdeburg; there he was to appear at twelve o’clock with a letter in -his hand, which with the two thousand florins he should give to a man -whom he would see there carrying a roll of tobacco. Gefhardt had these -instructions, received my letter through the window in the same manner -as he had given me the paper, sent his wife with it to Gummern and -there put it safely into the post office. - -“At length the 15th of August arrived,--but some days passed before -Gefhardt was posted as sentry over me. How did my heart leap with -happiness when he suddenly called out to me:--‘All is well--we have -succeeded.’ In the evening it was agreed in what manner the money was -to be conveyed to me; as my hands were fettered, I could not reach to -the grate of the window, and as the air-hole was too small, we resolved -that he should do the work of cleaning my cell and should convey the -money to me by putting it into my water jar when he filled it. This -was fortunately effected, but judge of my astonishment when I found -the whole sum of two thousand florins, of which I had promised and -desired him to take the half. Only five pistoles were wanting, and -he absolutely refused any more. Generous Pomeranian, how rare is thy -example! - -“I now had money to put my designs into execution. The first plan -was to undermine the foundation of my prison, and to do this it was -necessary that I should be free from chains. Gefhardt conveyed to me -a pair of fine files. The cap or staple of the foot-ring was made so -wide that I could draw it forward a quarter of an inch; therefore I -filed the inside of the iron which passed through it. The more I -cut out, the further I could draw the staple, till at last the whole -inside iron through which the chain passed was entirely cut through, -the cap remaining on the outside entire. Thus my feet were free from -the wall and it was impossible, with the most careful examination, to -find the cut, as only the outside could be searched. By squeezing my -hands every day, I made them more pliant and at last got them through -the irons. I then filed round the hinge, made myself a screw-driver -with a twelve-inch nail drawn from the floor, and turned the screws as -I pleased, so that no marks could be seen when I was visited. The belt -round my body did not at all hinder me. I filed a piece out of a link -of the chain which fastened the bar to my arms, and the link next to it -I filed so small as to be able to get it through the opening. I then -rubbed some wet ammunition bread upon the iron to give it the proper -colour, stopped the open link with dough, and let it dry over night -by the heat of my warm body, then put spittle upon it, to give it the -burnish of iron; by this invention, I was sure that without striking -upon each with a hammer it would be impossible to find out that which -was broken. - -“It was now in my power to get loose when I chose. The window never -was examined; I took out the hooks with which it was fastened in -the wall, but I put them properly in again every morning and made -all as it should be with some lime. I procured wire from my friend -and endeavoured to make a new grating. This I likewise completed; -therefore I took the old one from the window and fixed mine in its -place; this opened a free communication with the outside, and by this -means I obtained light and fire materials. That my light might not be -seen, I hung my bed cover before the window, and thus I could work as -it was convenient.” - -Trenck now proceeded to penetrate the floor, which was of oaken planks -in three layers, altogether nine inches thick. He used the bar which -had fastened his arms and was now removable, and which he had ground on -the gravestone till it formed an excellent chisel to serve in digging -into the boards. These he patiently cut through and pulled up, reaching -the fine sand below the foundation on which the Star Fort was built. -The wood splinters were hidden, the sand run over in long narrow linen -bags provided by Gefhardt, which could be dragged through the window. -By the same friendly help he obtained a number of useful implements; a -knife, a bayonet, a brace of pocket pistols, and even powder and shot, -all of which he concealed under the floor. - -He ascertained now that the foundation was four feet thick and that a -very deep hole must be dug to get a passage underneath the outer wall, -a long, wearisome operation demanding time, labour and caution, and -especially difficult of execution, with his figure twisted into an -awkward shape so that his hands might extract the sand. There was no -stove in the cell and it was bitterly cold, but he was warmed by his -joyous anticipations of escape. Gefhardt kept him well supplied with -provisions, sausages and hung beef, brought in paper for writing and -supplies for light, so that the time did not hang heavily. - -A sudden catastrophe nearly ruined everything. In replacing the -window sash, it slipped out of his hands and fell, breaking three -panes of glass. Detection was now imminent, as fresh panes must be -inserted before the sash was refixed. Trenck was in despair, and as a -last resource appealed to the sentry of the night, a stranger, whom -he offered thirty pistoles to seek new panes. The man was happily -agreeable, and by good fortune the gate of the palisades in the ditch -had been left unlocked, so he prevailed on a comrade to relieve him for -a short time and ran down into the town, taking with him the dimensions -of the glass, secured the panes, and returned with them in time to -allow Trenck to complete his task as glazier. But for this lucky -ending, Gefhardt’s complicity would have been discovered and he would -certainly have been hanged. - -Misfortunes never come singly. Trenck wanted more money and wrote to -his friend in Vienna, enclosing a draft which he was to cash and asking -him to bring the effects to the Saxon village of Gummern, a few miles -from Magdeburg, and there await Trenck’s messenger. This letter was to -be despatched by Gefhardt’s wife from Gummern across the frontier. -The foolish woman told the Saxon postmaster that the letter was of the -utmost importance, affecting a law suit of Gefhardt’s in Vienna, and -she was so anxious for its safe transmission that she handed it over -with a large fee, ten rix dollars. The postmaster’s suspicions were -aroused; he opened the letter, read it, and thinking to curry favour, -brought it to Magdeburg, where it fell into the hands of the governor, -Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. All the fat was then in the fire. - -The first intimation Trenck received was from the prince who came -in person to his cell, followed by a large staff of officials. The -governor called upon the prisoner to confess who had carried his letter -to Gummern. Trenck denied that he had sent any letter, and his cell -was searched forthwith. Smiths, carpenters and masons entered, but -after an hour’s work failed to discover more than the false grating -in the window. The prince upbraided, argued, threatened; but Trenck -obstinately refused to speak. The governor had scarcely been gone an -hour when some one came in saying that one of his accomplices had -already hanged himself, and, fearing that it was his good friend, he -was on the point of betraying Gefhardt, when he heard by accident that -the suicide was some one else. He took fresh courage from the fact -that his diggings had not been exposed, and that he had five hundred -florins in gold safely concealed, with a good supply of candles and all -his implements. After this collapse, there was a change in Trenck’s -condition. The regiment in the garrison went off to the Seven Years’ -War which had just broken out, and was relieved by a party of militia, -and a new commandant took charge, General Borck, who was informed -by the king that he must answer for Trenck with his head. Borck was -timorous and mistrustful, a stupid bully, who acted to his prisoner -“as an executioner to a criminal.” He increased Trenck’s irons, and -had a broad neck ring added with a chain that hung down and joined the -anklet; he removed the prisoner’s bedding, did not even give him straw, -and constantly abused him with “a thousand insulting expressions.” -“However,” says Trenck, “I did not remain a single word in his debt and -vexed him almost to madness.” - -The object of the governor was to cut Trenck off from all communication -with mankind. To assure complete isolation, the four keys of his -four doors were kept by four different persons; the commandant held -one, the town-major another, the third was kept by the officer of -the day and the fourth by the lieutenant of the guard. The prisoner -had no opportunity for speaking to any of them singly, until the -rule slackened. The commandant rarely appeared; Magdeburg became so -filled with prisoners of war that the town-major gave up his key to -the officer of the day; and the other officers, when they dined with -General Walrabe, who was also confined in the Star Fort, passed their -keys to the lieutenant of the guard. So in this way Trenck sometimes -had a word with each of them alone, and in due course secured the -friendship of two of them. - -At this period his situation was truly deplorable. “The enormous iron -round my neck,” he says, “pained me and impeded motion, and I dared not -attempt to disengage myself from the pendent chains till I had for some -months carefully observed the method of examination and learned which -parts they supposed were perfectly secure. The cruelty of depriving -me of my bed was still greater; I was obliged to sit upon the bare -ground and lean with my head against the damp wall. The chains that -descended from the neck collar I was obliged to support, first with one -hand and then with the other, for, if thrown behind, they would have -strangled me, and if hanging forward occasioned excessive headaches. -The bar between my hands held me down, while, leaning on one elbow, I -supported my chains with the other, and this so benumbed the muscles -and prevented circulation that I could perceive my arms sensibly waste -away. The little sleep I could have in such a situation may easily be -supposed, and at length body and mind sank under this accumulation of -miserable suffering, and I fell ill of a burning fever. The tyrant -Borck was inexorable; he wished to expedite my death and rid himself -of his troubles and his terrors. Here did I experience the condition of -a sick prisoner, without bed, refreshment, or aid from a human being. -Reason, fortitude, heroism, all the noble qualities of the mind, decay -when the bodily faculties are diseased, and the remembrance of my -sufferings at this dreadful moment still agitates, still inflames my -blood so as almost to prevent an attempt to describe what they were. -Yet hope did not totally forsake me. Deliverance seemed possible, -especially should peace ensue; and I sustained, perhaps, such suffering -as mortal man never bore, being, as I was, provided with pistols or -any such immediate mode of despatch. I continued ill about two months, -and was so reduced at last that I had scarcely strength to lift the -water jug to my mouth. What must be the sufferings of that man who -sits two months on the bare ground in a dungeon so damp, so dark, so -horrible, without bed or straw, his limbs loaded as mine were, with -no refreshment but dry ammunition bread; without so much as a drop of -broth, without physic, without a consoling friend, and who under all -these afflictions must trust for his recovery to the efforts of nature -alone!” - -The officers on guard all commiserated him, and one of them, -Lieutenant Sonntag, often came and sat with him when he could get all -the keys. This officer was poor and in debt and did not refuse the -money liberally offered by Trenck. A fresh plan of escape was soon -conceived. As before, the essential preliminary was to obtain more cash -to be employed in further bribery. The lieutenant, Sonntag, provided -false handcuffs so wide that Trenck could easily draw his hands out, -and he was soon able to disencumber himself at pleasure of all his -other chains except the neck-iron. It was no longer possible to get out -by the hole first constructed, as the sentinels had been doubled, and -Trenck began driving a new subterranean passage thirty-seven feet long -to the gallery in the principal rampart, through which, if gained, a -free exit was assured. - -Another superhuman task was begun, which lasted for nearly a year. A -deep hole was sunk, and on reaching the sand below the foundation, -a transverse passage was driven through it, entailing such severe -fatigue that at the end of one day’s work Trenck was obliged to rest -for the three following days. It was necessary to work naked, as the -dirtiness on his shirt would have been observed; at the depth of four -feet the sand became wet and a stratum of gravel was reached. “The -labour toward the conclusion,” Trenck tells us, “became so intolerable -as to incite despondency. I frequently sat contemplating the heaps of -sand during a momentary respite from work, and thinking it impossible -I could have strength or time to replace all things as they were. I -thought sometimes of abandoning my enterprise and leaving everything -in its present disorder. Recollecting, however, the prodigious efforts -and all the progress I had made, hope would again revive and exhausted -strength return; again would I begin my labours to preserve my secret -and my expectations. When my work was within six or seven feet of being -accomplished, a new misfortune happened that at once frustrated all -further attempts. I worked, as I have said, under the foundations of -the rampart near where the sentinels stood. I could disencumber myself -of my fetters, except my neck-collar and its pendent chain. This, -although it had been fastened, got loose as I worked, and the clanking -was heard by one of the sentinels about fifteen feet from my dungeon. -The officer was called; they laid their ears to the ground, and heard -me as I went backward and forward to bring my earth bags. This was -reported the next day, and the major, who was my best friend, with the -town-major, a smith and a mason entered my prison. I was terrified. -The lieutenant, by a sign, gave me to understand I was discovered. An -examination was begun, but the officers would not see, and the smith -and mason found everything, as they thought, safe. Had they examined my -bed they would have seen the ticking and sheets were gone.” - -A few days later the same sentinel, who had been called a blockhead -for raising a false alarm, again heard Trenck burrowing, and called -his comrades. The major came also to hear the noise, and it was now -realised that Trenck was working under the foundation toward the -gallery. The officials entered the gallery at the other end with -lanterns, and Trenck as he crawled along saw the light and their -heads. He knew the worst, and hurrying back to his cell, had still the -presence of mind to conceal his pistols, candles, paper and money in -various holes and hiding places, where they were never found. This was -barely accomplished before his guards arrived, headed by the brutal -and stupid major, Bruckhausen by name. The hole in the floor was at -once filled up and the planking reinstated; his foot-chains, instead -of being merely fastened as before, were screwed down and riveted. The -worst trial for the moment was the loss of his bed, which he had cut up -to make into bags for the removal of the sand. - -At this time General Borck was ill with an ailment that soon ended -in mental derangement. Another general, Krusemarck, replaced him and -proceeded to visit Trenck. They had been old friends and brother -officers, but the general showed him no compassion; on the contrary, -he abused him roundly, promising him even more severe treatment. It -was then that the inhuman order was issued to the night guards to -waken Trenck every quarter of an hour,--a devilish form of cruelty -unsurpassed in prison punishments. Kindly nature, however, came to the -rescue, and Trenck learned to answer automatically in his sleep; yet -this cruel device was continued for four years and until within a few -months of his final release. - -The precautions taken effectually debarred the prisoner from any fresh -attempt at evasion. A new governor had replaced the madman Borck, -Lieutenant-Colonel Reichmann, a humane and mild-mannered officer. About -this time, several members Of the royal family, including Princess -Amelia, came to reside at Magdeburg and showed a kindly interest in -Trenck’s grievous lot; his cell doors were presently opened each day -to admit daylight and fresh air. He found employment, too, for his -restless energies and was permitted to carve verses and figures upon -the pewter cup provided as part of his cell furniture. The first -rude attempt was much admired, the cup was impounded, and a new one -served out; several, indeed, were provided in succession, so that -Trenck became quite expert in this artistic employment and laboured -at it continuously until the day of his release. By means of these -cups he opened up communication with the outside world. Hitherto all -correspondence had been forbidden; no one under pain of death might -converse with him or supply him with pen, ink or paper. Strange to -say, he was allowed to engrave what he pleased upon the pewter, and -the cups were in great demand and passed into many hands. One reached -the empress-queen of Austria and stimulated her to plead for Trenck’s -pardon through her minister accredited to the court of Frederick. The -engraving that touched her feelings was that of a bird in a cage held -by a Turk, with the inscription, “The bird sings even in the storm: -open his cage and break his fetters, ye friends of virtue, and his -songs shall be the delight of your abodes.” The demand for these cups -was so keen that Trenck worked at them by candle light for eighteen -hours a day, and the reflected lustre from the pewter seriously injured -his eyesight. It is a pathetic picture,--that of the active-minded, -undefeated captive, labouring incessantly although weighed down by -chains and the terrible encumbrance of a huge collar which pressed -on the arteries at the back of his neck and occasioned intolerable -headache. - -Although repeatedly foiled in his assiduous attempts to break prison, -the indomitable Trenck never abated his unshaken desire to compass -freedom. At length opportunity offered for a larger and more dangerous -project: the seizure of the Star Fort and the capture of Magdeburg. At -that time the war was in full progress and the garrison of the fortress -consisted of only nine hundred discontented men of the militia. Trenck -had already won over two majors and two lieutenants to his interest. -The guard of the Star Fort was limited to one hundred and fifteen men. -The town gate immediately opposite was held by no more than twelve -men under a sergeant; just within it was a barrack filled with seven -thousand Croat prisoners of war, several of whose officers were -willing to join in an uprising. It was arranged that a whole company of -Prussians should turn out at a moment’s notice with muskets loaded and -bayonets fixed, to head the attack as soon as Trenck had overpowered -the two sentinels who stood over him, secured them and locked them into -his cell. It was an ambitious plan and was well worth the attempt. -Magdeburg was the great national storehouse, holding all the sinews -of war, treasure and munitions, and Trenck in possession, backed with -sixteen thousand Croats, might have dictated his own terms. The plot -failed through the treachery of an agent despatched to Vienna with a -letter, seeking cooperation; it was given into the wrong hands and -was sent back to Magdeburg, where the governor, then the landgrave -of Hesse-Cassel, read it and took prompt precautions to secure the -fortress. An investigation was ordered, and Trenck was formally -arraigned as a traitor to his country, but he sturdily denied the -authorship of the incriminating letter, and the charge was not brought -home to him. The landgrave was more merciful than former governors and -showed great kindness to Trenck, relieved him of his intolerable iron -collar, sent his own private physician to attend him in his illness and -revoked the cruel order that prescribed his incessant awakening during -the night. - -A fresh attempt to undermine the wall was soon undertaken by the -captive, but he was presently discovered at work and the hole in the -floor walled up. The humane landgrave did not punish him further, and -in the period of calm that followed, Trenck’s hopes were revived with -the prospect of approaching peace, for he was now at liberty to read -the newspapers. But when the landgrave succeeded to his throne and -left Magdeburg, Trenck in despair turned his thoughts once more to a -means of escape, and decided on the same method of driving a tunnel -underground. A dreadful accident befell him in this particular attempt. -While mining under the foundation, he struck his foot against a loose -stone which dropped into the passage and completely closed the opening. -Death by suffocation stared him in the face and paralyzed his powers. -For eight full hours he could not stir a finger to release himself, but -at last he managed to turn his body into a ball and excavate a hole -under the stone till it sank and left him sufficient space to crawl -over it and get out. - -All was in a fair way to final evasion when Trenck had another narrow -escape from discovery. It occurred through a pet mouse he had tamed -and trained to come at his call, to play round him and eat from his -hand. One night Trenck had encouraged it to dance and caper on a -plate, and the noise made attracted the attention of the sentries, -who gave the alarm. An anxious visitation was made at daybreak; -smiths and masons closely scrutinised walls and floors and minutely -searched the prisoner. Trenck was asked to explain the disturbance, -and whistled to his mouse which came out and jumped upon his shoulder. -The alarm forthwith subsided, and yet he found what the searchers had -missed,--that his mouse had nibbled away the chewed bread with which he -had filled the interstices between the planks of the floor which he had -cut to penetrate below. - -Trenck’s efforts did not flag till the very last hour of his -imprisonment, nor did his gaolers relax their determination to hold -him. One of their last devices was to reconstruct and strengthen his -prison cell by paving the floor with huge flagstones. His courage was -beginning to fail, but the darkest hour was before the dawn. Quite -unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, 1763, the governor appeared at his cell -door, accompanied by the blacksmith. “Rejoice,” he cried, “the king has -been graciously pleased to relieve you of your irons;” and again,--“The -king wills that you shall have a better apartment;” and last of -all,--“The king wills that you shall go free.” - -It has been said that the empress-queen of Austria had been moved to -compassion for Trenck by the engraving on the pewter cup that came into -her hands. His beloved Princess Amelia had also been active in trying -to obtain his release. She employed a clever business man in Vienna, -who at her bidding and for a sum of two thousand ducats won over a -confidential servant of Maria Theresa, and caused him to intercede -for the wretched prisoner at Magdeburg, who after all was still an -Austrian officer. The kind-hearted Hapsburg sovereign wrote a personal -letter to Frederick, her great antagonist, and the king of Prussia at -last pardoned the miserable man who had dwelt for ten years in a living -tomb. Like all political prisoners, he was obliged to bind himself by -oath to the following conditions, which were not exactly performed by -him:--that he would take no revenge on anyone; that he would not cross -the Saxon or the Prussian frontiers to re-enter those states; that he -would neither speak nor write of what had happened to him; that he -would not, so long as the king lived, serve in any army either in a -civil or military capacity. - -After his liberation, he first lived in Vienna, where he came into -personal contact with Maria Theresa and the emperors Francis and Joseph -II. Later he settled at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he married the daughter -of Burgomaster de Broe, and conducted a flourishing wine business. He -undertook long journeys, and published his poems and autobiography, -which had an immense success and were translated into almost every -European language; he was also the editor of a newspaper and another -periodical entitled _The Friend of Men_, and he amassed a handsome -fortune. - -After the death of Frederick, Trenck was allowed to return to Berlin -and his confiscated goods were restored to him. His first visit was -to his liberator and earliest love, the Princess Amelia; the interview -was most affecting and heartrending. They were both greatly changed in -appearance and more like the ghosts of their former brilliant selves. -She inquired for his numerous children, for whom she assured him she -would do all in her power, and he parted from her full of gratitude -and greatly moved. It is a creditable trait in Trenck’s character that -in spite of all his sufferings he did not hate the Prussian king, -Frederick the Great. - -One would think this aged adventurer would now seek rest, but far from -it. He was attracted to Paris by the outbreak of the French Revolution, -and he felt the necessity for playing an active part. He finally fell -into the hands of Robespierre, and was tried and guillotined at the -age of sixty-nine. On the scaffold his great stature, for he was much -above the average height, towered over his fellow-sufferers. He looked -quietly at the crowd and said, “Why do you stare? This is but a comedy -à la Robespierre!” - -The day before his tragic death he gave to a fellow-prisoner, Count -B----, the last memento he possessed of the lady who had been the -first innocent cause of his sufferings, a tortoise-shell box with the -portrait of the Princess Amelia. The 9th Thermidor saved the count, and -the box was long preserved in his family. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -NOTORIOUS POISONERS - - Famous female poisoners--This crime not so prevalent in - Germany as in southern countries--Frau Ursinus--Her early - history--Mysterious deaths of her husband and aunt--Attempted - murder of her man-servant--Arrested and sentenced to - imprisonment for life in the fortress of Glatz--Anna Schönleben - or Zwanziger--Deaths followed her advent into different - families--Arrested at Bayreuth, confessed her guilt and was - condemned to death. - - -In the early decades of the nineteenth century, when the Napoleonic -wars caused constant conflict and change, crime flourished with rank -growth in most European countries and nowhere more than in the German -states,--both those that remained more or less independent and those -brought into subjection to the French Empire. Whole provinces were -ravaged by organised bands of brigands, such as that which obeyed -the notorious Schinderhannes; travelling was unsafe by all ordinary -roads and communications; thieves and depredators abounded; murderers -stalked rampant through the land; the most atrocious homicides, open -and secret, were constantly planned and perpetrated; swindling and -imposture on a large scale were frequently practised, and crimes of -every kind were committed by all kinds of people in all classes of -society. - -Poisoning was not unknown as a means of removal, although it never -prevailed to the same extent as among people of warmer blood. It -never grew into an epidemic affecting whole groups and associations, -but it occurred in individual cases, exhibiting the same features as -elsewhere. This form of feloniously doing to death has ever commended -itself to the female sex. Women are so circumstanced as wives, nurses -and in domestic service that they possess peculiar facilities for -the administration of poison, and so the most prominent poisoners in -criminal history have been women. - -A curious instance is to be found in the German records, and the story -may be told in this place as belonging to this period. The murderess -was a certain Frau Ursinus, widow of a privy counsellor who was also -president of a government board. Ursinus was a highly esteemed member -of the upper classes of Berlin. Deep interest attached to this case of -Frau Ursinus from the prominent position occupied by her late husband, -her considerable fortune, her prepossessing person and spotless -reputation, as well as her cultured mind which made her conspicuous in -the society of the Prussian capital. The news, therefore, of her sudden -and unexpected arrest on a criminal charge, caused great consternation -and surprise. - -Early in May, Frau Ursinus was at a party, playing whist, when a -footman, evidently greatly perturbed, came in and said that several -police officials were in the anteroom and wished to speak to her. -She rose without manifesting any emotion, put down her cards, excused -herself to her fellow-players for this slight interruption, doubtless -caused by a mistake which would soon be accounted for, and adding -that she hoped soon to return, left the room. She did not, however, -come back to resume her game, and after a few moments of strained -expectation it became known that she had been arrested and taken to -prison on a criminal charge. - -Her servant, Benjamin Klein, had complained of not feeling well one day -toward the end of the previous February. His mistress had accordingly -given him a cup of broth and a few days later some currants. These -remedies were of no avail, and he became worse. When, on February 28th, -Frau Ursinus offered him some rice, he refused it, whereupon she threw -it away, a singular proceeding on her part, as he thought, and his -suspicions were aroused that the food she had previously administered -to him had contained something deleterious. He made a strict search in -consequence through his mistress’s apartments, and presently discovered -a powder labelled arsenic in one of the cupboards. This happened on -March 21st. On the following day, Frau Ursinus offered him some plums, -which he accepted but prudently did not taste. Then he confided the -result of his search and his fears to his mistress’s maid, Schley, -who took the plums to her brother, an apprentice in a chemist’s shop, -where they were analysed. The plums were found to contain arsenic and -the master of the establishment immediately laid the information before -the authorities; an inquiry was set on foot, the principal witnesses -were examined, and in the end Frau Ursinus was taken into custody. -These facts came out after the arrest and a good deal more was assumed. -It was rumoured that she had not only poisoned her deceased husband -three years previously, but also her aunt, a spinster called Witte -as well, and a Dutch officer of the name of Rogay. These deaths had -occurred in sequence after that of the privy counsellor. - -Frau Ursinus persistently denied all the earlier charges of -administering poison, but admitted the attempts upon her servant, -Klein. A thorough investigation followed, and a number of damning facts -in her past and present life were brought to light. - -Sophie Charlotte Elizabeth, the widow Ursinus, was born on May 5, -1760, and was the daughter of the secretary of the Austrian legation, -Weingarten, afterward called Von Weiss. Contemporary historians call -him Baron von Weingarten. He was supposed to have turned traitor to the -Austrian government, and this led to his settling in Prussia and to -his change of name. According to common belief, he had really refused -a tempting offer made to him by the Prussian government to hand over -some important papers, very much wanted. But he was in love, and the -mother of his betrothed, an enthusiastic partisan of Frederick the -Great, managed to abstract the papers from a cupboard. He had to bear -the brunt of this misdeed and voluntarily accepted exile. Charlotte -lived with her parents until her twelfth year, and was then committed -to the care of a married sister in Spandau to be educated. Her parents -were Catholics but she declared herself a Lutheran. Later, the father -and mother being unwilling to countenance a love affair into which -their daughter had been drawn, took up their residence in Stendal. -Here Charlotte became acquainted with her future husband, at that time -counsellor of the Supreme Court, who after a year’s acquaintance, -sought her hand. She did not precisely love this grave, sickly, elderly -man, but she confessed to a sincere liking and was willing to marry -him on account of his many excellent qualities, his position and -his prospects. She was then in her nineteenth year. The pair, after -moving to and fro a great deal, finally settled in Berlin, where Privy -Counsellor Ursinus died on September 11, 1800. - -The match had not been happy; husband and wife lived separately; they -were childless and Frau Ursinus was inclined to flirtation, having -taken a strong fancy to a Dutch officer named Rogay. The aged husband -did not seem to disapprove of the attachment, which his wife always -maintained was perfectly platonic, and it was generally believed that -the phlegmatic Dutchman was incapable of the “grand passion.” After -leaving Berlin, probably to escape her influence, Rogay returned and -died there three years before the privy counsellor. When the propensity -of Frau Ursinus to secret poisoning was discovered, the making away -with this Dutch officer was laid to her charge, but she was acquitted -of the crime, and it was indeed sworn by two competent physicians that -Rogay had died of consumption. - -Privy Counsellor Ursinus died very suddenly and mysteriously, his -death being in no wise attributed at the time to his chronic ailments. -But when, three years later, the widow came under suspicion, serious -doubts were entertained as to whether she had not poisoned her husband. -Her own account as to the manner of his death only strengthened the -presumption of her guilt. According to her statement, she had given a -small party on September 10th, her husband’s birthday. He was in fairly -good spirits, but had remarked more than once that he feared he was not -long for this life. On retiring to rest, his wife saw nothing wrong -with him, but in the middle of the night his moans and groans awakened -her. An emetic stood handy by the bedside, kept thus in readiness by -the doctor’s order (which the doctor subsequently denied), and Frau -Ursinus wished him to take it, but gave him an elixir instead. As he -did not improve, she tried the emetic and rang up the servants, but -none came; then she sought the porter, desiring him to call them, but -still no one appeared. So she remained alone with her suffering husband -through the entire night. The following morning he was in a very weak -and feeble condition and he died on the afternoon of the same day. - -Grave suspicion of foul play was now aroused and Frau Ursinus was -arrested. It was urged against her that she had shown no real desire to -summon the servants; that she made no attempt to call in the doctor; -that the family physician had never prescribed the emetic; why, then, -was it there? A worse charge against the wife was her volunteering the -statement that she kept arsenic to kill rats, a conventional excuse -often made in such cases. And in this case it was put forward quite -unnecessarily, for there were no rats in the house. - -Yet there was no definite charge against Frau Ursinus. No motive for -murder could be ascertained. They were by no means bad friends, this -wedded pair. Frau Ursinus might in her secret heart desire to be freed -from the bond that tied her to an infirm old man, and marry another -husband, but she had always appeared grateful to the privy counsellor -and treated him kindly. On the other hand, it was proved that she had -purchased a quantity of arsenic for the purpose of destroying the -fictitious rats. Sufficient doubt existed to justify the exhumation -of the body and proceed to a postmortem examination. No definitely -incriminating evidence was, however, forthcoming. The autopsy was -conducted by two eminent doctors, who could find no positive traces -of arsenic, but there was a presumption from the general condition of -the vital organs and convulsive contraction of the limbs that it had -been used. Three physicians who had attended Herr Ursinus in his last -illness testified that his death resulted from a natural cause, that -of apoplexy of the nerves, and repudiated all idea of arsenic. At this -stage there was a foregone conclusion that Frau Ursinus would be quite -exonerated from the felonious charge. - -Suddenly the situation entered upon a new phase. Frau Ursinus was -accused of another and entirely new murder, that of her aunt, a maiden -lady named Witte, who had died at Charlottenburg on the 23d January, -1801, after a short illness. No suspicious circumstances were noted -at the time of her death, but after the arrest of Frau Ursinus, the -possibility of her complicity in this deed took definite shape. A -careful inquiry ensued and the inculpation, amounting to little less -than certainty, was soon established. Again the process of exhumation -was set afoot and there was not the smallest doubt that the deceased -had died from arsenical poisoning. It was equally certain that Frau -Ursinus had administered it. - -On her own confession she admitted her arrival at her aunt’s house on -January the 16th. Fräulein Witte was sick and complaining, and her -niece, who professed great affection for her, decided to spend some -little time with her. On the day following the arrival of her niece, -Fräulein Witte’s disorder increased, and she had other disquieting -symptoms. Frau Ursinus now summoned a doctor, stating that she herself -felt so low and depressed that she contemplated suicide and had made -up her mind to take poison. In the meantime, her aunt became more and -more seriously ill. On the 23d of January Frau Ursinus persuaded her to -let another physician be called in, who pronounced the illness to be -unimportant, but when he left it increased. Frau Ursinus watched by her -aunt all night, during the course of which the poor woman died. She was -quite alone with her expiring victim and must have been a witness of -her terrible convulsions. It came out at the trial that on the occasion -of a previous visit to Charlottenburg, Frau Ursinus had written to a -chemist in Berlin for a good dose of poison to destroy the rats in her -aunt’s house. Here again the rats were non-existent. - -This pretence was as false as was her insistence on the fact that she -had been in a great state of depression since her husband’s death. This -mental condition and her consequent desire to commit suicide came up -prominently at her trial. She had always affected great sensibility, -wishing to pose as a fragile, delicate person, as she considered robust -health to be vulgar. Yet she was naturally strong and well. No proof -could ever be found that she meant to take her own life. When really -she had most ground for depression, being burdened with a terrible -accusation, and the scaffold loomed threateningly before her, the -undaunted spirit of the woman rose to the occasion and her real and -powerful nature asserted itself. She did not exhibit the smallest sign -of low spirits, but fought on with desperate courage and self-reliance, -disputing every point, lying freely and recklessly in her unshaken -resolve to save life and honour. Her adroitness in defence was greatly -aided by her extraordinary knowledge of the Prussian criminal code. -Very rarely her fortitude deserted her, and she was betrayed into a -strange admission, that if she had really handed poison to her aunt she -must have been out of her mind. The object of this particular murder -was plainly indicated in the fact that she expected a considerable -inheritance from Fräulein Witte. Conviction in this case followed -almost as a matter of course. - -Her guilt in attempting the life of the man-servant Klein was never in -doubt, but the motive remained obscure to the very end. One explanation -was offered by Frau Ursinus herself. She denied all wish to kill him -but admitted that she was making an experiment in the operation of -lethal drugs with the idea of ascertaining their effect on herself. -A more plausible reason was that she had at one time made him her -confidant and wished to use him as a go-between in negotiating a -second marriage. They had quarrelled, and Klein was about to leave -her service, which she dreaded, lest he might tell tales and make her -appear ridiculous before the world. She owed him a deep grudge also for -having presumed upon the favour she had shown him. To get rid of so -presumptuous and dangerous a person was enough to move this truculent -poisoner to seek to compass his death. Klein eventually recovered his -health and survived for twenty-three years, living comfortably on a -pension forcibly extracted from Frau Ursinus. - -The verdict pronounced upon her was one of “not guilty” as regards -her husband and the Dutch officer Rogay. But she was fully convicted -of having murdered her aunt, Christina Regina Witte, and of several -felonious attempts to poison her servant, Benjamin Klein. Her sentence -was imprisonment for life in a fortress and she endured it in Glatz, -on the frontier of Silesia and Bohemia. From the first she was treated -with excessive leniency and in a way to prove that prison discipline -was then a mere farce in Prussia. She was permitted to furnish and -arrange the quarters allotted to her according to her own taste, and -she spent much time at a comfortable writing table under a well lighted -window. She engaged a lady companion to be with her constantly, and -passing travellers curious to make the acquaintance of a murderess were -allowed to call on her and to listen to her unending protestations of -innocence. She did not always evoke sympathy, and the government was -much abused for its favouritism. A cutting comparison was drawn between -this aristocratic criminal parading the ramparts of Glatz in silks and -satins, and humble offenders who had been condemned for succumbing -weakly to ungovernable rage and who were driven to toilsome labour in -deep ditches, heavily chained and grossly ill-used. Here she acted -the lady of quality, and being possessed of a considerable income, -was able to give parties which were largely attended. At one of these -receptions, it is said that a lady guest on noticing some grains of -sugar sparkling in a salad involuntarily started back. Frau Ursinus -remarking this, said, smiling sarcastically, “Don’t be afraid, it is -not arsenic!” - -Her companion who was with her until her death on April 4, 1836, and -never left her, bore witness to her religious resignation in bearing -her physical suffering caused chiefly by a chest complaint. She -remained more or less unconscious for some months, but on the night -before her end her mental faculties returned and she passed away -peacefully. She was the first person to be buried in the Protestant -cemetery which King Frederick William III had given to the evangelical -congregation at Glatz. - -A year before her death she had ordered a costly oak coffin. Clad in a -white petticoat, a cap trimmed with pale blue ribbon on her head, her -hands encased in white gloves, on one finger a ring which had belonged -to her late husband and with his portrait on her breast, she lay as -if asleep, an expression of peace upon her unchanged face. Several -carriages, filled with her friends and acquaintances, followed the body -to the grave, which was decorated with moss and flowers, and when the -clergyman had finished his discourse, six poor boys and the same number -of girls, to whom she had shown great kindness, sang a hymn in her -honour. Instead of the sexton, the hands of friends and poor recipients -of the dead woman’s charity filled in the grave and shaped the mound -above it. It was a bitterly cold morning, and yet the cemetery could -hardly contain the people who thronged it. - -Thus Frau “Geheimräthin” Ursinus died in the odour of sanctity. Her -many relatives, who greatly needed money, only received one-half of -her fortune; the other half she parcelled out into various bequests -and several pious institutions benefited; and we may thus fairly -conclude that she desired to rehabilitate her accursed name by -ostentatious deeds of charity. She left her gaoler, who had treated her -considerately, five hundred thalers and his daughter a piano. Doctor -Friedham, who had procured the royal favour through which she was -liberated from the fortress, received a substantial legacy. - -Another female poisoner in a lower sphere of life, whose lethal -propensities were more strongly developed and more widespread, belongs -to this period and the neighbouring kingdom of Bavaria. The woman, Anna -Schönleben or Zwanziger--her married name--known in criminal history -as the German Brinvilliers, was as noxious as a pestilence, and death -followed everywhere in her footsteps. Never did any human being hunger -more to kill, and revel more wantonly in the reckless and unscrupulous -employment of the means that secret poisoning put at her disposal. Her -extravagant fondness for it was “based upon the proud consciousness of -possessing a power which enabled her to break through every restraint, -to attain every object, to gratify every inclination and to determine -the very existence of others. Poison was the magic wand with which -she ruled those whom she outwardly obeyed, and which opened the way -to her fondest hopes. Poison enabled her to deal out death, sickness -and torture to all who offended her or stood in her way; it punished -every slight; it prevented the return of unwelcome guests; it disturbed -those social pleasures which it galled her not to share; it afforded -her amusement by the contortions of the victims, and an opportunity -of ingratiating herself by affected sympathy with their sufferings; -it was the means of throwing suspicion upon innocent persons and of -getting fellow servants into trouble. Mixing and giving poison became -her constant occupation; she practised it in jest and in earnest, -and at last with real passion for poison itself, without reference -to the object for which it was given. She grew to love it from long -habit, and from gratitude for its faithful services; she looked upon -it as her truest friend and made it her constant companion. Upon -her apprehension, arsenic was found in her pocket, and when it was -laid before her at Culmbach to be identified, she seemed to tremble -with pleasure and gazed upon the white powder with eyes beaming with -rapture.” - -We will take up her story when she was a widow of about fifty years -old, resident at Pegnitz and bearing the name of Anna Schönleben. In -1808 she was received as housekeeper into the family of Justice Glaser, -who had for some time previous been living apart from his wife. Shortly -after the beginning of her service, however, a partial reconciliation -took place, in a great measure effected through the exertions of -Schönleben, and the wife returned to her husband’s house. But their -reunion was of short duration, for in the course of four weeks after -her return, she was seized with a sudden and violent illness, of which, -in a day or two, she expired. - -After this event, Schönleben quitted the service of Glaser and was -received in the same capacity into the household of Justice Grohmann, -who was then unmarried. Although only thirty-eight years of age, he -was in delicate health and had suffered severely from gout, so that -Schönleben soon gained his favour by the kindly attentions she bestowed -upon his health. Her cares, however, were unavailing; her master -fell sick in the spring of 1809, his disease being accompanied with -violent internal pains of the stomach, dryness of the skin, vomiting, -etc., and he died on the 8th of May after an illness of eleven days. -Schönleben, who had nursed him with unremitting anxiety and solicitude -during his illness and administered all his medicines with her own -hand, appeared inconsolable for his loss and that of her situation. -The high character, however, which she had acquired for her unflagging -devotion and tenderness as a sick nurse, immediately procured her -another post in the family of Herr Gebhard, whose wife was at that time -on the point of being confined. This event took place on the 13th of -May, shortly after the arrival of the new housekeeper, who made herself -particularly useful. Mother and child were thought to be progressing -extremely well when, on the third day after the birth, the lady was -seized with spasms, high temperature, violent thirst, vomiting, etc. -In the extremity of her agony, she frequently exclaimed that they had -given her poison. Seven days after her confinement she expired. - -Gebhard, the widower, bereaved and helpless in managing household -affairs, thought it would be prudent to retain the housekeeper in -his service who had been so zealous and assiduous during his wife’s -illness. Some of his friends sought to dissuade him from keeping a -servant who seemed by some fatality to bring death into every family -with which she became connected. The objection arose from mere -superstitious dread, for as yet no accusation had been hinted at, and -Gebhard, a very matter of fact person, laughed at their apprehensions. -Schönleben, who was very obliging, with a great air of honesty, -humility and kindliness, remained in his house and was invested with -almost unlimited authority. - -During her residence in the Gebhard household, there were many -circumstances which, although they excited little attention at the -time, were subsequently remembered against her. They will be mentioned -hereafter; for the present, let us follow the course of events and the -gradual growth of suspicion. Gebhard had at last, by the importunity -of his friends, been persuaded to part with his housekeeper and did -so with many regrets. Schönleben received her dismissal without any -remark beyond an expression of surprise at the suddenness of his -decision. Her departure for Bayreuth was fixed for the next day, and -she busied herself with arranging the rooms, and filled the salt box -in the kitchen, remarking that it was the custom for one who went -away to do this for her successor. On the next morning, as a token -of her good-will, she made coffee for the maids, supplying them with -sugar from a paper of her own. The coach which her master had been -good-natured enough to procure for her was already at the door. She -took his child, now twenty weeks old, in her arms, gave it a biscuit -soaked in milk, caressed it and took her leave. Scarcely had she been -gone half an hour when both the child and servants were seized with -violent retching, which lasted some hours and left them extremely weak -and ill. Suspicion being now at last fairly awakened, Gebhard had the -salt box examined, which Schönleben had so officiously filled. The salt -was found strongly impregnated with arsenic; in the salt barrel also, -from which it had been taken, thirty grains of arsenic were found mixed -with about three pounds of salt. - -It was now clear to every one that the series of sudden deaths which -had occurred in the families in which Schönleben had resided, had -been due to arsenical poison, and it seemed extraordinary that this -circumstance had been so long overlooked. It came to light now that -while she was with Gebhard two friends who had dined with her master -in August, 1809, were seized after dinner with the same symptoms of -vomiting, convulsions, spasms and so forth, which had attacked the -servants on the day of Schönleben’s departure, and again, had shown -themselves in the condition of the unfortunate mistress when she died. -Also Schönleben had on one occasion given a glass of white wine to -a servant who had called with a message, which had produced similar -effects; the attack was indeed so violent as to oblige him to remain -in bed for several days. On another occasion she had taken a lad of -nineteen, Johann Kraus, into the cellar, where she had offered him a -glass of brandy which he tasted, but perceiving a white sediment in it, -declined to swallow. And again, one of her fellow servants, Barbara -Waldmann, with whom Schönleben had had frequent quarrels, after -drinking a cup of coffee was seized with exactly the same symptoms as -the others. Last of all, it was remembered that at a party which Judge -Grohmann gave, he sent her to the cellar for some jugs of beer, and -after partaking of it, he and all his guests--five in number--were -almost immediately seized with the usual spasms. - -The long interval which had elapsed since the death of most of these -individuals rendered it improbable that an examination of the bodies -would throw any light upon these dark transactions. It was resolved, -however, to put the matter to the test, and the result of this tardy -inspection was more decisive than might have been expected; all the -bodies exhibited in a greater or less degree traces of arsenic. On the -whole, the medical authorities felt themselves justified in stating -that the deaths of at least two of the three individuals had been -occasioned by poison. - -Meantime Schönleben had been living quietly at Bayreuth, quite -unconscious of the storm gathering round her. Her finished hypocrisy -even led her, while on the way there, to write a letter to her late -master reproaching him with his ingratitude at dismissing one who had -been a protecting angel to his child; and in passing through Nürnberg, -she dared to take up her residence with the mother of her victim, -Gebhard’s wife. On reaching Bayreuth, she again wrote to Gebhard vainly -hoping he would take her back into his service, and she made a similar -unsuccessful attempt on her former master Glaser. While thus engaged, -the warrant for her arrest arrived and she was taken into custody on -October 19th. When searched, three packets were found in her pocket, -two of them containing fly powder and the third arsenic. - -For a long time she would confess nothing; it was not till April 16, -1810, that her courage gave way, when she learned the result of the -examination of the body of Frau Glaser. Then, weeping and wringing -her hands, she confessed she had on two occasions administered poison -to her. No sooner had she admitted this than she fell to the ground -in convulsions “as if struck by lightning,” and was removed from the -court. Strange to say, although she knew that by her confession she had -more than justified her condemnation to death, she laboured to the very -last to gloss over and explain the worst features of her chief crimes, -and in spite of ample evidence, denied all her lesser offences. It was -impossible for her false and distorted nature to be quite sincere, and -when she told a truth she at once associated with it a lie. - -When Anna Schönleben fell into the hands of justice, she had already -reached her fiftieth year; she was of small stature, thin and deformed; -her sallow and meagre face was deeply furrowed by passion as well as -by age, and bore no trace of former beauty. Her eyes were expressive -of envy and malice and her brow was perpetually clouded, even when -her lips moved to smile. Her manner, however, was cringing, servile -and affected, and age and ugliness had not diminished her craving for -admiration. Even in prison and under sentence of death, her imagination -was still occupied with the pleasing recollections of her youth. One -day when her judge visited her in prison, she begged him not to infer -what she had been from what she was; that she was “once beautiful, -exceedingly beautiful.” - -Her life history antecedent to the events just recorded has been -constructed from trustworthy sources and her own autobiography which -fills eighteen closely written folio sheets. Born in Nürnberg in -1760, she had lost her parents before she reached her fifth year. -Her father had possessed some property and until her nineteenth -year she remained under the charge of her guardian, who was warmly -attached to her and bestowed much care upon her education. At the age -of nineteen she married, rather against her inclination, the notary -Zwanziger, for that was her real name. The loneliness and dulness of -her matrimonial life contrasted very disagreeably with the gaieties -of her guardian’s house, and in the many absences of her husband, -who divided his time between business and the bottle, she passed her -time in reading sentimental novels such as the “Sorrows of Werther,” -“Pamela” and “Emilia Galeotti.” Her husband, with her help, soon ran -through her small fortune, which was wasted in extravagant entertaining -and in keeping up an establishment beyond their means. They sank into -wretched impecuniosity, with a family to support and without even -the consolation of common esteem. She took to vicious methods and -presently her husband died, leaving his widow to follow the career of -an adventuress. - -During the years that intervened between the death of her husband and -the date on which she first entered Glaser’s service, her life had -been one long course of unbridled misconduct. Absolutely devoid of -principle, she associated with others as vicious as herself; she became -a wanderer on the face of the earth and for twenty years never found -a permanent resting place or a sincere friend. Fiercely resenting the -evil fortune that had constantly befallen her, she chafed with bitter -hatred against all mankind; her heart hardened; all that was good -in her nature died out and she became a prey to the worst passions, -consumed always with uncontrollable yearning to better her condition -by defying all divine and human laws. When and how the idea of poison -first dawned on her, her confessions did not explain, but there is -every reason to believe that it was before she entered Glaser’s -service. Determined as she was to advance her own interests, poison -seemed to furnish her at once with the talisman she was in search -of; it would punish her enemies and remove those who stood in her -way. From the moment she met Glaser, she resolved to secure him as -her husband. That he was already married was immaterial, for poison -would be a speedy form of divorce. To bring her victim within range of -her power, she schemed to effect the reconciliation so successfully -accomplished, and directly after Frau Glaser returned home, Zwanziger -began her operations. Two successful doses were administered, of which -the last was effectual. While she was mixing it, she confessed, she -encouraged herself with the notion that she was preparing for herself -a comfortable establishment in her old age. This prospect having been -defeated by her dismissal from Glaser’s service, she entered that of -Grohmann. Here she sought to revenge herself upon such of her fellow -servants as she happened to dislike by mixing fly powder with the -beer,--enough to cause illness but not death. While at Grohmann’s home -she had also indulged in matrimonial hopes; but all at once these were -defeated by his intended marriage with another. She tried to break -this engagement off, but ineffectually, and Grohmann, provoked by her -pertinacity, decided to send her away. The wedding day was fixed; -nothing now remained for Zwanziger but revenge, and Grohmann fell a -victim to poison. - -From his service Zwanziger passed into that of Gebhard, whose wife -shared the fate of Grohmann, for no other reason, according to her -own account, than because that lady had treated her harshly. Even -this wretched apology was proved false by the testimony of the other -inmates of the house. The true motive, as in the preceding cases, was -that she had formed designs upon Gebhard similar to those which had -failed in the case of Glaser, and that the unfortunate lady stood in -the way. Her death was accomplished by poisoning two jugs of beer from -which Zwanziger from time to time supplied her with drink. Even while -confessing that she had poisoned the beer, she persisted in maintaining -that she had no intention of destroying her mistress; if she could have -foreseen that such a consequence would follow, she would rather have -died herself. - -During the remaining period from the death of Gebhard’s wife to that of -her quitting his service, she admitted having frequently administered -poisoned wine, beer, coffee and other liquors to such guests as she -disliked or to her fellow servants when any of them had the bad luck -to fall under her displeasure. The poisoning of the salt box she also -admitted; but with the strange and inveterate hypocrisy which ran -through all her confessions, she maintained that the arsenic in the -salt barrel must have been put in by some other person. - -The fate of such a wretch could not, of course, be doubtful. She was -condemned to be beheaded, and listened to the sentence apparently -without emotion. She told the judge that her death was a fortunate -thing for others, for she felt that she could not have discontinued -poisoning had she lived. On the scaffold, she bowed courteously to the -judge and assistants, walked calmly up to the block and received the -blow without shrinking. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THREE CELEBRATED CASES - - Karl Grosjean alias Grandisson--His residence in - Heidelberg--Occupation unknown--Suspicion aroused--Letters - seized by the postal authorities--Grosjean arrested in - Berlin and imprisoned--Found dead in his cell--His wife - cross-examined--Proved that he had perpetrated daring post-cart - robberies--Brigandage--Formation of bands of robbers--Carefully - planned attacks made on villages--Schinderhannes, the famous - brigand chief--Arrested and brought to trial with his - assistants, twenty of whom were guillotined--The horrible - murder of Dorothea-Blankenfeld by her fellow travellers - Antonini and his wife--Their sentence and its execution. - - -The chronic disorder which reigned in central Europe during the nearly -incessant warfare of the Napoleonic period stimulated the activity -of daring and ingenious thieves. A successful depredator on a larger -scale who long escaped detection was a certain Karl Grosjean, alias -Grandisson, whose story may be told as a remarkable instance of the -immunity enjoyed by his class. - -He first comes upon the scenes in the spring of 1804, when a superb -travelling carriage arrived at a small country town in the vicinity -of Heidelberg. Two strangers alighted from it to spend the night at -the inn. They were apparently worthy representatives of the class -that would possess so magnificent an equipage, one being a man of -aristocratic appearance, and the other his young and beautiful wife. -They were from Denmark, where the stranger was said to be a merchant -and reputed enormously wealthy. He owned many shops somewhere, and -carried on an immense trade in iron, flax and other articles. He had -come to this little town to buy vinegar, which was manufactured there -on a large scale by a chemist of the place. Eventually the couple took -up their residence in the neighbouring city of Heidelberg, where they -lived in a charming house on the slope of the hill crowned by the -ruined castle and overlooking the beautiful valley of the Neckar. Their -residence at Heidelberg was checkered by some unpleasant occurrences, -among others the theft of a large sum of money, which was in due course -recovered after a long trial, but M. Grandisson was so much vexed -by all that had happened that he left the city and moved first to -Strasburg, then to Dijon and to Nancy. They returned to Heidelberg in -1810. They lived in a luxurious style, but Madame Grandisson devoted -herself principally to the education of her children. She did not go -out much, although she paid and received visits. She was intimate with -no one and forbore to talk much of her husband’s private affairs, -except to allude at times to the many interesting journeys he made. - -M. Grandisson was more sociable and accessible. He did not absent -himself from public places, and not only liked to converse with other -people, but was addicted to boasting of his wealth and possessions. -This little weakness was not resented in so amiable and obliging a man, -for he was civility itself to every one. One thing only seemed odd. -Grandisson was a merchant, but never spoke of his business with other -merchants; still less did he make any mention of his real domicile or -his origin. When closely pressed in conversation, however, he vaguely -hinted that he was concerned in vast smuggling transactions. This -was not to his discredit in those days of the Continental blockade -introduced by Napoleon against English trade. Again, it was passing -strange that a business man, engaged ostensibly in extensive operations -in all parts of Europe, carried on no business correspondence. -Moreover, he did not obtain his funds by drawing bills of exchange or -receiving cash remittances; yet he was perpetually travelling and must -have spent much money on the road. There seemed also to be something -peculiar connected with these journeys. He talked a great deal about -them beforehand, mentioning his intention of going to Brussels, Paris -or Copenhagen, as the case might be, but he would disappear silently -to reappear as suddenly as he had gone, and seldom let fall a word as -to where he had been. The local police at Heidelberg heard nothing of -these journeys, nor was it necessary, as Grandisson had his passports -from the government authorities and they were usually good for six -months at a time. - -For more than three years the Grandisson family lived quietly in -Heidelberg, respected and apparently happy and contented. Contraband -trade was generally supposed to supply their chief wealth and to be -sufficient explanation for the secrecy observed in regard to it. -Another theory was held on this subject, which it was thought well -not to insist upon in those days: Grandisson seemed to time his -journeys to conform to the constant movements of troops in the many -campaigns afoot; he occasionally started and returned in company with -French officers, and it might well be thought that he was one of the -emissaries who swarmed in Germany just then. - -Grandisson was actually on the move and absent from Heidelberg when -letters arrived from Frankfurt-on-the-Main dated April 7th; one was -addressed to the governor of the town, the other to the criminal judge, -and their contents threw a new and lurid light upon the mysterious -stranger. The Thurn and Taxis post-wagon had been robbed twice within -two years, between Eisenach and Frankfurt, and so effectually that well -secured cash boxes packed away inside the vehicle had disappeared. -The first occasion was on October 13, 1812, when all packets of money -destined for Frankfurt were purloined from the post-cart; and the -second on February 14, 1814, when a packet containing more than -4,947 florins was stolen. Suspicion fell upon a certain passenger -remembered by the conductor and others, and who, as it turned out on -investigation, had always travelled and been registered under different -names. It was subsequently discovered that this man, so generously -endowed with aliases, had on February 18th put up at the inn, the Sign -of the Anchor, in Eisenach, under the name of Grandisson and there -posted a packet of fifty gulden addressed to himself at Heidelberg, -which had there been safely handed to Madame Grandisson. The -description of the suspicious passenger tallied exactly with that of M. -Grandisson so well known in Heidelberg. Besides this, the conductor of -the post-cart from which the last theft had been made, insisted that -he had seen him in that town. The governor of Heidelberg was so much -impressed with these reports that he would have proceeded to arrest -Grandisson at once, but the man was absent at the time. The question -was then mooted as to the apprehension of Madame Grandisson, who was -generally respected as a modest, reputable lady who lived exclusively -for her children. She seemed somewhat embarrassed when questioned -by the police and asked to explain her husband’s prolonged absence, -but evinced no desire to leave the town, and no further steps were -taken beyond keeping her under observation. Unhappily for her, fresh -revelations were soon forthcoming in which she was implicated. A letter -from Madame Grandisson to her husband, directed to what was then his -real address, “poste restante Würzburg,” was presently intercepted in -the chief post-office. In this letter she enclosed another which had -arrived for M. Grandisson and had been opened by her. Her own letter -contained little more than references to the other which was signed -with the name “Louis Fischer,” and had evidently occasioned her great -uneasiness. It was dated from Bornheim near Frankfurt, March 10, 1814, -and contained a quantity of obscure and suspicious matter. - -It began by reminding its recipient that he was passing under an -assumed name, that he was really Grosjean, not Grandisson; then -referred to the “working off” of certain Dutch ducats; proceeded to -complain that he had been robbed of his fourteen thousand gulden by -having soldiers quartered upon him; and finished as follows: “All are -consumed but a few hundred gulden. I do not make demands upon you -as a beggar but on the current value of what you know.... I sign an -assumed name.... Write to me poste restante.... If you do not write, -be assured, as certainly as that God will yet judge my soul, I shall -be compelled to make public what I know.... This you would surely -avoid because of the dishonour and the loss of the consideration you -enjoy.... You are perfectly well aware that I have kept silence for -years ... but yet I hold the damning proofs and shall use them unless -you accept my terms. Nevertheless, if you act fairly by me the proofs -shall be destroyed and the guilty deed with them.” - -This letter threw very serious aspersions on Grandisson’s character. -It hinted that his real name was Grosjean and that he had at some -time or other committed a crime or a dishonourable action, either in -conjunction with the writer or with his knowledge, the publication of -which must ruin him, and that he was consequently being blackmailed -by his correspondent. There was nothing in the letter, however, to -inculpate Madame Grandisson. On the contrary, the anonymous writer -mentioned her with great respect, and the agitation of mind she -displayed in her appeal to her husband testified to her innocence and -showed that there was less reason than ever to proceed against her. -Efforts were still made to tamper with her correspondence, but in -vain, for she was very wary and used the utmost caution in posting -her letters. At last, however, one was intercepted and was thought -compromising. “Since you left thirteen days ago, I have no news of -you,” it ran. “Write me the number of the house where I am to address -my letters. Now attend to me. How would it be were I to pack most of -my belongings and give them into the charge of Herr Klein, and only -take with me exactly what I require, until I am certain where I am -to live? I do not think I could have anything in common with your -relations; I have too vivid a recollection of their vulgarity and -rapaciousness. It would be best for you to hire a lodging for me with -decent, respectable people, so that when I arrive I can be with you; -even for yourself it is not advisable that you should lodge with your -relatives. I will not stop with them even for one night. Farewell.” -This letter certainly gave the impression that Madame Grandisson was -initiated partially, at least, into her husband’s secrets, and as she -was evidently now making preparations for escaping from Heidelberg, she -was more closely watched than ever. Her behaviour was unaltered as she -was not aware that her letter had been intercepted. The address on the -outside cover, moreover, to “Herr Prinz im Königstrasse, Berlin,” gave -a clue which facilitated proceedings against Grandisson. This, however, -was only on the outside, for on the real letter itself the direction -was as follows: “Mlle. Caroline is requested to deliver this letter to -her brother Karl.” Thus it appeared that Grandisson was now in Berlin -and that he had a sister there. He must now be sought for in that -capital, and a demand for his arrest was despatched by the chief post -office in Frankfurt to the head of the police in Berlin. - -In the house of a merchant of the name of Prinz, situated in the -Königstrasse in Berlin, there lived an unmarried woman called Caroline -Grosjean, who was in the service of the family and undoubtedly the -intended recipient of the above letter. She was in truth the sister -of the suspected criminal, and the name of Grosjean corresponded with -that mentioned in the Fischer letter. A detective was sent to question -her as to her brother’s whereabouts, and she admitted that he was in -Berlin but would say nothing further until shown the letter, whereupon -recognising her sister-in-law’s handwriting, she offered to conduct -the evidently trustworthy messenger to her brother. The detective, -however, intimated that when on his travels he had to stay within doors -to receive people on business, and requested her to send her brother -to his inn that same afternoon, which she did. The man so accurately -described by the Frankfurt and Heidelberg authorities accordingly -appeared at the “Sign of the Crown.” He acted the unconcerned gentleman -even when the detective said he had just come from Heidelberg charged -with greetings from his wife and assurances that all was well. But when -the officer of the law handed him her letter, he seized it with evident -uneasiness, crumpled it up and thrust it into his pocket. The detective -then proposed to conduct him to some private place where he might be -inclined perhaps to give a more satisfactory account of himself. On -reaching the door of the inn, Grosjean tried to escape, but two police -officials at once barred his way. From that moment he became quite -passive and followed the police quietly to the office and thence to the -prison. When searched, two razors he had secreted were found and taken -from him. Suicide was obviously his intention, and he was resolved to -carry it through. When visited in his cell next morning, it was found -that he had made away with himself. He lay in a cramped position, -sitting rather than hanging, strangled and dead, his handkerchief -having been tightly fastened round his neck and secured in the jamb -of the door. The method he had employed testified to an extraordinary -exercise of will power. - -The chief criminal having thus disposed of himself, to proceed to the -discovery and arrest of his accomplices became the next object of the -authorities. But those of Heidelberg were still loth to arrest Madame -Grandisson, and the judge himself paid her a visit to inquire for her -husband. She had heard nothing yet of the suicide, and replied that -she was growing uneasy at his protracted absence. She was next invited -to visit the law courts to make a formal deposition, and when further -questioned there, it was seen that her pretended ignorance of her -husband’s real character was assumed. This led to her committal to the -criminal prison. Close examination into her own antecedents followed. -She stated that she came from Breslau, where her family resided, and -that after her marriage with Grosjean, she had travelled with him -in distant countries, where he was engaged in extensive commercial -enterprises. For a long time she little realised their true nature, -but had learned it by accident and had taxed him with his criminal -life. Gradually the facts came out and she made open confession of all -she knew. Yes, her husband was indeed a villain, although she knew -nothing of it till long after her marriage, when to her horror she -found that all the money on which they lived so luxuriously was stolen, -acquired by systematic thefts from the post-wagons. Grosjean, when -she first made his acquaintance, had been a butler in the service of -a general officer, Von Dolfs by name. After their marriage she spent -a brief period of happiness, which was shattered by Grosjean’s arrest -for having robbed his master of a large sum. At that time she herself -was brought up for examination, and was asked if she was aware that -he had already served a term of imprisonment in a house of correction -on account of robberies. Then the general sent for her and advised -her to seek a separation, but it seemed too cruel to desert him and -she was easily persuaded to join him in prison. On their release, -they decided to go to his parents in Berlin, where he undertook to -carry on his father’s business, in which he continued to work honestly -for five or six years. Afterward they moved to Hamburg and then to -Copenhagen, where they suffered many vicissitudes. Next they went to -St. Petersburg, and thence to Bayreuth; last of all they settled in -the neighbourhood of Heidelberg, and the events followed as already -described. - -At the judicial examination more incriminating evidence came out. Upon -being closely interrogated, Madame Grosjean admitted having gone from -St. Petersburg, first to Emden, then to the Hague and to Amsterdam. -At the last named places, Grosjean seems to have begun his systematic -business journeys in connection with the post-carts, but she denied all -participation or knowledge of their aim and results. Only at Bayreuth, -when he bought the costly carriage, her conscience seemed to have -awakened. When she reproached him for purchasing it he replied that it -was none of her business; that it was enough for her if he provided for -her; and that if she were not pleased she might leave him and go where -she chose. This partly pacified, partly terrified her. She forbore to -ask him about the post-cart robberies, but suffered him to follow his -own road, without remark or complaint. She had made a great mistake in -her marriage, she admitted, yet she was undoubtedly much affected when -the news of his death by suicide was communicated to her. - -Meanwhile a series of laborious investigations and far-reaching -correspondence had been set on foot to build up the criminal history of -Grosjean. It was fully established that his evil tendencies were inborn -and strongly developed; he had a passion for stealing that amounted to -mania. He had acted for the most part alone and unaided, exhibiting -rare skill and meeting generally with extraordinary good luck. He had -carried out his robberies over a large area, in various countries and -at many times, greedy to lay his hands on everything he came across. -To utilise his plunder in playing the great personage with much -ostentation and display, was another trait in him not uncommon with -others of his class. He was ambitious also to appear a refined and well -educated man in the cultured social surroundings of the university -town of Heidelberg. He loved to forget that he was a common thief, and -to assume the superior airs of a well-bred gentleman. It was the same -in France, where he gained a reputation for good breeding and perfect -manners, inspiring confidence and appreciation in all with whom he was -thrown. - -Little was known to a certainty of his early life. He was born at -Weilburg, where his father owned a cloth factory, but the family -moved subsequently to Berlin. Karl accompanied his parents and was -apprenticed to the hairdresser’s craft. He soon left the capital, -and rarely returned to it after he had assumed the part of a wealthy -merchant. On the third visit, he was arrested and it was then shown -that not only had he robbed General Dolfs, as already described, but -that when only 16 years of age he had been sentenced to four years’ -penal servitude for theft. While a hairdresser in Berlin, he carried -out a large robbery in the house of the English envoy; and at Hamburg, -where he was afterward in service, he stole three thousand marks from -his master, but he was not apprehended for either offence. From that -time very little information came to hand concerning his larger and -more audacious undertakings, which he perpetrated chiefly in foreign -countries. The chief post-office authorities at Frankfurt-on-the-Main -had on their register a long list of post-cart robberies, covering the -years from 1800-1811, all of which might no doubt be laid to Grosjean’s -charge. It was certainly proved that a man answering to his description -travelled under eight or nine different aliases at various times. One -curious and unusual trait in a man accustomed to carry out thefts -on a very large scale, was his stooping to steal groceries from his -landlord, and also heavy goods, articles of no value, but difficult to -move and likely to lead to his detection. His wife, annoyed at these -useless thefts and overburdened with groceries and spices she could not -use, would ask him how she should get rid of them, upon which he would -tell her to sell them to the landlord. This ironical suggestion to -sell stolen goods to the victim of the thefts was in its way amusing. -Grosjean also purloined tobacco, and once when travelling stole his -landlord’s gold repeater watch, which he wore boldly and unconcernedly -until his arrest in 1814. He likewise abstracted the silver spoons -at the inns where he lodged, and stole stockings for his family from -shops, whether they wanted them or not. Sixty-five pairs were found -when his lodging was searched, and they were claimed by a tradesman in -Frankfurt who was the author of the mysterious letter signed, “Louis -Fischer,” which had given the Heidelberg legal authorities the first -clue for Grosjean’s prosecution. This man, after having dealings with -Grosjean, who was a good customer and paid ready money, suddenly began -to suspect him of pilfering in the shop and at last caught him in the -act. His bump of acquisitiveness was no doubt abnormally developed. - -Insecurity of life and property was universal at this time. The country -was terrorised and laid waste by brigandage. Bands were organised -under the most redoubtable chiefs, whose skill and boldness in the -prosecution of their evil business were quite on a par with the most -famous feats of great bandits in other lands. Foremost among them were -such men as Pickard, who long devastated the Low Countries, and not -less noted was Schinderhannes, otherwise John Buckler the younger. -He had followed the craft of his father, a flayer of dead animals, -and hence his sobriquet, _Schinderhannes_ or “Hans the skinner.” His -operations covered a wide area, extending from both banks of the upper -Rhine to the lower Meuse; from Mayence on the one side as far as -Dunkirk on the other; and again to the eastward beyond the Weser to -the Elbe. He “worked” this country from 1793 to 1801, and when at last -justice overtook him and he was committed to the prison of Mayence, -sixty-seven associates, who had followed him with unflagging devotion, -were arrested and brought to trial with him. - -The growth of brigandage was stimulated by the prevailing distress of -the territories so constantly ravaged by war. Peaceable inhabitants -were harried and harassed by the excesses of the troops. Contributions -in money and in kind were repeatedly levied upon them; they lost their -cattle and their crops by military requisitions, and were heavily taxed -in money. Where the farmers and other employers were nearly ruined, -large numbers of labourers were thrown out of work and were driven -into evil practices. Many took to thieving, and stole everything they -came across,--horses from their stables and cattle from the fields. -They cut off and robbed stragglers from the armies on the march, and -pillaged the baggage wagons that went astray. As guardians of the -law became more active in pursuit, offenders were driven to combine -forces and form associations for greater strength and more concerted -action. Receivers of the stolen goods were established with secure -hiding places and lines of safe retreat. Leaders were also appointed -to direct operations, to ascertain the most likely victims and plan -attacks without incurring suspicion or subsequent detection. In this -way, outrages multiplied and developed on a large scale far beyond mere -highway robbery. - -Great prudence and circumspection were employed in the formation -of a band. The members were chosen with an eye to fitness for the -work; every effort was made to preserve their incognito; they were -forbidden to assemble in any considerable number; not more than two -or three men were suffered to live in the same village. Each man’s -address or change of address was known only to the receivers of the -district, through whom orders were circulated from the supreme chief -of the entire association, the individual members of which lived -singly, dispersed through the villages and small towns of an extensive -territory. The brigands themselves were strictly enjoined not to -attract attention; to keep disguises close at hand, to change their -abode frequently, and to be prepared to assume quickly a different -character. The aristocratic German baron or the respectable Dutch -merchant drinking the waters at Aix-la-Chapelle or Spa one week was -transformed the next into the leader of a band of miscreants lurking -in a wood, waiting to embark upon a bloodthirsty attack and wholesale -massacre. - -No important movement was undertaken unless it had been recommended as -feasible by one of the numerous indicators or spies spread over the -country. These were mostly Jews and, strange to say, they were not -members of the band. They were ever on the alert, and by insinuating -themselves into people’s homes, learned who were well-off and where -money and valuables were treasured. They gained all necessary -information as to the possible opposition that would be offered by the -residents, and when all was prepared, the informer contracted to help -the brigand chief to make the coup on a promise of receiving part, -and a large part, of the booty. The rôle played by these spies was -the more detestable because of the certainty that the robbery would -be accompanied with brutal violence and much cruelty. If the treasure -was well concealed or obstinately withheld by the owners, the most -barbarous tortures were inflicted on them, such as those practised by -the “chauffeurs” of central France about this same time, who “warmed” -or toasted the feet of their victims before a blazing fire until they -confessed where their goods lay hidden. These informers were generally -receivers also, ready to take over and dispose of the plunder. - -As soon as a stroke had been decided upon, word was passed around to -gather the band together. A letter was addressed to each member, in -which he was summoned to meet the others at a particular place and -discuss “a matter of business.” Sometimes the chief went in person and -called upon every member. When assembled, the project was considered -from every point of view; the difficulties and dangers were formally -examined; and a decision was taken by vote as to whether it was -practicable or unsafe. If accepted in spite of serious obstacles, -several sub-chiefs were appointed to deal with the different parts of -the plan, such as the line of approach, the actual execution and the -means of retreat. As a rule, the spring or autumn season was preferred -for an attempt, because of the long nights. Winter was tabooed on -account of the bad travelling over dark and nearly impracticable roads, -and the summer nights were too light. Moonlight nights were carefully -avoided, and also any time when snow lay upon the ground. When the -matter eventually came into court, it was found that the week-end was -the time almost invariably chosen for the operations of the band. - -To avoid the alarm that might be caused by the united march of thirty -or forty robbers in company, they were ordered to repair to the -rendezvous, only two or three travelling together. Those who could -afford it rode or drove in vehicles, intended for use afterward in -removing part of the stolen goods. Great pains were taken to prevent -the men from going astray in the dark when passing through the dense -forests. Guides went ahead and marked the path by nailing scraps of -white paper on tree or post; at cross-roads the direction was shown -by a chalked line, or a great branch was broken off from a tree and -laid on the ground with the leafage pointing out the road. Signals -were also passed on from one to another by imitating the hoot of an -owl; whistling was not permitted because it was a low class practice -certain to attract observation. A halt was called at the rendezvous -near the point of attack, where the robbers rested; pistols were -examined, a pass word was chosen and a number of candles and torches -were distributed to be lighted when the march was resumed, as it -was, in perfect silence; and all had their faces blackened to escape -recognition. Any one whom they met was seized, tied, gagged and -muzzled, and left to lie by the roadside, so that he might give no -alarm. - -The chief or captain now took the lead, followed by a party carrying -the _belier_ or battering ram, a solid beam ten or twelve feet long, -and one foot thick, which was sometimes a signpost and sometimes -a wooden cross from a churchyard. On entering a village, some one -who knew the road was sent to barricade the church door and prevent -access to the belfry from which the tocsin might be sounded. The night -watchmen were captured and put out of the way. Next, the doomed house -was surrounded and a sharp fire opened to keep every one in-doors and -give the idea that the assailants were in great numbers. If the French -had passed recently through the country, loud shouts and oaths were -uttered in that language to convey a false impression. After this, -the principal door was beaten in, and the captain entered boldly at -the head of his men, reserving the right to shoot down instantly any -who hesitated or hung back. The whole house was then illuminated from -roof-tree to cellar, and the place was thoroughly ransacked. All the -inmates were bound and gagged, and rolled up in blankets with bedding -and mattresses piled on top of them, until called upon to surrender -their valuables or give information as to where they were concealed. -This, as has been said, was generally extorted after horrible tortures -had been inflicted. - -When the pillage ended, the party hurried away to divide the booty. Any -robber wounded and unable to move off was despatched on the spot; the -greatest pains were taken to leave no one behind who might, if caught, -be made to confess. At the sharing of the spoil, the captain received -a double or triple portion, in addition to anything precious he had -annexed at the first search. At the same time, if an ordinary robber -withheld any valuables, his share was reduced one-half on detection. If -the informer who had started the whole affair did not contrive to be -present at the distribution, he was likely to get little or nothing. -The robbers had a profound contempt for the creatures who followed the -despised trade of spy. - -A leading character among the many who became famous as brigand -chiefs, such as Finck, Black Peter, Seibert and Zughetto, was the more -notorious Schinderhannes, the youngest, boldest and most active robber -of them all, who moved with great rapidity over a wide country and -spread terror everywhere. He did not attempt to conceal himself, but -showed openly at fairs and gatherings, risking capture recklessly; yet -if ill-luck befell, no prison could hold him. He was an adept in the -use of tools to aid escape, and unrivalled in his skill in breaking -chains, forcing locks and cutting through solid walls. - -This notorious criminal was born in the village of Muklen on the right -bank of the Rhine. At an early age he was taught to steal sheep -which he sold to a butcher. Later he became servant to the hangman of -Barenbach, but being taken in the act of robbery, he was thrown into -the gaol at Kirn and flogged. He subsequently escaped, however, and -joined the band of Red Finck, which committed many highway robberies, -chiefly upon Jews. He was again captured and locked up in the prison of -Sarrebruck, from which he easily freed himself. After these beginnings, -Schinderhannes embarked in the business on a larger scale, and having -recruited several desperate companions, committed numberless crimes. He -was a generous brigand who succoured the poor while he made war upon -the rich, and he was credited with a strong desire to abandon his evil -ways if pardoned and permitted to join a regiment in the field; but -this was against the law. - -He was finally arrested by the counsellor Fuchs, grand-bailiff of the -electorate of Treves, who caught him on the high road near Wolfenhausen -as he stole out, alone, from a field of corn. He was dressed as a -sportsman, carried a gun and a long whip, but could not produce a -passport and was forthwith arrested. After passing from place to place, -closely guarded and watched, he was lodged at length in the prison of -Mayence, where he was in due course put upon his trial, was eventually -convicted and suffered the extreme penalty. - -The earlier operations of this formidable ruffian were limited to -highway robbery, but Schinderhannes soon adopted the practice of -extortion by letter, demanding large sums for immunity from attack, -and he issued safe conducts to all who paid blackmail. He dominated -the whole country. Travellers did not dare to take the road. The news -of the forcible entry and pillage of houses and farms spread like -wildfire. For the most part, the robberies were effected upon rich Jews -and others who possessed great stores of cash and valuables, and the -plunder was enormous. The brigands lived royally and with ostentatious -extravagance, appearing at all village fêtes and giving rein to the -wildest self-indulgence. - -When captured at length, this successful miscreant was subjected to -a lengthy trial of eighteen months, the records of which filled five -volumes. In the course of the trial it was proved that he had been -guilty of fifty-three serious crimes, with or without the assistance -of his sixty-seven associates, who were arraigned at the same time, -and were headed by his father, the first John Buckler. Among these -associates were many women. The sentences after conviction were -various. Twenty-one were to be guillotined, including Schinderhannes, -who asked with some apprehension whether he would be broken on -the wheel, but was told to his great relief that this penalty had -disappeared from the code. The capital convicts were to be taken to the -scaffold clothed in red shirts, presumably to increase the ignominy. -For the rest, various terms of imprisonment were imposed, ranging from -six to twenty-four years in chains. Schinderhannes, having heard his -own fate unmoved, expressed his gratitude to his judges for having -spared the lives of his father and wife. He was quite at ease, telling -the bystanders to stare as much as they pleased, for he would be on -view for only two more days. The chaplain gave him the sacrament, and -he accepted the consolation of the Church with very proper feeling. -The convicts were taken to the place of execution in five carts, -Schinderhannes beguiling the way with a full account of his misdeeds. -He mounted the scaffold with a brisk step and closely examined the -guillotine, asking whether it worked as easily and promptly as had -been asserted. In his farewell speech, he admitted the justice of his -sentence, but protested that ten of his companions were dying innocent -men. - -The sharp vindication of the law in the case of these brigands had a -marked result in restoring tranquillity and effectually checked the -operations of organised bands on a large scale. But the records of the -times show many isolated instances of atrocious murders perpetrated on -defenceless travellers. A peculiarly horrible case was the doing to -death of the beautiful girl, Dorothea Blankenfeld, at the post-house -of Maitingen near Augsburg by her travelling companions, who had -accompanied her for many stages, ever thirsting for her blood, but -constantly foiled for want of opportunity until the last night before -arriving at their destination. - -The victim was a native of Friedland, who started from Danzig in -November, 1809, on her way to Vienna, where she was to join her -intended husband, a war commissary in the French service. She had -reached Dresden, but halted there until her friends could find a -suitable escort for the rest of the journey. She was young, barely -twenty-four years old, remarkably good looking, of gentle disposition -and spotless character. The opportunity for which she awaited presented -itself when two French military postilions arrived in Dresden -and sought passports for Vienna. It was easy to add the Fräulein -Blankenfeld’s name in the route paper, and she left Dresden with her -escort, who had already doomed her to destruction. - -The two postilions were really man and wife, for one was a woman in -disguise. They gave their names as Antoine and Schulz, but they were -really the two Antoninis. The man was a native of southern Italy, who -as a boy had been captured by Barbary pirates and released by a French -warship. He had been a drummer in a Corsican battalion, a _laquais -de place_, a sutler and lastly a French army postilion. His criminal -propensities were developed early; he had been frequently imprisoned, -twice in Berlin and once in Mayence with his wife,--for he had married -a woman named Marschall of Berlin,--and he had been constantly -denounced as a thief and incendiary. At Erfurt he had broken prison -and effected the escape of his fellow-prisoners. Theresa Antonini had -been a wild, obstinate and vicious girl, who after marriage became a -partner also in her husband’s evil deeds and shared his imprisonment. -The pair were on their way south to Antonini’s native place in Messina, -very short of money, and they took with them Carl Marschall, the -woman’s brother, a boy barely fifteen years of age. - -Dorothea Blankenfeld was a tempting bait to their cupidity. She was -fashionably dressed, her trunk was full of linen and fine clothes, and -she really carried about two thousand thalers sewed in her stays, a -fact then unknown to her would-be murderers. - -A scheme was soon broached by Antonini to his wife to make away with -the girl, and young Carl Marschall was prevailed upon to join in the -plot. They waited only for a favourable opportunity to effect their -purpose, devising many plans to murder her and conceal their crime. The -whole journey was occupied with abortive attempts. They selected their -quarters for the night with this idea, but some accident interposed -to save the threatened victim, who was altogether unconscious of her -impending fate. - -At Hof a plan was devised of stifling her with smoke in her bed, -but the results seemed uncertain, and it was not tried. At Berneck, -between Hof and Bayreuth, they lodged in a lonely inn at the foot of a -mountain covered with wood, and here the corpse might be buried during -the night. But Theresa Antonini had discarded her postilion’s disguise, -and as two women had arrived, the departure of only one the next -morning must surely arouse suspicion. The following night the notion of -choking the girl with the fumes of smoke was revived, but was dismissed -for the same reason, the doubtful result. Death must be dealt in some -other way if it was to be risked at all. So they drugged her, took her -keys from under her pillow, and opened and examined her trunks, finding -more than enough to seal her doom. - -They arrived next at Nürnberg, a likely place, where many streams of -water flowing through the city might help to get rid of the body. But -a sentry happened to have his post just in front of the inn, and this -afforded protection to the threatened girl. At this time Carl Marschall -proposed to mix pounded glass in her soup, but the scheme was rejected -by Antonini, who declared that he had often swallowed broken glass for -sport without ill effects. At Roth, a suitable weapon was found in a -loft, a mattock with three iron prongs,--and a pool of water for the -concealment of the body was discovered in a neighbouring field, so the -deed was to be perpetrated here, after administering another sleeping -draught. The mischance that a number of carriers put up that night at -the inn again shielded the Fräulein. Insurmountable objections arose -also at Weissenberg and Donauwörth, and as they had now reached the -last stage but one, it seemed as if the murder might never be committed. - -The last station was Maitingen near Augsburg, where the girl was to -leave the party, and here fresh incitement was given to guilty greed by -her incautious admission that she carried a quantity of valuables on -her person. Somehow she must be disposed of that night. The boy Carl -was to be the principal agent in the crime; it was thought that his -youth would save him from capital punishment, an inevitable sentence -for the others if convicted. The lad showed no reluctance to the act, -and only hesitated lest he should not be strong enough to complete -it, but his sister said that Antonini would help as soon as the first -blow was struck, and she further tempted him with the promise of a -substantial gift. - -Carl had discovered in the post-house a heavy roller which he hid in -Antonini’s bed-room. Then he dug a hole in the yard, intended for the -disposal of the body. Antonini bought some candles, and on the pretence -of using a foot bath, much warm water was prepared to cleanse the blood -stains. At supper Dorothea drank some brandy and water mixed with -laudanum, and was taken off to bed half stupefied. About midnight the -murderers viewed their intended victim and found her asleep, but in a -position unfavourable for attack, as her face was turned to the wall. -Now a change of plan was proposed,--to pour molten lead into her ears -and eyes,--but on heating the fragments of a spoon over the candle, it -was seen that a drop which fell on the sheet merely scorched it, which -indicated that the metal cooled too quickly to destroy life. - -Another visit was paid to the victim at four o’clock, and now Carl was -ordered to strike the first blow, which fell with murderous effect; but -the poor girl was able to raise herself in bed and to plead piteously -for her life. A fierce struggle ensued; repeated blows were rained upon -her and she sank upon the floor in the agony of death, while Antonini -tore at the money she still carried on her person. As the wretched -woman still breathed and groaned audibly, Antonini savagely trampled -and jumped on her body until life was quite extinct. When afterward -examined, the body was found to be grievously bruised and swollen, the -collar bone was broken, and there were nine wounds made by a blunt -instrument on the brow and other parts of the head. - -The house was disturbed at first by the piercing shrieks of the -victim, and the postmaster listened at her door but heard nothing -more. It was noticed the following morning that although the party -was to have started at five o’clock, they were not ready to leave -until nine. The attention of the postmaster, who was looking out of -the window, was attracted by a curiously shaped bundle which the men -dragged out of the house and flung into the carriage, something like -the carcass of a dog, or it might be of a human being. Then the party -entered the carriage and drove away, but it was observed that there -was only one woman in the carriage instead of the two who had arrived -on the previous evening. The rooms upstairs were now visited and the -terrible catastrophe was forthwith discovered. Walls, floor and bed -were drenched with blood and it was plain that an atrocious murder -had been committed. Information was at once given to the authorities, -and the carriage was promptly pursued. It was overtaken at the gates -of Augsburg, and the culprits were seized and lodged in gaol. The -suspicious looking bundle, wrapped up in a long blue cloak, had been -tied up behind the carriage, and when examined it was found to contain -the wounded and much battered corpse of a young woman. - -In the course of the protracted criminal proceedings which followed, -the boy Carl Marschall was the first to confess his guilt. The -Antoninis were obstinately reticent, but at last, after nineteen -long examinations, Theresa, when confronted with her brother, also -acknowledged her share in the deed. Antonini was persistent in his -denial and sought continually to deceive the judge by a variety of -lying statements, but even he yielded at last and made a disjointed -but still self-incriminating confession. Husband and wife were both -convicted and sentenced by the court at Nürnberg to death by the -sword. Their boy accomplice, Carl Marschall, in consideration of -his youth, was condemned to ten years’ imprisonment at hard labour. -Antonini escaped the punishment he so well deserved by dying in prison; -but his wife was not so fortunate and suffered the penalty of death -upon the scaffold, hardened and unrepentant to the last. - -Perhaps no more brutal murder than this committed by the Antoninis has -ever been recorded, though at that time, when the activities of the -brigand and highway robber were not entirely suppressed, doubtless many -atrocities were perpetrated, the true stories of which have remained -forever in obscurity. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -CLEVER IMPOSTORS AND SWINDLERS - - James Thalreuter or the “False Prince”--A notorious - swindler--His early life and education--Adopted by the - Stromwalters--Pledges their credit and robs their safe--Forges - letter from a grand-duke--Squanders money thus obtained in wild - dissipation--Makes full confession of his frauds--Sentenced to - eight years’ imprisonment--“The Golden Princess,” Henrietta - Wilke--Her luxurious mode of living and generosity to the - poor--Curiosity as to her origin--Loans borrowed on false - pretences--She is arrested--Startling revelations brought - to light at her trial--Sentenced to twelve years’ penal - servitude--“Prince Lahovary” or George Manolescu--Arrested - in Paris at the age of nineteen charged with thirty-seven - thefts--His criminal career--Campaign in America under the - assumed title of “Prince Lahovary”--Imprisoned for personating - the Russian general Kuropatkin--Leonhard Bollert, nicknamed the - “attorney general”--A notorious criminal-adventurer who served - many terms in different prisons. - - -The criminal records of Germany contain some rather remarkable -instances of swindling and imposture. One of the most curious was -that of James Thalreuter, commonly called the “False Prince.” He was -the illegitimate son of Lieutenant-Colonel von Rescher and Barbara -Thalreuter, the daughter of an exciseman. He was born at Landshut in -1809 and was acknowledged by his father. His mother died the same year -and he was taken charge of by Baron von Stromwalter, an intimate friend -of his father. The boy James was accepted in the house as a son of the -family on equal terms with the Stromwalter children, and the baroness -grew extravagantly fond of him. He was a clever, lively lad, full of -mischievous ways, and very early he exhibited a fertile and promising -genius for lying. The baroness exercised absolute sway in the house, -for the family fortune and property was entirely hers. The baron was a -mere cypher, a weak and foolish old man, who had no other means than -his pension from a civil post. - -The lad had been sent to school and was supposed to have gained a good -education, but, as a matter of fact, he had learned very little. He -wrote poorly and spelled abominably, but he had made good progress at -arithmetic, and before he was sixteen possessed a surprising knowledge -of financial and commercial affairs. A strongly marked trait was -his power of inventing the most varied, ingenious and complicated -lies, perfect in their smallest details and worked up with masterly -skill. This seemingly inexhaustible talent was aided by a singularly -comprehensive and accurate memory. Whenever he returned home from -school, he quickly established an extraordinary influence over his -fond foster-mother; he felt neither affection nor respect for her, -but only esteemed her as the person able to minister to his selfish -desires. The baroness, on her part, did everything she could to -please him, lavished money upon him freely, and kept nothing secret -from him, not even the safe containing her jewels and valuables to -which he had always free access. It was testified afterward that he -did what he liked with the baroness, sometimes by fair, but more often -by foul means. As for the poor old baron, he was treated with supreme -contempt, was often addressed in insulting terms before others, and -once Thalreuter actually struck him. - -The young villain made the most of his situation and took advantage of -the old lady’s excessive fondness to pledge her credit and run heavily -into debt. He plundered her right and left, carried away many valuable -things from the house, and from time to time stole large sums from -her bureau, the keys of which he could always obtain. The baroness -caught him at last and proceeded to reprimand her foster-son severely, -but he easily persuaded her to forgive him, and she went no further -than to take better care of her keys. The success which he had so far -achieved now inspired him with an ingenious plan for defrauding his -foster-parents on a large scale. - -In the early part of the year 1825 he began to let fall mysterious -hints that it was altogether a mistake to suppose that he had been born -in a humble station; that, on the contrary, he was really the son of a -royal personage, the Duke of B., who, having lost one son by poison, -had secretly entrusted this second son to Colonel von Reseller,--a -special favourite,--who was to pass for his father and bring him up, -preserving the most inviolable secrecy. Incredible as it may appear, -the Stromwalters were gulled by this manifestly fraudulent story. -They had known the young Thalreuter from his youth, had seen and -possessed the certificate of his birth, and were fully aware of all -the circumstances attending it. Yet they were easily imposed upon and -dazzled by the grandeur of this tremendous fiction, backed up by the -production of letters from the grand-duke, which in themselves were -plain evidence of the fraud. Possibly Thalreuter had inherited his -indifferent calligraphy from his illustrious parent, for the twenty -letters purporting to come from his royal highness were illegible -scrawls, poor in composition and wretched in style; but this very -circumstance supplied the impostor with an excuse for retaining them -and reading them aloud. They were couched in terms of deep gratitude -for the foster-parents’ care, and a large return in cash and honour was -promised as a reward for their services. The grand-duke did not limit -himself to empty promises; he sent through Thalreuter a costly present -of six strings of fine pearls of great value, very acceptable to the -Stromwalters, who, thanks to the extravagance of their foster-son, the -pretended prince, were much pinched for money. The pearls were pledged -for a fictitious value, Thalreuter declaring that his grand-ducal -father would be greatly offended if he heard they had been submitted -to formal examination. The impostor studiously suppressed the fact that -he had bought the pearls at two shillings per string at a toy shop with -money which he had stolen. He had obtained a pair of sham earrings -at the same shop. Any story was good enough to fool the simpleton -Stromwalters; he exhibited the miniature one day of an officer in -uniform, blazing with orders, as that of the grand-duke, and on another -day showed them sketches of the estates that were to be bestowed upon -the worthy couple. Again, he pretended that his highness had called in -state in a carriage and four to pay a ceremonious visit when they were -absent; and another time claimed that the royal chamberlain had invited -the baron to share a bottle with him at the Swan Inn, but was called -away by urgent business before the baron arrived. - -This shameless deception profited Thalreuter greatly. As a prince in -disguise, he was treated with much indulgence and liberally supplied -with the means of extravagance. He now invented a fresh lie, that of -a proposed match between the son, Lieutenant von Stromwalter, and the -heiress of a rich and noble family, the Von Wallers, and the whole -intrigue was carried forward even as far as betrothal without bringing -the parties together, secrecy being essential to the very last, as -Thalreuter explained to the old people. But he produced letters--of his -own manufacture--from the grand-duke and various people of rank at -court, all of them congratulating the Stromwalters on the approaching -most desirable marriage. The ultimate aim of the fraud was at last -shown when Thalreuter forged a letter calling upon the baroness to pay -a sum of 10,000 florins into the military fund as a guarantee that her -son was able to support a wife. The generous grand-duke had offered -to advance a large part of this money, but at least 2,700 florins -must come from the Stromwalters, and they actually handed the cash -to Thalreuter, who rapidly squandered it in dissipation of the most -reckless kind. - -Were it not that all the facts in this marvellous imposture are -vouched for by the legal proceedings afterward instituted, it would be -difficult to credit the amazing credulity, amounting to imbecility, -displayed by the Stromwalters. Thalreuter played his game with -extraordinary boldness, and continually traded on the name of the son -in support of his preposterous fictions. He invented the story of a -seditious plot, in which the lieutenant was embroiled and for which -he was arrested, only to extract a sum of one thousand florins for -obtaining his release from prison. - -The next fraud was a trumped-up tale that the lieutenant was in serious -pecuniary difficulties and that, unless cleared, the marriage must be -broken off; the result was a further advance by the baroness, who sold -off a quantity of her furniture to obtain cash. Then it appeared that -the lieutenant was involved in a dishonourable intrigue and could only -be extricated by paying blackmail; he must make presents to his fiancée -and the jeweller’s bill must be settled; a house for the young couple -must be furnished, and hence the abstraction of many articles from the -home of the old Stromwalters, all of which were pawned by Thalreuter. - -Strange to say, relations were never opened up with the Von Wallers; -stranger still, no direct communications were opened with the son. And -it would seem perfectly incredible that his parents did not write to -him on the subject of his coming marriage, of his arrest, or of his -embarrassments and necessary expenditure. They did write, as a matter -of fact, but Thalreuter intercepted all the letters and continued his -thefts and embezzlements unchecked and undiscovered. He made a clean -sweep of everything; emptied the house, dissipated the property, -obtained the baroness’s signature to bills and drafts by false -pretences, and ruined her utterly. - -The large sums thus shamelessly obtained by Thalreuter were thrown -absolutely away. He entertained his acquaintances, mostly of the lowest -classes,--peasants and domestic servants,--in the most sumptuous manner -at different inns and taverns. Not only were the most costly wines -poured out like water at the table, but they were cast into adjacent -ponds and dashed against the carriage wheels; the most delicate viands -were thrown out of the window for boys to scramble for; splendid -fireworks were set off to amuse the guests, among whom he distributed -all kinds of expensive presents with the greatest profusion. One -witness even stated that on one occasion he moistened the wheels of -the carriage he had hired with eau de Cologne. A toyman, Stang by -name, who was the constant companion of Thalreuter and partaker of -his extravagant pleasures, sold him, in one year, goods to the amount -of 6,700 florins, among which was eau de Cologne worth 50 florins. -Stang, on first witnessing the boy’s extravagance, thought it his -duty to report it to Baroness von Stromwalter, but was told that the -expenditure of her James would not appear surprising whenever the -secret of his birth and rank should be revealed; that at present she -could only say that he was the son of very great parents and would have -more property than he could possibly spend. The poor toyman was, of -course, overjoyed at the thought of having secured the friendship and -custom of a prince in disguise, and no longer felt any hesitation in -accepting Thalreuter’s presents and joining his parties, and from that -time forward they became almost daily companions. - -Thalreuter’s behaviour did not escape the notice of the authorities, -but when they applied to his foster-parents, they were put off by the -same mysterious hints of his noble birth. But fate at last fell heavily -upon the young impostor. When called upon to pay a long-standing -account for coach hire, Thalreuter produced a cheque purporting to -be drawn by a certain Dr. Schroll. The signature was repudiated as a -forgery, and the young man was arrested. The baroness still stood by -him and was ready to answer for it until the scales fell from her eyes -at the swindler’s astonishing confessions. Thalreuter now recounted -at length the repeated deceits and frauds he had practised upon his -foster-parents, the extent of which could hardly be estimated, but -there was little doubt that he had extorted by his dishonest processes -a sum between 6,000 and 8,000 florins. He implicated the unfortunate -Stang in these nefarious actions, and other well-do-do and respectable -persons. Many of the charges brought proved to be utterly false, and -it appeared that this consummate young rogue had acted chiefly alone. -It was clearly made out that he had had no assistance in effecting the -ruin of the too credulous Stromwalters, and had relied upon his own wit -and the extreme weakness and simplicity of the old people. - -Thalreuter, in consideration of his youth, was sentenced to only -eight years’ imprisonment at hard labour and a corporal punishment of -twenty-five lashes on admission to prison. He only survived to complete -two years of his sentence and died in 1828 at the bridewell in Munich. - -Not many years after the coming and going of the false prince, -Thalreuter, at Munich, another fictitious aristocrat flashed across -the horizon of Berlin society, springing suddenly into notoriety -and attracting universal attention. She was generally known as the -“Golden Princess,” but no one knew certainly whom she was or whence -she came. She appeared about 1835, when she adopted a sumptuous style -of living which dazzled every one and made her the universal topic -of conversation. She occupied a luxuriously furnished villa in the -Thiergarten, kept a liveried man servant, a coachman, a cook, a maid -and also a lady companion, and habitually drove about Berlin in a -beautifully equipped carriage. She frequented the most expensive shops, -where she made large purchases, to the intense satisfaction of the -tradesmen, who considered the “Golden Princess” their best customer, -particularly as she was quite above haggling and bargaining. She was -generous to a fault; the poor besieged her door, and her deeds of -charity were many. She often travelled, and her journeys to London and -Brussels were much discussed; she visited German baths and would post -to Carlsbad with four horses. From all these places she brought back -splendid presents which she lavished upon her acquaintances, although -they were not always cordially accepted, for her social position during -the earlier part of her career by no means corresponded with her -general magnificence. She did not frequent fashionable circles, nor did -she receive much company at home. - -A woman of this kind could not escape gossiping criticism. Many -reports were current of her quality and antecedents. One story was that -she was betrothed to a Brazilian, Count Villamor, who was supposed -to have fallen in love with her abroad and was now providing the -means for her to live in Berlin and to travel, so that she might fit -herself for the high position of his wife. Others said that she was -engaged to marry a Hamburg senator. German counts, and even princes, -were also suggested as the future husbands of this interesting girl. -The consensus of opinion, however, was in favour of the Brazilian, -and her very ample means gave some colour to this assumption. She was -an attractive woman, although not strikingly beautiful; she had good -features and fascinating manners, and it was natural that this wealthy -foreign count should fall in love with her. To call her an adventuress -was unjustifiable. - -This Henrietta Wilke, for such was her modest name, was no stranger in -reality, nor was she of distinguished parentage. She was born of humble -people who died when she was a child, and she had been befriended by -some wealthy folk who gave her an education above her station, so that -when, at their death, she was obliged to go into domestic service, she -was treated more as a friend than a servant. She began as a nurse-maid -and then became companion to an elderly maiden lady of Charlottenburg -named Niemann, who played a large part in her subsequent history. - -Henrietta Wilke had borne a good character as a respectable, -unpretending girl, and there was no reason whatever to suspect her of -frauds and malpractices for the purpose of acquiring wealth. The police -could urge nothing against her, even if the sources of her wealth were -obscure. She did not thrust herself into the society of well-to-do -people to cheat and impose upon them. On the contrary, she consorted -with a lower class and behaved with great propriety; her reputation -was good; she paid her way honourably, was extremely charitable and -never seemed ashamed of her poor relations. Still, there were those who -smiled sarcastically and hinted that some strange truths would yet be -disclosed about this enigmatic personage. - -Among those who trusted her implicitly was the proprietor of a large -furniture establishment in Berlin, Schroder by name, from whom she had -made large purchases, always paying for them in cash. One day he made -so bold as to ask her if she would lend him a few thousand thalers -to increase his business, as she seemed to have a large capital at -her command. She replied that she had not attained her majority--she -was twenty-three years old, but the age of majority in Germany was -twenty-four years. She would otherwise gladly give him the sum herself, -she said, but in the meantime she promised to try to procure it from a -friend of hers who had the control of her own fortune. The following -day she informed Schroder that her old friend Fräulein Niemann, -of Charlottenburg, was quite prepared to lend him 5,000 thalers at -four per cent., on the security of his shop. The money, however, -was invested in debentures, and it could not be released until the -repayment of 500 thalers which had been borrowed on them. If Schroder -would advance that sum, the whole business might be settled at once. - -Schroder, after making inquiries and hearing nothing but satisfactory -reports about Fräulein Niemann, went to Charlottenburg and, in the -presence of Henrietta Wilke, gave her the 500 thalers to secure -the 5,000 thalers which were to be shortly handed over. But on the -following day Fräulein Wilke came to him again and said that the -debentures could only be released by the payment of 1,000 thalers; -to compensate him she offered to raise the loan to 8,000 thalers. -Schroder, after some hesitation, agreed to pay the further 500 thalers; -but he first sought further information as to Fräulein Niemann’s -solvency, taking her promise in writing to lend him on June 28th, 1836, -a capital of 8,000 thalers and to repay him his loan of 1,000 thalers. - -Instead of the money, however, Henrietta Wilke came to him again and -announced that Fräulein Niemann meant to make his fortune. She would -lend him 20,000 thalers instead of 8,000 thalers, but to release -so large an amount of debentures she required a further sum of 500 -thalers. Schroder at first demurred, but, after paying the two -ladies another visit, he relented. He paid the third 500 thalers and -for this was to receive on February 10th the whole sum of twenty -thousand thalers. The 10th of February passed, but the money was not -forthcoming. Instead, a message came to say that 8,000 thalers at least -should be paid on the following Monday. Fräulein Wilke appeared on -the Monday without the money, indeed, but with the news that as her -friend’s banker had not made the promised payment, she would borrow the -sum from another friend. Schroder believed her, and his confidence was -such that he gave her 100 thalers more, which she still required to -draw out the necessary debentures. He received a receipt from Fräulein -Niemann, and February 13th was fixed as the day of payment. But on the -day when this agreement was made, Schroder heard that other persons had -received from Fräulein Wilke some of the bank-notes he had given to -her or Fräulein Niemann for the release of the debentures. Indeed, he -learned that Fräulein Wilke had bought two horses with one of his 300 -thaler notes. - -He rushed to Charlottenburg and found Henrietta and her companion at -Fräulein Niemann’s. A violent scene took place, but a reconciliation -followed, and Schroder allowed himself to be persuaded to wait until -February 27th. When on that day the money was again not forthcoming, he -very naturally grew uneasy and applied to the police. Herr Gerlach, -at that time the head of the force, found no cause for prosecuting -Henrietta Wilke or the blameless Fräulein Niemann, and although the -celebrated police magistrate Duncker did not agree, no steps were -taken to arrest them. Schroder now decided to sue Fräulein Niemann. A -compromise, however, was reached. He then limited his demands to the -repayment of the 1,600 thalers and to the loan of a small capital of -8,000 thalers, both of which were conceded. To disarm his suspicion, -Fräulein Wilke required of Fräulein Niemann that she should at least -show him the money he was to receive. The old lady accordingly took out -of her cabinet a sealed packet with the superscription “10,000 thalers -in Pomeranian debentures.” Schroder asked that it should be given over -to him at once, but Fräulein Wilke, always the spokeswoman for Fräulein -Niemann, explained that this was impossible on account of family -circumstances, and that he could not have the debentures until March -30th. The day came but not the money; Fräulein Wilke and her companion -Fräulein Alfrede called upon him and continued to allege complicated -family affairs as the cause of the delay. To reassure him, however, -and to disarm suspicion, she handed over to him, in Fräulein Niemann’s -name, the sealed packet with the 10,000 thalers in debentures, but with -the injunction not to open it until April 5th, otherwise, no further -payments would be made; then to convert the debentures into cash, keep -1,600 thalers for himself, take 8,000 thalers as a loan, and return the -rest to Fräulein Niemann. All parties now seemed satisfied. - -On the date fixed, Schroder went to a notary’s office under police -instruction and broke the seals, when, in the place of the 10,000 -thalers in debentures, they found nothing in the envelope but several -sheets of blank paper. A fraud had evidently been committed which -pointed to other irregularities. It would be tedious to describe in -detail the ingenious deceptions practised for years past by Henrietta -Wilke on Fräulein Niemann, whose god-daughter she was, and upon whom -she had continually imposed by pretending that she was the protégé -of great personages, more especially the princess Raziwill, who had -secured the good offices of the king himself, William III, on her -behalf. The Fräulein Niemann was deluded into making large advances, -ostensibly to help the princess in her necessities and ultimately the -king, but which really were impounded feloniously by Wilke. The king -was also supposed to be mixed up in the backing of Schroder’s furniture -business, and the packet containing the sham debentures was represented -to have been really prepared by royal hands. This farrago of nonsense -failed to satisfy Schroder, who now gave information to the police and -the “Golden Princess” had reached the end of her career. She was taken -into custody and subjected to judicial examination. When before the -judge, all her powers of intrigue seemed to abandon her. She made a -full confession and admitted everything. What was the motive which led -so young a girl to commit such gigantic frauds, was asked. The criminal -herself gives the simplest explanation of this in her own statement: - -“In first practising my frauds on Niemann, I was actuated by a distaste -for service as a means of support. It proved so easy to procure money -from her that I continued doing so. At first I thought that she was -very rich and would not be much damaged if I drew upon her superfluity. -When, however, she was obliged to raise money on her house, I saw that -she had nothing more, but then it was too late for me to turn back.” -When asked if she had never considered the danger of detection, she -replied with complete unconcern that she had entertained no such fears. -She had spent everything she had received from Fraulein Niemann and -others to gratify her desire to live like a fine lady, and had retained -nothing but the few articles found in her possession at the time of -her arrest. In this simple statement the whole explanation of her way -of life was contained. All the witnesses who had known her previously -testified to her being a quiet, good-tempered person and that she was -well conducted from a moral point of view was certain. Her relatives -confirmed all this, but stated that they had always considered the -education given her to be above her condition, and had thought it -encouraged her in her frivolity and her desire to play the lady of -quality. All this tallies with the whole story of her life which was -based upon the desire for luxury and show. - -Opportunity creates thieves and also begets beings of her sort, -addicted to speculative transactions. They begin in a small way and -good luck spurs them on to greater enterprises. Like her imagination, -her talent for intrigue grew apace. From the humble position of a -nurse-maid, she aspired to raise herself to that of a lady companion. -She only pretended to act as the favoured agent of a king, after having -posed as the pet of a princess and the betrothed of several counts, her -early desire to be a school mistress having been cast aside as unworthy -of her soaring ambition. - -While in prison, she composed a letter to the king, supposed to be -written by Fräulein Niemann, in which this lady is made to implore -his pardon for her protégé, and begs him to open the prison doors. -To this she added some lines addressed to Fräulein Alfrede, Wilke’s -former companion, directing her to induce Fräulein Niemann to copy it -in her own hand; and it was then to be delivered by the companion to -a trustworthy person who would see that it was given to the king. The -contents of this epistle were divulged by another prisoner. It produced -no results, of course, but bears witness to Henrietta Wilke’s courage -and adroitness in continuing to weave her intrigues within the prison -walls, and shows how long she must have held the old lady a captive in -a net of lies. - -The first verdict was pronounced on May 21, 1836. According to Prussian -law, the fraud committed could only be atoned for by the reimbursement -of double the sum misappropriated, and if the criminal were without -means, a corresponding term of penal servitude would be inflicted. -This duplicated fine was computed by the judge at 42,450 thalers, -and he desired that on account of the self-evident impecuniosity of -the girl Wilke, and of the allegation brought forward of aggravated -circumstances connected with her malpractices, a sentence of twelve -years’ penal servitude be pronounced. - -Confined at first in Spandau and afterward in Brandenburg, the -prisoner’s conduct seems to have been uniformly good. She occupied -herself with embroideries, which were said to be very skilfully -executed. A petition for her pardon was sent in some years ago, but -was rejected, as there was no reason for letting out so dangerous a -prisoner before her term had expired. Even when the period for release -arrived, she was not allowed her freedom until the administrator of the -institution had satisfied himself that she had really been improved by -the punishment endured, was capable of earning her livelihood honestly, -and that her liberation would not endanger the public safety. - -A case of the pretentious impostor of recent date, imprisoned in -various German prisons, is that of George Manolescu, whose memoirs -have appeared in the form of an autobiography. So varied were the -experiences of this thorough-paced scoundrel, so cleverly did he carry -out his gigantic depredations and his numerous frauds and thefts great -and small, almost always without any violence, that his story has -all the elements of romance. Manolescu was highly gifted by nature. -Endowed with a handsome person, he appeared to have an affectionate -disposition, spoke several languages with ease and fluency, and his -singular charm of manner made him at home in the most fastidious -society. Exhibiting an utter disregard of the commonest principles of -right and wrong, he devoted his talents and his marvellous ingenuity to -criminal malpractices. - -George Manolescu was born on May 20th, 1871, in the town of Ploesci -in Roumania. His father was a captain of cavalry, who, owing to his -implacable and haughty character, was constantly being shifted from -one garrison to another; his mother, a great beauty, died when he -was two years old, and the care of his early childhood was confided -to his grandmother, whom he caused endless trouble. Later on he was -transferred from school to school, for his passionate love of perpetual -change and his undisciplined nature prevented him from settling down -to work anywhere. This longing for travels and adventures was, indeed, -deep seated and unconquerable, so that at last his father sought to -give it a natural vent by sending him to an academy for naval cadets. -At first his conduct was good, but soon his intolerance of control -asserted itself and led him to insubordination. On his return to the -academy after a vacation, he misconducted himself and was punished with -close confinement in a small cell under the roof. He managed, however, -to break open the door, climb out on the roof and let himself down -into the street by means of the nearest telegraph post. He started at -once for the harbour of Galatz, and with only one franc, 50 centimes -for his whole fortune, stowed himself away on a steamer bound for -Constantinople. The captain had him put on shore at that port. Half -dead with fatigue and hunger, he obtained a portion of _pilaf_ from -the first vendor of that delicacy whom he met in the streets of the -Turkish capital, and after satisfying his appetite, in lieu of payment -he flung the empty dish at the man’s head and took to his heels. He ran -up to Pera and entered the public garden, where an entertainment was -in progress at a theatre of varieties. Here he met a Turkish officer -who noticed him and with whom he had some conversation. Seeing the -corner of a pocket book protruding from that worthy’s half-open coat, -the boy with lightning speed possessed himself of it unobserved, and -also picked the officer’s pocket of a cigarette case encrusted with -diamonds. He then escaped with his booty. The pocket book contained 20 -pounds sterling; with this sum he set up a sort of bazaar by filling a -large basket with various articles for sale, and, assisted by a young -Italian he casually met, cried his wares all over the town. This first -venture was not successful, as he made no profit and the assistant ran -away with the whole stock in trade, including the basket. - -Thus living from hand to mouth, he decided to turn his back on -Constantinople, where he felt the eyes of the police were upon him. -Being penniless, he applied to the Roumanian legation to send him home, -which they consented to do. On landing at Galatz, as he was entirely -without money, he went into the nearest café, annexed the first -overcoat he saw, and pawned it for a few francs. This was not enough -money to pay his journey to Bucharest where his family now lived, so -he sought other means to replenish his exchequer. Loving, as he did, -everything pertaining to the sea, he visited the various foreign ships -lying in the harbour and inspected all parts, always stealing as he -went any valuables he could find in the cabins of the captain and chief -engineer. Presently Galatz became too hot for him, and he found it -expedient to proceed to Bucharest, where he made but a short stay. - -Paris, the dream of every youthful _vaurien_, strongly attracted him. -In the meantime he started on his travels once more, and again reached -Constantinople, from whence he travelled on to Athens, defraying his -expenses by clever thefts. One fine day, however, he found himself -in the Grecian capital without funds and once more applied to the -Roumanian legation to be repatriated. This request being refused, he -drew his revolver, put it to his breast, pulled the trigger and fell -down senseless. He was removed to a hospital, and although the ball -could not be extracted, he did not die, as the surgeon expected. While -he lay there, he attracted much sympathy and received several gracious -visits from Queen Olga of Denmark, who was at that time in Athens. Her -kindness so touched him the first time she came that he burst into -tears. She caused him to be removed to the best room in the hospital, -defrayed his expenses, and when he recovered ordered him to appear at -the Greek court. Subsequently she provided the means for his journey -home where, as before, he remained but a short time. - -In July, 1888, his love of adventure again drew him away and eventually -he managed to reach Paris, where he established himself in the Latin -Quarter. His family agreed to make him a small monthly allowance, -provided he should adopt some reputable means of livelihood. But the -attempt was half-hearted, and as he soon found himself straitened in -his means, he eked them out by thefts committed at the Bon Marché, -Louvre and other great department stores. His tricks and fraudulent -devices were ingenious and varied and may be passed over. He soon -aimed at higher game and began stealing unset precious stones from -jewellers’ shops, by which he realised plunder to the value of about -5,000 francs monthly. He hired a beautiful villa in the rue François I, -lived in luxury, kept race horses and was well received by members of -fashionable society, in whose exclusive homes he was made welcome as -the supposed son of a rich father, and where he gambled on an enormous -scale, often losing large sums. One fine day, however, fate overtook -him and he was arrested for thirty-seven thefts to the aggregate value -of 540,000 francs. He was thus dashed from the height of prosperity -into an abyss of misfortune, and in 1890, when still barely nineteen -years of age, he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. After -his release, he was again sent home to Bucharest, where as usual he -remained only a short time. - -He now visited various countries, including Japan and the United -States. In Chicago, where many bankers are of German extraction, he -was invited everywhere, partly because his German was so perfect and -also because he adopted the title of Duke of Otranti and so made an -impression by his imaginary high rank. Rich marriages were proposed -to him, but the parents of a beautiful girl whom he desired to make -his wife discredited the proofs he offered of his wealth and exalted -rank. He continued his thefts and was twice imprisoned during this -period of his career. But as we are chiefly concerned with his German -experiences, we shall take up his life again at the time of his -marriage to a German countess of an ancient Catholic family whom -he met travelling in Switzerland. He managed to procure the consent -of the girl’s mother, but the rest of the family were averse to the -match. The young people were genuinely in love, and this marvellous -adventurer never ceased to love his wife and was a tender, though not -very faithful husband while they remained together. There were so -many difficulties to be overcome and so much to be concealed that the -marriage seemed hardly possible. But Manolescu procured his papers -from Roumania and the couple were married by the bishop of Geneva, the -Roumanian vice-consul being present, though the bridegroom, to add -to other complications, belonged to the Greek Church. He travelled a -great deal with his wife, and in 1899 visited some of her aristocratic -relations at their fine country schloss, where he was warmly received. -Later on the young couple settled in a lovely villa on the Lake of -Constance, where their only child, a girl, was born. - -Of course Manolescu was soon short of money, and he decided to start -for Cairo to try to procure for himself a position there as hotel -manager. The parting between husband and wife, although they supposed -it would only be temporary, was most pathetic. They never lived -together again. He never reached his destination, for when out of -reach of his wife’s good influence, his thieving proclivities again -overmastered him, and at Lucerne, one of his stopping places, he -entered the rooms of a married couple staying at his hotel and stole -most of the contents of the lady’s jewel case which he found in the -first trunk he opened. In the husband’s trunk he also found valuable -securities which he appropriated, and with this rich booty he escaped -to Zurich. At the Hotel Stephanie there, he robbed the bed-room of an -American gentleman, making off with bank-notes and French securities to -the amount of 70,000 francs. Shortly after this coup he was arrested at -Frankfurt and taken to a police station. A brief description given in -his own words of some of his experiences there may be of interest. - -“At the prison I was given in charge of the inspector. This man, -wishing at once to assert his authority, ordered me in a brutal tone to -strip where I stood, on a stone floor in a cold corridor where there -was a terrible draught from the open windows. I submitted, knowing -this measure to be usual at most prisons, though it does not take -place elsewhere in a corridor, but in rooms specially arranged for -this purpose; also prisoners are generally allowed to keep on their -under-linen and shoes. I, however, had to divest myself of everything -except my shoes. My garments were carefully searched one by one. During -this time the inspector stood in front of me with an evil smile on his -face, swaying himself from side to side. I begged him civilly to allow -me to keep on my shirt, whereupon he replied that I was well protected -from cold by my shoes. Beside myself with rage, I took them and flung -them at his head. He threw himself upon me and tried to strike me with -his bunch of keys, but I seized his wrist and twisted it, forcing him -to drop them. Two warders now appeared at his call, and he ordered me -to put on my clothes. To these irons were to be added, but I resisted, -and a fight took place in which I came off the victor. The attempt to -put me into irons was given up, and I was moved up into a small but -airy cell, where I was securely locked up. Later, however, the chief -inspector came to see me; he spoke to me kindly and begged me to behave -quietly and he would see that I was not maltreated in any way.” - -Manolescu’s attempt at escape, his simulation of madness, and the -interviews with his wife, who came to Frankfurt that she might see -him, need not be detailed at length. It is enough to say that he was -extradited to Switzerland, tried and sentenced to only six months’ hard -labour. Having regard to the strictness of the Swiss laws, this was a -mild sentence, but Manolescu was not considered by the authorities to -be in his right mind. - -In September of 1900, after his release, he crossed once more to -America, where he carried out a large robbery successfully, and -returning to Paris, again lived on the very crest of the wave, -frequenting the same fashionable circles and attributing his long -absence from France to family affairs. He now assumed the title of -Prince Lahovary, and had a neat prince’s coronet printed on his -visiting cards. He posed as a bachelor, looked about for a wife, and -proposed to a young American widow whom he met at Boulogne, where she -was staying with her father and brother. She evinced some inclination -to accept him and some of her relatives favoured the “prince’s” -suit. At the end of three weeks’ courtship they parted, agreeing to -meet later on in Berlin. Lahovary, as we must now call him, returned -temporarily to Paris, where he literally wallowed in luxury. The large -sums he spent he managed to provide for the time being by play, for -he was a most inveterate gambler, although not usually lucky, as he -calculated that he had lost altogether 1,800,000 francs at cards during -his career. In November he arrived, as agreed, in Berlin, accompanied -by a secretary and valet, and made his entry into the proud German -capital as “Prince Lahovary,” a great personage by whom all Europe -was presently to be dazzled and who was to be the subject of endless -talk. He established himself with his suite at the Kaiserhof, still -falsely pretending to be unmarried, and continued his courtship of -the young widow. But his resources soon melted, and he was forced to -undertake a fresh robbery on a large scale, which led to his undoing. -On the evening of this theft he left Berlin for Dresden, where he -sold some of the jewelry he had stolen to a court jeweller for 12,000 -marks, and then returned to Berlin to take a temporary leave of his -American friends, explaining to them that important affairs called -him to Genoa. The father of the young widow proposed that as he and -his son and daughter were shortly to sail for America from that port, -they should all meet there, and they arranged a rendezvous for January -10, 1901. Now occurred a dramatic little incident in the life of this -strange man worth recording. - -On January 1, 1901, he left Berlin and went to the place where his wife -lived with her child. He wanted to see them once more before proceeding -to Genoa to sail from thence to the new world, although he had fully -determined to marry the other woman, if possible, and settle down to -a properly regulated life in America. He reached the town on January -2nd, at 9 o’clock in the morning, hired a carriage and drove to a shop -to buy toys for his child and presents for his wife. He then drove to -the villa where his wife lived and stopped at the gate, which he rang -five or six times. No one answered or came to open the gate for him. -His wife lived on the ground floor and from the window she could see -any one who came without being seen. When she recognised her husband, -she would not open the door, having promised her aunt never to resume -relations with him. He was not to be gainsaid, however, and continued -to pull the bell unceasingly. At last the outer door was unlocked and -his wife came out as far as the garden gate, but this she did not open. -With a trembling voice she asked him what he desired of her. He could -hardly speak from emotion, and held out to her his presents, which -she refused, saying she did not know with whose money he had bought -them. He implored her to let him in to see their child, but she firmly -declined. Then he fell into a passion and threatened to return with a -representative of the law to help him claim his paternal rights. To -prevent a scandal, she promised to show him the child from the window. -At last he agreed to this compromise; she returned to the house and -presently appeared at the window with the child in her arms. The little -child looked at her father with uncomprehending eyes; he stared at his -daughter for several minutes, then turned, hurriedly drove away and -never beheld his wife or child again. - -On reaching Genoa shortly afterward, he was arrested, as the police -authorities in Berlin had discovered his theft, and he was sent back -there and detained in the well-known Moabit prison. He was placed in -a cell where he remained for nearly a year, until May 30, 1901. The -examining magistrate was a humane and just man and the lawyer whom -Manolescu retained for his own defence was a celebrated barrister. -He had no hesitation in confessing his crimes. As doubts of his -sanity existed, the medical reports from the Swiss prison, expressing -uncertainty as to his mental state, were examined by the doctor of -Moabit. Although the identity of the medical officer was suppressed, -Manolescu guessed it by intuition and simulated madness so cleverly -that he was sent to the infirmary in connection with Moabit, where he -was kept under observation for six weeks. He was then taken back to -the prison in December, 1901, armed with a certificate drawn up by -specialists, stating him to be completely deranged, though this was -doubted by the crown solicitor-general. At last, on May 28, 1902, he -was brought before the criminal court, where he had some difficulty in -maintaining his pretence of madness. The solicitor-general pressed for -a conviction as an impostor, but a verdict of insanity was pronounced; -he was acquitted as irresponsible, and transferred to the lunatic -asylum at Herzburg. - -Fourteen months later he escaped. He attacked and pinioned his warder, -took forcible possession of his keys, locked him into his own cell, -and then quietly left the institution by climbing over the garden -wall. With the help of a lady, a member of the Berlin aristocracy, who -was a friend of his, he was able to cross the Prussian frontier and -to enter Austrian territory. As the papers, however, were full of his -exploits, he was arrested at Innsbruck some time later and taken to -Vienna, where he still feigned madness. The Austrian doctors supported -the views of their Prussian colleagues, and he was acquitted also by -the Viennese court of justice. Following this acquittal, Manolescu was -sent to Bucharest, where he went determined to reform and to earn his -bread honestly. He could find no employment until a publisher suggested -he should write his memoirs in the form of an autobiography, from -which this summary of his career has been taken. By this occupation he -supported himself for a time. As he could find no other means of making -his livelihood, he decided to emigrate to America, where he declared -every industrious man could find work. He ends his autobiography -with these words: “I do not bear my countrymen any grudge. I only -wish that the unfortunate prejudices of the egoistic Roumanian form -of civilisation which prevented them from holding out a hand to a -repentant sinner may soon be removed. Thus ends the autobiography of -George Manolescu, alias Prince Lahovary.” - -We fear his career after leaving Bucharest was not all it should have -been, as the following paragraph appeared in January, 1906, in the -_Daily Express_. - -“George Manolescu, the celebrated swindler, has lately escaped from the -prison of Sumenstein in Germany by feigning madness and pretending to -be General Kuropatkin.” - -Another impostor, Leonhard Bollert, has stated that he was born in -1821. His father served as sergeant-major in the fifth _chevau-legers_ -regiment, and soon after the birth of the boy left the army, married -the boy’s mother and settled with his family in his own birthplace, -a small town in lower Franconia, where he gained his livelihood as a -provision merchant. The boy, who was greatly gifted, was apprenticed -to a shoemaker at Würzburg, where he learned the trade thoroughly. -After serving six years in the same regiment as his father, he went to -foreign parts, incidentally embarking upon a life of criminal adventure -which lasted nearly forty years. While in the service of one of his -employers, he was sentenced, for embezzlement, to a term in prison, -which he served in Würzburg, a town which seems to have been at that -period a high school for criminals. He then successively progressed, -with longer or shorter intervals between the terms, through the prisons -of Plassenburg, Kaisheim, Lichtenau, Diez in Nassau, the house of -correction in Mainz and the Hessian penal institution, Marienschloss. -By his aptitude and his thorough knowledge of shoemaking, he everywhere -earned for himself recognition and good results. How he employed his -time when at large could not be definitely established. At one time he -served a Hungarian count, with whom he made long journeys. It must have -been then that he acquired his refined manners and his aristocratic -bearing. Why he left his employer at the end of six months is not -clear. Probably some of his master’s coin found its way into his own -purse. Bollert used to relate to a small and select circle of friends -the more startling incidents of his career with great pride,--such as -his appearance at Wiesbaden as an officer and bogus baron. He also -served in the papal army for a short time until it was defeated and -dissolved. He was not indifferent to the fair sex and, as a handsome -man, claimed to have had many successes. - -During his last period of liberty in 1870, Bollert followed the -profession of burglary and swindling on a large scale. The scene of his -activity extended from Munich to the Rhine. He was clever at disguises -and used a variety of costumes, wearing false beards of different -hues; he possessed the complete uniform of a Bavarian railway guard, -in which he once got as far as Bingen without a ticket. He plied his -nefarious trade in Frankfurt, Würzburg, Heidelberg, Darmstadt, Nürnberg -and Augsberg. At hotels he managed by means of false keys to enter -the rooms of people who were absent, and often carried away all the -articles of value he could lay hands on. In Frankfurt he was once -arrested, but succeeded in breaking out of the prison. In Würzburg he -was again caught and here the Court of the Assizes sentenced him to -thirteen years’ penal servitude. - -No one would have taken Bollert for a dangerous and bold burglar. In -spite of his fifty-one years, he presented a handsome appearance, had -a great charm of manner and looked well even in a convict’s dress. His -expression was gentle, his address was civil and conciliating, but -not in the least cringing; his bearing toward the officials was never -too submissive, but always polite. Ladies, whose feet he measured in -his capacity of chief shoemaker, were never tired of describing the -elegant manner in which he bowed, and they took a great interest in -the history of this attractive convict. He was entrusted with the -purchase of all the leather required by the board of management of the -prison, and not only acquitted himself of this task to their entire -satisfaction, but also cut out the most perfect shoes the officials’ -wives had ever worn. He was a Catholic and soon became an acolyte, -serving the mass with a fervour never before manifested by a convict -in prison. In his intercourse with the other prisoners he was always -reserved, and he was and remained the “gentleman”--they always spoke -of him as “Herr” Bollert. He never descended to frauds or low tricks, -he never betrayed any one; but openly expressed his contempt for the -behaviour of many of his companions in misfortune, without their daring -to resent it. If he was offered a glass of wine or beer in the house of -one of the officials, he never mentioned the circumstance. How was it -that a man capable of thus altering his conduct, one may say his whole -character, for a series of years, fell back into the old vicious course -of action, upon being freed from restraint? - -Bollert completed his thirteen years in prison, grew somewhat paler and -older, but preserved his erect, graceful carriage. His end was never -definitely known; no information reached the prison after his last -release. Before his departure, the chaplain presented him with an old -great-coat which he had repaired and remade, and he wore it with such -a grand air that an acquaintance of the chief superintendent who had -accompanied Bollert to the railway station, asked, “Was not that the -attorney-general?” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -TYPICAL MURDERERS - - Andrew Bichel, the German “Jack the ripper,” murders many - women for their clothes--John Paul Forster murders a - corn-chandler in Nürnberg and his maid-servant--Mysterious - circumstances cleared up by clever inferences--Circumstantial - evidence conclusive--Sentenced to perpetual imprisonment - in chains--Rauschmaier, the murderer of a poor charwoman, - detected by his brass finger ring--Sentenced to death and - decapitated--The murder of August von Kotzebue, the German - playwright, by Karl Sand, to avenge the poet’s ridicule of - liberal ideas--Wide sympathy expressed for the murderer and - strange scene at the scaffold. - - -A chapter may be devoted to some of the especially remarkable murders -recorded in German criminal annals, which go to prove that the natives -of northern regions, while outwardly cold-blooded and phlegmatic, will -yield readily to the passions of greed, lust and thirst for revenge. -The case of Riembauer, the abominably licentious priest, who murdered -the victims he seduced, and who long bore the highest reputation for -his piety and persuasive eloquence, rivals any crime of its class in -any country. Germany has also had her “Jack the ripper,” in Andrew -Bichel, who destroyed poor peasant women for the pettiest plunder. -Murders have been as mysterious and difficult of detection as that -of Baumler and his maid-servant at Nürnberg, and conversely, as -marvellously discovered as by the telltale brass ring inadvertently -dropped by the murderer Rauschmaier when dismembering his victim’s -corpse. The murder of the poet Von Kotzebue by the student Karl Sand -was a crime of exaggerated sentimentalism which attracted more sympathy -than it deserved. Quite within our own times the killing of an infant -boy at Xanten unchained racial animosities and excited extraordinary -interest. - -Let us consider first the case of Andrew Bichel, a Bavarian who lived -at Regendorf at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He was to all -outward seeming well-behaved and reputable, a married man with several -children and generally esteemed for his piety. But secretly he was -a petty thief who robbed his neighbours’ gardens and stole hay from -his master’s loft. His nature was inordinately covetous and he was an -abject coward, whose crimes were aimed always at the helpless who could -make no defence. No suspicion was aroused against Bichel for years. -Girls went to Regendorf and were never heard of again. One, Barbara -Reisinger, disappeared in 1807 and another, Catherine Seidel, the year -after. In both cases no report was made to the police until a long time -had elapsed, and a first clue to the disappearance of the Seidel girl -was obtained by her sister, who found a tailor making up a waistcoat -from a piece of dimity which she recognised as having formed part of a -petticoat worn by Catherine when she was last seen. The waistcoat was -for a certain Andrew Bichel, who lived in the town and who at that time -followed the profession of fortune-teller. - -Catherine Seidel had been attracted by his promises to show her her -fortune in a glass. She was to come to him in her best clothes, -the best she had, and with three changes, for this was part of the -performance. She went as directed and was never heard of again. -Bichel, when asked, declared she had eloped with a man whom she met at -his house. Now that suspicion was aroused against him, his house in -Regendorf was searched and a chest full of women’s clothes was found in -his room. Among them were many garments identified as belonging to the -missing Catherine Seidel. One of her handkerchiefs, moreover, was taken -out of his pocket when he was apprehended. Still there was no direct -proof of murder. The disappearance of Seidel was undoubted, so also -was that of Reisinger, and the presumption of foul play was strong. -Some crime had been committed, but whether abduction, manslaughter, -or murder was still a hidden mystery. Repeated searchings of Bichel’s -house were fruitless; no dead bodies were found, no stains of blood, no -traces of violence. - -The dog belonging to a police sergeant first ran the crime to ground. -He pointed so constantly to a wood shed in the yard and when called off -so persistently returned to the same spot, that the officer determined -to explore the shed thoroughly. In one corner lay a great heap of straw -and litter, and on digging deep below this they turned up a quantity of -human bones. A foot deeper more remains were found and near at hand, -underneath a pile of logs by a chalk pit, a human head was unearthed. -Not far off was a second body, which, like the first, had been cut into -two pieces. One was believed to be the corpse of Barbara Reisinger; the -other was actually identified, through a pair of pinchbeck earrings, as -that of Catherine Seidel. - -Bichel made full confession of these two particular crimes. The -Reisinger girl he had killed when she came seeking a situation as -maid-servant. He was tempted by her clothes. To murder her he had -recourse to his trade of fortune-telling, saying he would show her -in a magic mirror her future fate, and producing a board and a small -magnifying glass, he placed them on a table in front of her. She must -not touch these sacred objects; her eyes must be bandaged and her hands -tied behind her back. No sooner had she consented than he stabbed her -in the neck, and after completing the hideous crime, appropriated her -paltry possessions. - -A complicated and for a time mysterious murder committed at Nürnberg -in 1820 may be inserted here, as it throws some light upon the prison -system of those days. A rich corn-chandler named Baumler was violently -put to death in his own house in the Königstrasse late one evening, -and with him his maid-servant, Anna Schütz, who lived with him alone. -It was noticed that his shop remained closed one morning in September -much later than five o’clock, his usual hour for beginning business. -With the sanction of the police, some of his neighbours entered the -house through the first floor windows by means of a ladder. They came -upon a scene of wild disorder; drawers and chests had been broken open -and ransacked with all the appearances of a robbery. Descending to the -ground floor, the corpse of the maid-servant was discovered in a corner -close to the street door, and soon the body of Baumler was found lying -dead in the parlour by the stove. - -There was little doubt that the master had been killed before the maid. -She had been last seen alive the night before by the baker near-by, -whose shop she had visited to purchase a couple of halfpenny rolls, and -in answer to a question she had said there were still some customers -drinking in Baumler’s shop. Corn-chandlers had the right of retailing -brandy and the place was used as a tavern. The murderer was almost -certainly one of those drinking in the shop, and the last to leave. The -maid must have been attacked as soon as she returned, for the newly -purchased rolls were picked up on the floor where she had evidently -dropped them in her fright. She had apparently been driven into the -corner of the shop and struck down. Baumler must have been killed -first, for he would certainly have come to the maid’s rescue when she -gave a first cry of alarm. His body was found near the overturned stool -on which he sat of an evening smoking his pipe, which lay under him -with several small coins fallen out of his pocket when rifled by the -murderer. The drawers and receptacles of the shop had been thoroughly -ransacked and a large amount of specie had been removed, although a -repeater watch and other valuables were overlooked. - -The murderer had evidently acted with much circumspection. The entrance -to the shop during working hours was by a glass door which was -unhinged at night and a solid street door substituted, usually about -eleven o’clock. The change had been made three-quarters of an hour -earlier than usual, and the place had been closed, no doubt to prevent -premature discovery of the bloody drama. All was dark and quiet by half -past ten, although the miscreant was still inside, seeking his plunder, -washing off the bloodstains and changing his clothes. He had taken -possession of several of Baumler’s garments, and this imprudence, so -frequently shown by murderers, contributed to his detection. - -Suspicion soon fell upon a stranger who had visited the shop at -an early hour in the evening and had remained there alone after -nine o’clock, when the other guests had left. All agreed in their -description of him as a man of about thirty, dark, black haired and -with a black beard, who wore a dark great-coat and a high beaver hat; -he described himself as a hop merchant and sat with a glass of red -clove brandy before him, his eyes fixed on the ground, saying that he -was waiting for a friend. He was easily identified as a certain Paul -Forster lately discharged from prison, whose father was a needy day -labourer with vicious daughters. The son Paul lived with a woman named -Preiss, in whose house he was arrested, together with the woman, and -a substantial sum in cash was found on the premises. Next day Forster -was recognised by the waiter at an inn as the man who had entrusted an -overcoat of dark gray cloth to his keeping. The coat when produced was -seen to be soaked in blood. Forster himself was wearing another, a blue -overcoat, which soon proved to have belonged to Baumler. - -On reaching Nürnberg, both prisoners were confronted with the bodies of -the two murdered persons. Forster viewed them with great unconcern, but -the woman Preiss was visibly shocked. Forster’s movements on the night -of the crime were traced, and he was shown to have visited his father’s -house just after the murder, also it was proved that his sister had -given him an axe some time before to take into the town to be ground, -and this was found in his house lying behind the stove wrapped in a wet -rag, and visibly stained with blood. - -The circumstantial evidence against Forster was conclusive. The -blood-stained great-coat, the possession of Baumler’s property and -clothes, and his presence at the scene of the crime were significant -facts. The accused felt that all this surely tended to convict him, -but he thought out a line of defence in the quiet of his prison cell. -He sought to throw the blame upon others. He invented two persons, -relatives of the murdered Baumler, who, he said, invited him, Forster, -to go with them to Nürnberg where they promised him work, and from -them he got, as a gift, the incriminating clothes. This fictitious -story could not be sustained. The two relations did not exist and they -had had no dealing, as pretended, with Forster. The whole defence was -a failure, but not the less did the accused persist in his denials -of guilt and fight strenuously with the examining judge. He was -questioned on thirteen separate occasions and replied to thirteen -hundred questions, after being confronted with innumerable victims. -No confession could be wrung from him, and without it no sentence of -capital punishment was admissible in the Bavarian courts. He held -out obstinately to the last, under a well assumed cloak of calmness, -gentleness and piety, as if submitting passively to a fate he did -not deserve. He must have seen toward the end of his trial that the -truth could not be overcome by his fables and cunning evasions, but he -remained unmoved and, as his reward, escaped with his life. - -The sentence passed upon him was perpetual imprisonment in chains -and it was endured in the fortress of Lichtenau in Hesse-Cassel. -His behaviour in gaol was in keeping with his dogged, unemotional -character. He bore his heavy punishment in impenetrable silence for -years. His unbending obstinacy of demeanour was partly due to his -callous, apathetic temperament, his unyielding power of physical -endurance and his exalted personal pride. He liked to think that by -stolid endurance he was proving his heroism. He boasted of his unbroken -steadfastness of purpose, “Believe me,” he told a fellow prisoner, -“I shall never confess; I shall resist all persuasion to do so until -my last dying breath. I never gave way all my life in anything I -undertook. I hug my chains.” He did so, literally, treating them as a -badge of honour, a tribute to his constancy, and set himself in his -leisure hours to polish them till they shone like silver. He delighted -in the manifest admiration of his fellows, and at one time conversed -with them freely, giving picturesque descriptions of his adventurous -career and enlarging with evident pleasure on the details of his -principal crime. He was often sullen and insubordinate and would do -no work; no punishment would compel him or break his spirit; when -they flogged him, he offered his back to the lash with the utmost -indifference, taking the strokes without moving a muscle or uttering a -sound, calmly protesting that they might do what they liked with his -body, his spirit was unconquerable. - -Forster’s countenance was vulgar and heavy, his face was long, with an -unusual development of chin in contrast with a narrow forehead; this -gave a harsh revolting animal expression to his fixed and unvarying -features, in which the large prominent eyes alone showed signs of -baleful activity. - -In one of the remote quarters of the town of Augsberg, a charwoman of -the name of Anna Holzmann lived in a shoemaker’s house. She was rather -more than fifty years of age and, on account of her poverty, was in the -habit of receiving relief from charitable institutions. It was thought -by some, however, that she was not really in poor circumstances. She -had good clothes and other possessions, for which she was envied. She -evidently had more beds and furniture than she required for her own -use, for she was able to take in two men as lodgers, who paid her -rent and occupied a room next to her own. It was generally rumoured, -moreover, that Mother Holzmann, although receiving alms, had put by -quite a considerable sum and had a pot full of money saved. - -On Good Friday, 1821, which fell on April 20th, Mother Holzmann was -seen for the last time. From that day she disappeared and left no -trace. Her two lodgers, after awaiting her return for several days -in vain, vacated their quarters. One, called George Rauschmaier, was -the first to go. His companion, who bore the name of Josef Steiner, -waited rather longer, and then he, too, took his departure. Believing -the absent woman Holzmann would presently return, they had notified -the fact of her disappearance only to the proprietor of her house who -lived in the next street. This man took over all the keys which his -tenant had left behind, but, seeing nothing particularly remarkable in -the circumstance of the woman’s disappearance, he forbore to report -it to the police until May 17th. The police immediately notified a -magistrate, who caused Anna Holzmann’s nearest relatives, her brother -and sister-in-law, to be questioned. The brother shared the prevailing -impression that she had probably committed suicide. It was the general -belief that she was a usurer who lent out money at high interest, and -it was thought she had probably been defrauded of a large sum, and that -when she found she could not pay her rent, she had no doubt drowned -herself. - -The seals which had been placed upon her property were now broken and -an inventory made of her possessions. The brother and sister-in-law -testified that the best articles were missing, and the pot of money -which she was supposed to keep by her was not unearthed, nor any other -hidden treasures. In all this there was nothing to arouse any suspicion -of foul play, except a dreadful odour pervading the room, which greatly -incommoded the persons engaged in drawing up the inventory. It was -argued that a closer examination of the premises ought to be made, but -for lack of any suspicious evidence pointing to a crime having been -committed, the further search was postponed. Nothing occurred until -early in the new year, when it so happened that one day in January a -laundress and her son wanted to dry linen in the attic of the house -which Holzmann had occupied. In this attic, as was indeed the case -throughout the wretched tenement, brooms and dustpans had never played -a great part, and dust, old straw and other rubbish covered the floor -and all the corners. Having kicked away some of the refuse with their -feet, the two workers came upon something solid, which on closer -inspection they discovered to be the thigh, leg and foot of a human -body. Mother and son at once became convinced that these were the -remains of the missing woman, and they hastened to acquaint the legal -authorities with the facts of their ghastly discovery. A deputation -from the courts of justice immediately proceeded to the spot and found, -among the straw and refuse in the corner of the garret, a naked left -thigh with the leg and part of a foot attached. About six paces further -on, inserted between the chimney and the roof, was a human trunk -without head, arms or legs. On closer search, an old petticoat with a -bodice and a red neckerchief were disclosed, the whole thickly coated -with blood. These garments were immediately identified by the persons -living in the tenement as having been worn by the woman Holzmann. - -The search was now pressed forward still more energetically, and under -the floor, concealed by one of the boards and in close proximity to -the chimney, a right arm was found. The rotten boards in the small -room Holzmann’s lodgers had occupied were now further loosened and -broken up, and a large bundle was uncovered. When the blood-drenched -petticoat, which formed its outer covering, was unwrapped, there came -to light a compressed right thigh with the leg and part of the foot, -and separately enclosed in an old linen shirt, a left arm bent together -at the elbow joint. All these limbs, as well as the trunk, were -shrivelled like smoked meat and much distorted from long pressure. The -process of decomposition had not set in, owing to the draught of air or -from some other unknown causes. Now, with the idea of restoring them -to their natural shape, the limbs were soaked in water for some days, -then enveloped in cloths damped with spirits and stretched out as much -as possible to prepare them for the autopsy, at which it was easily -proved that all these members must have belonged to the same woman’s -body. The deceased, moreover, must have had small bones and have been -well shaped. The arms and thighs had been adroitly extracted from their -sockets, and neither on the trunk nor the limbs was there a trace of -any injury capable of having caused death. If therefore a wound had -been inflicted, fatal to life, it must have struck that portion of the -body which was missing, and in spite of all research could not be -brought to light, namely, the head of the victim. But even without the -head, the dismembered limbs were identified as having belonged to the -vanished Anna Holzmann. This there was abundant evidence to show. - -A sure clue was presently found with regard to the head. Near the house -inhabited by the deceased, a canal passed, receiving its water from the -Lech; there were several of these water courses and they flowed through -Augsberg with strong currents. The overseer of a factory, situated on -the bank of this canal, had found, as far back as the Whitsuntide of -the previous year, a human skull in the water, which might have come -from a charnel house. He had examined it, had showed it to his brother, -and then had thrown it back into the water to avoid any troublesome -investigations. The skull was small, entirely stripped of flesh and -only two or three teeth remained in the jaw. This head corresponded -with that of Anna Holzmann as described by her relations. Obviously, -if she had been murdered and dismembered, the easiest way of disposing -of the head was to fling it into the canal at night time. As the water -from the canal flowed back into the Lech, it would be swiftly carried -away. - -Another possibly important clue had been obtained when the corpse was -laid out for the postmortem. The doctor, in trying to straighten out -the left arm, had seen a brass finger ring drop to the floor from -the inner bend of the elbow. This ring had not belonged to Mother -Holzmann. No doubt it was the property of the murderer and, in the -excitement of carrying on the dismembering process, it must have -slipped off his finger unknown to him. The arm of the dead woman had -caught and detained it. Here was conclusive evidence at first hand. But -to whom did the ring belong? No one could say. Suspicion at once fell -on the former lodgers of Anna Holzmann. They were the last persons who -admitted having seen her and they had remained in the house without -giving notice of her disappearance. Besides, who but they could have -accomplished the dismemberment of the corpse, for which time and -freedom from interruption were essential? Again, it was in the room -occupied by them that a portion of the body had been disinterred. -Rauschmaier had plainly prevaricated; he had stated on oath before the -court of justice that his landlady had gone away on Good Friday with -another woman, leaving him the keys of the lodging; yet this statement -was, according to the clear evidence adduced, a distinct lie. It also -developed that on the Saturday after Good Friday, Rauschmaier had, with -the help of his sweetheart, carried off a part of Holzmann’s property -and sold or pawned the articles. This was deemed sufficient ground for -his arrest. - -Rauschmaier had not left Augsberg and his lodging was well known. -When apprehended, he behaved with a mixture of calm indifference and -seemingly absolute ingenuousness. He denied all knowledge of any crime -committed on the woman Holzmann and again declared that she had gone -away on Good Friday with another woman whom he did not know, leaving -her keys in his charge. When taken to the cemetery and shown the corpse -with its dismembered limbs pieced together, he exhibited no emotion -and declared that he did not recognise the body. After being detained -till the end of January, he begged to be brought before a magistrate -and requested to be set at liberty. On the following day, however, he -admitted that he had allowed himself to be tempted to take possession -of some of his landlady’s belongings during her absence. Yes, he was -the thief. He also confessed that his sweetheart had removed the -stolen goods with his knowledge and consent. With this frank avowal, -all hope of further elucidation seemed at an end. There was nothing -against him but that he had been the last to see the murdered woman; -that he had omitted to report her disappearance; that he had excellent -opportunities for murdering and dismembering her and that he was -clearly a thief. But there were no witnesses to prove him worse. - -The judge felt convinced of Rauschmaier’s guilt. Another circumstance -told against him. Among his effects there was a paper of a kind well -known to the police. It was printed at Cologne, was ornamented at the -top with pictures of saints and purported to be a charter of absolution -from all sins and crimes however heinous, and it was claimed that -it had been written by “Jesus Christ and sent down to earth by the -angel Michael.” These worthless documents were often palmed off on the -superstitious in those days. - -The examining judge now proceeded with circumspection. Instead of -making more searching investigations into the murder, he dropped it -entirely and, pretending to be occupied only with the theft, questioned -the culprit solely in regard to this. The woman Holzmann’s clothes were -spread out before Rauschmaier, and he was inveigled into recognising -all of them. But various little trinkets had been included, which had -been found in his room and about the ownership of which some doubt -existed. Among them were two earrings, two gold hoops and the brass -ring already mentioned, which the corpse had tightly pressed in her -left arm. The judge now seemed on the point of closing the examination, -as though he took it as a matter of course that Rauschmaier, who had -admitted so much, would not hesitate to confess that he had also stolen -these trifling pieces of jewelry as well. “No,” the accused exclaimed, -suddenly protesting against the supposed injustice, “these are mine, my -own property.” The judge strongly urged him to make no mis-statements -but to stick to the truth. Nevertheless Rauschmaier continued to assert -with great violence that the earrings, the hoops and the brass ring -really belonged to him. He declared that he had always been in the -habit of wearing the ring, and, as the judge still shook his head, -Rauschmaier drew the ring on to show that it fitted the little finger -of his right hand. It did so, but very loosely, and it could be twisted -about from one side to the other. This betrayed him. He was further -interrogated, and the judge laid much stress upon the suspicious -circumstance, whereupon Rauschmaier broke down utterly and made full -confession of his guilt. - -He had been an idler from his childhood and, after serving in the -Franco-Russian war, he deserted and was often an inmate of the house of -correction at Augsberg. When free, he had supported himself in various -ways in that city till he became a lodger in the house of the ill-fated -woman Holzmann, whom he had resolved to kill on finding that she had -so many valuable things and was supposed to possess much money. He was -long undecided as to the method of doing the deed, but at last chose -strangling as the easiest form of death and because it could be carried -out without noise or leaving traces of blood; and he had heard doctors -say that a strangled and suffocated corpse yielded little blood when -dismembered. His opportunity came on the morning of Good Friday, when -all the people in the house were at church and the lodger, Steiner, had -gone out. Silence reigned in the tenement; he was alone in the upper -story with the woman Holzmann. He stepped into her room and, without -a word of warning, seized his victim around the throat with both hands -and pressed his thumbs against her wind-pipe for the space of four or -five minutes until he had murdered her outright. Then, when certain of -the fact, he threw the corpse down and hastened to ransack her chest, -which he found practically empty. Instead of a great treasure, he came -upon only eight kreutzers and two pennies, and nothing more was brought -to light after further minute search. He had strangled her for a few -coppers. - -Concealment was now imperative. After a quarter of an hour the corpse -was cold, and he dragged it out through the door into the garret -adjoining. He then proceeded to the ghastly work of dismemberment, and -acquitted himself of the horrible task with the greatest adroitness, -thanks to the knowledge he had acquired when campaigning, from watching -the Russian surgeons at the same work. His labours occupied only a -quarter of an hour. His plan for disposing of the limbs has already -been described. Rauschmaier was condemned to be beheaded, but the -additional sentence that he should previously stand in the pillory was -remitted. - -Besides Rauschmaier, his sweetheart and the other lodger, Josef -Steiner, had been involved as suspects in the cross-examination. The -woman’s guilt consisted only in her having assisted in selling the -stolen goods, and she came off with a trifling punishment. Steiner’s -connection with the principal crime was looked upon in a different -light and was more complicated. This man caused much perplexity to the -judge. In point of education and intelligence he was far inferior to -his late room-mate. He could not be sworn because, although thirty-four -years of age, he could not be brought to understand the nature and -meaning of an oath. The judge declared that Steiner was on the -borderland of insanity and on the lowest level of intelligence. When -interrogated, he at first denied any knowledge of the crime, but later -he practically became a witness for the prosecution and his evidence -helped materially to secure conviction. Steiner himself was acquitted. - -At Mannheim, on March 23, 1819, August von Kotzebue, the eminent German -playwright, author of the famous play _The Stranger_, was stabbed to -death by a hitherto unknown student named Karl Ludwig Sand. It was -a murder of sentiment, not passion, and inflicted with cold-blooded -calmness, to vindicate the liberal tendencies of the age exhibited by -the so-called “Burschenshaft” movement, which Kotzebue had unsparingly -ridiculed and satirised by his writings. Immense sympathy for the -criminal was evoked in Germany; the heinous deed was approved by even -the right-thinking, phlegmatic Germans, and tender-hearted women wept -in pity for the assassin. His last resting place was decked with -flowers, and he was esteemed a martyr to the cause of romanticism, -while no one regretted the great dramatic poet. - -As a youth, Sand suffered much from depression of spirits and -pronounced melancholia. He was a patriot even to fanaticism, and showed -it in his fierce hatred of the Napoleon who had enslaved his country. -He could not bring himself to attend a review of French troops by -Napoleon, lest he should attack him and so risk his own life. After -the return from Elba, he entered the Bavarian service and narrowly -escaped being present at the battle of Waterloo. At the end of the war -he matriculated at the university of Erlangen and became affiliated -with the “universal German students’ association,” the Burschenshaft, -to which he vowed the most enthusiastic devotion. “It became,” says a -biographer, “his one and all, his state, his church, his beloved.” - -This guild did not develop very rapidly. But its leading members -selected a meeting place situated on a hill in the vicinity of -Erlangen. Here, after smoothing the ground and piling up stones to -serve as seats, the students held a consecration feast at which -punch and beer were freely indulged in. Hot discussions, followed by -reconciliation, interrupted the proceedings. Dancing was indulged in -around a fire, under the rays of the moon which shone through the pine -trees, until the tired and probably somewhat intoxicated students, -including Sand, lay down in different parts of the ground to sleep -off their excitement. From Erlangen Sand moved to Jena, where he was a -much less prominent student, and his life was uneventful, but when he -left after eighteen months’ residence there, it was for Mannheim with -daggers in his breast and a matured purpose of slaying Kotzebue. He -had satisfied himself, after much inward conflict, that by killing the -satirist he would be rendering a supreme service to the Fatherland. -He was now possessed with a passion for notoriety. At Erlangen he had -championed a good cause; at Jena his activity had perforce ceased, and -the desire to do some remarkable deed had grown upon him. Constantly -hungering for an opportunity to make himself celebrated, he resolved at -least he would become a martyr if he could not be a hero. - -No obvious reason existed for his attack upon Kotzebue. The poet had -many foibles and failings, it is true, but he had done nothing to -deserve to be struck down by the dagger of a fanatic in the cause -of virtue, liberty and the Fatherland. He had indeed ridiculed the -outburst of German national feeling which was now being developed, -and thereby gave great offence to the youthful enthusiasts. He was -employed as a correspondent by the Russian government, to report -upon German conditions, literary, artistic and intellectual. Men of -ability were often chosen in a like capacity by the Russian and other -governments, and their calling was regarded as a perfectly honourable -one. Kotzebue, however, wrote of Germany in a malevolent spirit. His -vanity had been wounded by the public burning of his “History of the -Germans,” and this, no doubt, inspired the bitter sarcasm with which he -attacked the German character, though his strictures were taken much -too seriously by the Germans of that day. - -Before Sand left Jena for Mannheim, he had a long dagger fashioned -out of a French cutlass of which he made the model himself. This was -the dagger which actually penetrated Kotzebue’s breast. Sand called -it his “little sword.” On arrival, he engaged a guide to take him to -the house where Kotzebue lived. The poet was not at home. Sand gave -his name as Heinrichs from Mitau to the maid, and she appointed a time -between five and six o’clock in the afternoon for him to call again. -Soon after five o’clock he stood once more in front of Kotzebue’s door. -The servant, who admitted him at once, went up-stairs to announce him -and then called to him to follow, and after some further preliminaries -ushered him into the family sitting room. Kotzebue presently entered -from a door on the left. Turning toward him, Sand bowed, of course -facing the door by which Kotzebue had come into the room, and said -that he wished to call upon him on his way through Mannheim. “You are -from Mitau?” Kotzebue inquired as he stepped forward. Whereupon Sand -drew out his dagger, until then concealed in his left sleeve, and -exclaiming, “Traitor to the Fatherland!” stabbed him repeatedly in the -left side. As Sand turned to escape, he paused to notice a little child -who had run into the room during the progress of the murderous attack. -It was Alexander von Kotzebue, the four-year-old son of the victim, -who apparently had watched the proceedings from the open door. The -boy shrieked and the murderer, who had been stupidly staring at him, -was recalled to what was happening. But for this incident Sand would -probably have escaped. A man-servant and Kotzebue’s daughter now rushed -in and raised the wounded man, who still retained sufficient strength -to walk into the adjoining room with their assistance. Then he sank -down near the door and died in his daughter’s arms. - -The house was in an uproar and for a moment Sand found himself -alone. He fled downstairs but was interrupted; loud cries of “Catch -the murderer, hold him fast!” pursued him, and being held at bay, -he stabbed himself in the breast with his dagger. When the patrol -appeared, he was carried on a stretcher to the hospital. For some hours -after his arrival there he appeared to be sinking, but toward evening -he revived sufficiently to be subjected to some form of examination. -When questioned as to whether he had murdered Kotzebue, he raised his -head, opened his eyes to their fullest extent and nodded emphatically. -Then he asked for paper and wrote what follows:--“August von Kotzebue -is the corrupter of our youth, the defamer of our nation and a Russian -spy.” On being told that he was to be removed from the hospital to -the prison, he shed tears, but soon controlled himself, ashamed, as -he said, of showing such unmanly emotion. In gaol he was treated -considerately and allowed a room to himself, being always strictly -watched and allowed no communication with the outside world. - -On May 5, 1820, the Supreme Court of the Grand-Duchy of Baden passed -sentence on him in these terms: “That the accused Karl Ludwig Sand is -convicted, on his own confession, of the wilful murder of the Russian -counsellor of state, Von Kotzebue; therefore, as a just punishment to -himself and as a deterrent example to others, he is to be executed with -a sword,” etc., etc. - -May 20th, the Saturday before Whitsuntide, was the day fixed for -the execution. The place selected was a meadow just outside the -Heidelberg gate. The scaffold erected there was from five to six -feet high. In spite of precautions, the news of the approaching -event spread far and wide so that crowds poured into Mannheim. The -students’ association had agreed to mourn in silence at home. Most of -the students, therefore, came to the fatal spot only when the bloody -spectacle was over. Measures were taken to avoid disturbances by -strengthening the prison guard, surrounding the scaffold with a force -of infantry, using a detachment of cavalry to escort the procession -from the prison, and providing a detachment of artillery under arms to -call upon if necessary. Those of the educated inhabitants of Mannheim -who felt sympathy for Sand did not show themselves outside their -houses. Nevertheless, the streets were thronged, but in spite of this -everything passed off quietly. When the scaffold was completed, the -executioner appeared with his assistants. Widemann, the executioner, -wore a beaver overcoat under which he concealed his sword, but the -assistants were dressed in black. They are reported to have eaten their -breakfasts and smoked their pipes on the scaffold. In the covered -courtyard of the prison Sand was lifted into a low open chaise, which -was bought for the purpose, as no vehicle could be borrowed or hired in -Mannheim for such an occasion. Looking around, he silently bowed his -head to the prisoners whose weeping faces appeared behind their grated -windows. It is said that during the course of the trial they were -careful when being led past his window to hold up their chains so that -the rattle might not annoy him. When the door of the yard was opened -and the assembled crowd perceived the condemned man, loud sobs were -heard in every direction. Upon perceiving this Sand begged the governor -of the prison to call upon him by name should he manifest any sign of -weakness. The place of execution was hardly eight hundred feet from -the prison. The procession moved slowly. Two warders with crape bands -round their hats walked on either side of the chaise. Another carriage -followed, in which were town officials. The bells were not tolled. Only -individual voices saying, “Farewell, Sand,” interrupted the pervading -silence. - -Rain had recently fallen, and the air was cold. Sand was too weak to -remain sitting upright. He sat half leaning back, supported by the -governor’s arm. His face was drawn with suffering, his forehead open -and unclouded. His features were interesting without being handsome; -every trace of youth had left them. He wore a dark green overcoat, -white linen trousers and laced boots, and his head was uncovered. -Hardly was the execution over than all present surged up to the -scaffold. The fresh blood was wiped up with cloths; the block was -thrown to the ground and broken up; the pieces were divided among the -crowd, and those who could not obtain possession of one of these, cut -splinters of wood from the scaffolding. According to other accounts, a -landed proprietor of the neighbourhood bought the block, or beheading -chair, from the executioner and erected it on his estate. Single hairs -are said to have been bidden for, but the headsman protested against -the accusation of having sold anything at all. The body and head were -promptly deposited in a coffin which was immediately nailed down. After -it had been taken back to the prison under military escort and its -contents examined by the governor so that he might assure himself of -the identity of the corpse, it was removed to the Lutheran cemetery -where Kotzebue’s remains were also interred. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE STORY OF A VAGRANT - - The biography of a German tramp--Miserable and neglected - childhood--Becomes a professional beggar and thief--Committed - to an industrial school--Joins a fraternity of beggars - and becomes very expert--Meets with varied luck on the - road--Arrested and punished--Gives some account of German - prisons--Perpetrates a robbery on a large scale at Mannheim--Is - caught with part of the stolen property in his possession and - sentenced to penal servitude. - - -Germany has suffered grievously in recent years from the growth of -vagrancy. The highroads are infested with tramps, and the prisons are -perpetually full. Every good citizen is keenly desirous of reducing -these scourges of society, but the progress of reform is slow. It -is a difficult problem, but the first step toward solving it is to -acquire a more accurate knowledge of the true spirit and character -of these wrong-doers. One of the most unregenerate and irreclaimable -has revealed the whole story of his life and transgressions, and some -quotations from the account may throw light on the difficulties of the -problem confronting the prison reformer. - -“My name is Joseph Kürper and I was born at H. in the Palatinate on -June 14, 1849. I was an illegitimate child and I spent my early years -with my mother. When I was four years old, she went to service and -I, thrown on my own resources, was forced to beg for broken victuals -from door to door. Sometimes I was driven away with hard words or the -dogs were set on me. I cannot remember ever having owned a pair of -shoes, and as a child I had no bed to sleep in. I suffered all kinds -of hardships. When the time came for me to go to school, my troubles -increased. As I was dressed in evil smelling rags and tatters, I was -kept apart, treated like a leper and an outcast, and if I played truant -I was cruelly beaten. Nevertheless, I managed to evade instruction -almost entirely and did not learn much more than the alphabet. My life -was that of a poor waif forsaken by God and man. - -“At first I bore no ill-will to the well-to-do, and I had no quarrel -with those who had treated me so harshly. Gradually, however, I -realised my grievance against society and began to wage war on it by -acts of pilfering, the first of which I committed in the house of a -small farmer where my mother was in service. Tormented by hunger, I got -in through a window and stole a loaf of bread and a few kreutzers. This -was my first theft and it had bad results for me, for, when taxed with -it, I confessed and was cruelly flogged by the farmer. Out of revenge -I killed one of his fowls every day. Presently my mother again gave -birth to an illegitimate child, a girl, and when the little thing was -just able to toddle, she sent us out to beg in company, preferring -this mode of support to that of working herself. We were beaten if we -returned empty-handed to our hovel, so I became an expert thief in -order to avoid the stick. My mother applauded me and my success was my -ruin. - -“At last, in the continued practice of stealing, I committed a theft -that brought me for the first time within reach of the law. In the -spring of 1860, when in my eleventh year, I laid hands on a watch in -an empty house in the village of Kottweiler. I broke it up into its -different component parts, which I sold separately to the children of -our own village for pieces of bread. Though the watch was missed, I -was not suspected and, growing bolder still, I soon after audaciously -possessed myself of another watch hanging in a bake-house. This time -I was caught red-handed, severely flogged, and then taken before the -magistrate at Kusel. He put me through a cross-examination and I -confessed everything. On my return home the village authorities vented -their rage against me by beating me black and blue, and my little -sister having let out the secret that I was also the thief of the watch -at Kottweiler, I was again arrested and taken back by a police official -to the magistrate at Kusel, who, on account of my youth, only sentenced -me to two years’ detention at the industrial school at Speier. I was -allowed to go home with my mother before being sent there, and when -the police came to convey me, I ran away and managed to get over the -Prussian frontier to St. Wedel. Here I first begged and then worked -for a small farmer in the neighbourhood. After a time I ran away -again, taking with me the watch of this brutal man who had maltreated -me. I now tried to live by carrying luggage at the railway station of -the town. Here I found several opportunities for committing daring -thefts and finally absconded, after helping myself to some money from -the till of the refreshment room. After again intermittently working -and stealing, I tried to set up as a highway robber, but without -success, and was soon arrested by a police official who had a warrant -out against me, and actually handed over to the authorities of the -industrial school at Speier. - -“Had this institution been the best in the world, I should not have -felt at my ease in it, as I was like a young wild-cat or a bird of -prey shut up behind iron bars. About one hundred Catholic children -were confined there, all of them vicious and corrupt. Those who were -unversed in criminal ways soon learned from the others. The majority, -among whom I count myself, left the school worse than they entered. -The system of education was perfectly worthless; we were constantly -beaten and, being badly fed, we lost no opportunity of stealing broken -victuals. I must acknowledge that I learned a great deal at school in -regard to my trade, that of a shoemaker. But I had not been long in -the place before I contrived to escape and reach the town of Lautern. -Here I was taken into the house of a worthy tradesman, to whom I told -my real name and origin; but I concealed the fact that I had run away -from Speier. He became fond of me, and I noticed that he now and then -put my honesty to the test, which induced me to resist every temptation -bravely. As he was childless and wanted to train me up as a tradesman, -a happy future might have been in store for me, had not fate decreed -otherwise. - -“One Sunday my master proposed taking me to see my mother, and we -started on our drive. I was so afraid that the authorities of the -village would send me back to Speier that when we halted somewhere to -dine, and my master had dropped asleep, I ran away. I wandered about -homeless for a time until at Kaiserslautern I was caught and returned -to Speier. There I soon became aware that nothing good awaited me, and -my fears were realised, for I was deprived of my supper the first night -and on going to bed was cruelly flogged with a knout until the blood -streamed down my back. But, though specially watched, I again escaped -to Kaiserslautern, where I was employed by an upholsterer who taught -me a great deal. Once more I was discovered and sent back to Speier, -where I was a second time welcomed with the knout. I now made no -further efforts to escape and for the rest of my time possessed my soul -in patience. The days passed monotonously, the only variation being -that sometimes I was flogged more than usual. We rose early, dressed, -washed, prayed and did our school tasks, breakfasted on thin soup, in -which there was never a scrap of fat, and worked in the various shops -until eleven o’clock, when we dined. After that meal came gymnastic -exercises and drill. Then school or working at our trades alternately -occupied the time until supper at seven, and we went to bed at half -past eight. Sundays were more entertaining. In the afternoon, after -service, we went to walk outside the town. On these expeditions we -stole what we could in the way of edibles and took our booty to bed -with us to eat it during the week, though, of course, we were flogged -if our thefts were discovered, which, however, did not deter us from -further efforts at pilfering in the institution itself. When the two -weary years were over, I had grown into a tall, likely lad. I possessed -a fair amount of schooling and I believed myself to be qualified to -take a place as assistant to a shoemaker, being expert at my trade. I -had received no religious impressions; principles I had none. I only -longed for freedom and to enjoy life. - -“My dreams of golden liberty were not to be fulfilled as yet. On being -dismissed from the school, I was provided with two suits of clothes -and sent to Lautern, where I had to present myself to a certain Herr -Meuth, the president of a reformatory society. He placed me with a -shoemaker. I had hoped I should be paid wages but, when claiming them -with the other journeymen, I was told I should get what I deserved, -and my master proceeded to take down a dog-whip from a peg where it -hung and flogged me unmercifully. On the following Sunday he informed -me that I was only an apprentice and should have to serve him in that -capacity two years longer and could not escape it. At the end of that -time he offered to keep me and pay me regular wages, but I refused, -as he had so often abused and maltreated me. He gave me my indenture, -which was, at the same time, a certificate of good conduct. I packed my -possessions and wandered out into the world. - -“As happy as a king, I started on my journey to Mannheim. I carried a -satchel on my back and my road lay through the Rhine district where -the trees were in full bloom. Arriving at my destination, I found -occupation with a shoemaker who, however, declared that my work was -not of a very high character and paid me only one gulden a week, with -insufficient food. In everything outside of my trade I was left to my -own devices and consequently, being of an undisciplined nature, I led -anything but a decent life. Looking back to these days, I recognise how -very much better it would be if every apprentice, at the outset of his -wage-earning life, were forced to belong to a guild, so that he would -be protected by a strict corporation of this sort and obliged to obey -its laws. In those days I thought otherwise, but now that I am under -prison rule I regret the license I was allowed then. I remained a year -at Mannheim but, as my master refused to raise my wages, I departed -one fine day and walked to Karlsruhe, passing through Bruchsal and -Heidelberg on my way. - -“In Karlsruhe I likewise had the good fortune to find occupation -without undue delay. The court shoemaker, Heim, took me into his house -and gave me good wages and, as I did piece work, I sometimes earned -from 12 to 15 guldens a week. On Sundays I used to dress myself in -fashionable clothes, on which I spent my pay, and walk out with a glass -in my eye and a cigar in my mouth, hoping to be taken for something -far superior to a shoemaker’s assistant. I was a good-looking lad, and -on a fine Sunday in summer I walked into a beer garden, where I made -the acquaintance of a pretty young lady who was sitting at a table -with a party of respectable people. I represented myself as the son of -a rich man from Munich and said that my name was Junker, that I held -a position in Karlsruhe as a confectioner and lodged in the house of -the shoemaker Heim. The girl and her family believed my statements, -and I was received with kindness as a visitor at their house. Of -course, courtship in the guise of a rich man costs money, and I was -soon obliged to pawn my watch. A Sunday came round on which I was -unable to call on my sweetheart; I had to sit on my stool and draw my -cobbler’s thread through shoeleather. My lady-love came to inquire for -me, and saw me in my working garb. She turned and left the house, but -I followed her and tried to excuse myself, whereupon she took out her -purse and, pressing it into my hands, said, ‘Keep it and amend your -ways. I do not quarrel with you for being a cobbler, but I am grieved -that you should have deceived me.’ I returned to my room terribly -ashamed and wrathful. I determined not to remain a moment longer in -the town, so I paid my debts with the contents of my purse and took my -departure. It was lucky for the respectable and decent girl that she -discovered my swindling practices before it was too late.” - -After this the tramp wandered to and fro, from Baden to Offenburg, -leading a precarious existence, working as a shoemaker when he could -find employment and living royally when he had the funds, but begging -for food and half-starved when out of luck. At last he reached -Darmstadt where he joined an organisation of professional vagrants. -Their headquarters were at a low tavern where false passports and -“legitimation” papers were manufactured to help in confusing the -police as to the true antecedents of this semi-criminal fraternity. -He continues: “The day after my arrival at the inn, my new colleagues -joined me at breakfast and a plan of campaign was fixed upon. I was -to take off my shirt and leave it at the inn, wind a cloth around my -neck and button up my coat to meet it; thus attired, I was to start -out, accompanied by one of the vagrants dubbed in familiar parlance -‘the Baron.’ He was to point out to me the most likely houses for -our purpose. I was to enter the first of these and beg for a shirt, -and having obtained it, repeat the process at other houses. Thus by -evening we should have collected from twenty to thirty shirts, which -we were then to sell. By pursuing this line of business we should have -money in abundance and live at our ease. This is a fair picture of the -mode of existence of large numbers of journeymen lads in Germany, the -children of respectable parents who go to perdition, body and soul. My -first attempt turned out most successfully as the Baron had foretold, -and I became very expert in my new calling. We worked as follows: The -Baron pointed out a house where I might hope to obtain something in -the way of a gift and indicated a place where he would wait for me to -rejoin him. When the servant answered the door, I gave him the envelope -containing my false ‘legitimation,’ and a begging letter describing -my miserable condition, and asked him to take it to his mistress. He -soon returned with my papers and a thaler, explaining that this was the -best the lady could do for me. Flushed with victory, I ran to find the -Baron, who slipped my papers into another envelope. He always carried -a supply of envelopes to replace those that had to be torn open. We -next went to the house of the Bavarian envoy, where I received a gulden -and a good shirt. We continued our successful round until the evening, -when we returned to the inn with our rich booty. Here every article -was inspected, sorted, valued, and later, when the other habitués came -in, the parlour was turned into an auction room. Among the buyers was -a policeman and, as he had first choice, he selected the best of my -shirts, some of which were quite new, for himself. Other purchasers -followed, and at the end of the evening we had disposed of all our -goods. Our ready money amounted to a good round sum and was divided -into three portions. I had made more in this one day than I had ever -been able to earn in a week. - -“Our plans for the following day came to nought. I was arrested about -four o’clock in the morning by four police officials who penetrated -into my room, pinioned me when I offered resistance, and took me off to -the police ward No. 2 on the charge of theft. Here I was interrogated -as to what I had done with the articles I had stolen on the previous -day. I denied indignantly that I had stolen anything at all, but I -was next conducted across the market place to a jeweller’s shop and -identified by the owner as the rascal whom he suspected. I was quite -puzzled at the unwarranted accusation against me, although I remembered -having been in the shop on the previous day. From the police ward I was -carried to the prison and locked up in a cell, where I remained for -three whole days, until interrogated, and, as the jeweller persisted -in his accusation, I was detained for eight days longer. Finally the -jeweller, Scarth by name, appeared, full of apologies, and admitted -that the knife he had believed to have been stolen had been found. The -end of this incident was that Scarth compensated me handsomely for my -long and unjust imprisonment. The next morning I packed my satchel and -started for Frankfurt. I walked from Darmstadt to Frankfurt, and only -remember that on my way I stopped at a farmhouse where, as I found no -one about, I annexed a ham. Toward evening I reached the end of my -journey and betook myself at once to a well-known ‘inn father’--for so -we called our landlords--in the Judengasse. It is needless to state -that a real vagrant has a perfect knowledge of all the disreputable -haunts and low public houses of the whole German Empire. Next day I -went direct to Baron Rothschild’s house, as he was the Bavarian consul, -where I rang the bell, and, on being admitted to his presence, was -told to produce my papers. I received two thalers and a free pass to -the next place for which I said I was bound. This was all entered on -my ‘legitimation,’ which was also impressed with an official seal, so -that it became absolutely useless to me. As I now thoroughly understood -the manufacture of these false documents, however, I made myself -another one the same evening, entering myself as the sculptor Burkel -from Messau and under this name and designation I spent ten months -at Frankfurt without doing a stroke of work. I made out a plan of -the town and pursued my trade of begging from wealthy families in the -principal streets, with great success. It is true that I was arrested -several times, and put under lock and key for a few days now and then. -Though warned to leave the place or to find work, I did neither, but -ran the chance of being caught and identified. - -“There are many well managed inns all over Germany, where respectable -working men whose trade keeps them moving about can be comfortably -lodged, and I will give a brief description of one of these hostelries -called ‘The Homestead,’ situated on one of the banks of the Main, where -I spent a night during my stay at Frankfurt, drawn there by curiosity. -With my satchel packed and the air of being a newly arrived traveller, -I sat down at a table and called for a glass of beer and a dram of -spirits. The landlord inquired if I knew where I was, and said that -though any decent traveller might remain at the ‘Homestead’ for three -days if his means were sufficient, it was no place for drunkards and -brawlers; that brandy was not sold and beer only in limited quantities. -He then, having asked who and what I was, and being told that I was a -sculptor out of work, said that I might stay three days if I liked. -I was eager to know in what way this inn differed from those I had -hitherto frequented, and resolved to remain until the next day in -any case. About 8 o’clock in the evening the ‘father’ came in again -and announced that supper was ready. Most of the artisans, of whom -some forty were present, ordered some sort of meal. I asked for soup, -potatoes and a sausage. I was not a little surprised when the landlord -objected to our beginning to eat until he had said grace. Cards and -dice were not allowed, nor cursing, singing or whistling. The only -authorised games were dominoes, draughts and chess, and they might not -be played for money. At 8 o’clock the bed tickets had been distributed; -they cost 18, 12 or 6 kreutzers according to the sort of accommodation -required. Each man had a separate bed, which is not usually the case in -the low class inns. I took a 12 kreutzer ticket. My expenses were so -far small, as only three glasses of beer were allowed per head. I noted -down all these details most carefully, for I had never before been in -a house of this description, having hitherto always avoided any place -where there might be any allusion to God. At ten the father of the inn -appeared and offered up a short prayer. Then we retired for the night. -The beds were clean and so were all the rooms, and everything was very -cheap. At half past seven in the morning we had to be up. - -“My experiences in this inn made a deep impression upon me but I -confess I did not enjoy being there; I preferred the haunts where I met -loose characters, and I enjoyed ribald songs and dissolute companions. -Consequently I left the Homestead as soon as I could and betook myself -to the Sign of the Stadt Ludwigsburg, where ne’er-do-weels congregate. -Here I was initiated by a friend into the art of inveigling countrymen, -small farmers and the like, to play cards. Our first attempt was made -on a man who had just sold his produce in the town and been paid for -it. We plied him with liquor and let him win for a while; then we -relieved him of his ready money. - -“Soon after this I was arrested as a disorderly tramp and sentenced to -a short imprisonment with an injunction to find work on pain of being -expelled from the town. The yearly fair was being held at Frankfurt, -and I obtained employment on my release with the proprietor of a -menagerie. My business was to attract people to his show, but I soon -left him, as the public refused to pay for the sight of the sorry -and starved wild beasts he exhibited. Next I hired myself out to the -manager of a puppet show where I developed a great aptitude in the art -of manipulating the puppets. When the fair was over, I had got together -quite a considerable sum of money and I resolved to leave Frankfurt and -go on to Stuttgart. - -“Stuttgart is a happy hunting ground for those of my sort. It contains -many ‘pietists,’--a sect made up of good and charitable souls who give -freely. I remained there four weeks and did a wonderful business. I -now figured in my papers as a compositor and on the strength of these -documents even appeared before the Bavarian consul. I had collected a -fine store of clothes and a lot of money when one day, toward the end -of the fourth week of my stay, I was arrested in the Königstrasse by a -man in civilian dress who told me to follow him. There was something -in his looks which so impressed me that I dared not resist. I was -condemned by the police actuary to fourteen days’ imprisonment and -then to be banished from the town. I was taken to the Stuttgart prison -where the governor received me with harsh words; he was a Swabian and -the Swabians are ruder than any other Germans; in other respects I had -nothing to complain of. - -“Several of my colleagues were sitting or lying about in a large room -where we were detained, and at first they did not notice me. At last an -old boy, who had evidently been through many vicissitudes, addressed -me, and after some conversation, promised to wake me next morning to -communicate something of importance. At three o’clock he poked me -gently in the side and then led me to a corner of the room; there he -told me that he was interested in me and wished to contribute to my -success in the future, and that though he knew I was a member of the -guilds, still I did not understand what most appealed to the public. -At the present time, the war being just over, soldiers played first -fiddle. He possessed an iron cross and a genuine ‘legitimation’ as -the owner of it. This would suit me excellently, as it came from a -Bavarian. He was old and had no more use for it and would sell it to -me for three thalers. I was overjoyed at this offer which promised me -large receipts, and I gladly paid the old man the three thalers. - -“On my release I resolved to try my luck at Baden-Baden. I began by -purchasing a newly published illustrated description of the French -war, which I studied carefully, and tried to form an idea of those -regions where I intended to lay the scene of my deeds of heroism. I -bought a list of the visitors at this fashionable resort and selected -my victims. I decided to present myself in person to German families of -position, but to foreigners of distinction I would appeal in writing. -At the end of two days I had purchased all the outfit I required from -a dealer of old clothes, and on the third day I started out fully -equipped. I had strapped my left arm to my naked body; the empty sleeve -was pinned to my coat; on my breast I proudly wore the iron cross; in -the pocket of my blouse I carried my ‘legitimation,’ and I had given -my small moustache a martial twist. I began with a German baron, into -whose presence I was admitted and who looked at me approvingly. ‘Ah,’ -he exclaimed, when he had read my papers, ‘one of our “Blue Devils;” -you Bavarians must have given the French gentlemen a rare dressing.’ -‘We showed them,’ I replied, ‘that a Frenchman cannot wage war with -Germans, Herr Baron.’ I then told him, in answer to his further -inquiries, what regiment I had served in, etc., and that I had lost my -arm at the storming of the Fort Ivry. He said he would gladly assist -a brave soldier who had bled for his country, and gave me two gold -pieces. This gift filled me with joy and confidence. - -“At a country house where the family of a Prussian count were spending -the summer, I was likewise admitted. The ladies were drinking their -coffee on the veranda. ‘Look, mamma,’ exclaimed the daughter, ‘there -comes a “knight of the iron cross,” like Papa. And the poor man has -suffered the loss of an arm in battle.’ The young lady seemed to me -rather over-enthusiastic, but that was all the better for my purpose, -and I satisfied her curiosity with accounts of my prowess and deeds -of daring and described how, when my heroism had resulted in my arm -being shattered by a cannon ball during the storming of the village of -Bazeilles, it had afterwards been sawed off in the hospital. I also -told her in answer to her eager questions as to whether I was in want, -that I had an aged mother to support and wished to buy a hand-organ. -She gave me all the money in her cash box, and when I returned to -my lodging I found a large parcel of clothes which she had directed -a servant to leave for me. All my other visits were more or less -profitable, and the foreign visitors whom I addressed by letter, two -Russian princes, the Duchess of Hamilton and the Princess of Monaco, -each sent me a handsome present in cash. Owing to the insufficiency -of the police, I was able to carry on my frauds unmolested until I had -almost exhausted the fashionable world at Baden-Baden. One morning -whilst I was absent a police official called at my lodgings. Hearing -of this on my return, I hastily packed my spoils and took train for -Karlsruhe. - -“The account of my criminal career would be incomplete without some -mention of prisons. They play a larger part in the life of the -budding convict than many people realise, and contribute materially -to his development. While the state turns its chief attention to the -larger gaols, the smaller prisons are often sadly neglected. If these -were better administered, fewer large houses of correction would be -required. Here the vagrants tarry, shaping their plans; here one thief -learns from another various artifices and tricks; here young offenders -are won over to the criminal life. The principal evils of these small -prisons undoubtedly are the promiscuous congregating together of -all offenders and the absence of occupation. It is not surprising, -therefore, that the time is passed in idle talk, and that the man who -can relate the largest number of rascally tricks he has played should -be the hero of the company. Many an inexperienced lad listens to these -anecdotes and acquires a taste for the life of a sharper. When to all -this is added a brutal superintendent, open to bribery, then the prison -becomes a real training school for criminals. - -“Once in a prison at Baumholder I was locked up in company with a -robber and murderer who had broken out of a Prussian gaol, and, on the -road by which he was escaping, had killed a poor labourer for the sake -of stealing his clothes and his small store of money. One evening this -sinister individual sat brooding, his eyes glowing weirdly. Suddenly -he said, ‘Hark you; when the warder comes round to-morrow he must -be pulled in here; you shall hold him and I will cut his throat.’ I -declined to be an accomplice in murder, and then he threatened me and -looked at me so strangely that cold shivers ran down my back and I -trembled like an aspen leaf. He saw my terror evidently and relented, -for he offered me his brandy bottle and agreed to drop his murderous -intentions if I would join with him in an attempt to escape that -very night. This I was quite willing to do, but our essay came to -nothing. We moved the stove and dug a hole in the floor beneath, but we -presently came upon a beam with which we were not able to cope, and we -were obliged to fill up the aperture with rags and bread and to move -the stove back over it to escape detection.” - -An account of a robbery perpetrated by Kürper on a larger scale, and -its sequel, may be told in conclusion of this criminal’s career. - -“On July 4th, in the year 1873, I was crossing the market place at -Mannheim, when I met an old comrade of mine from the industrial school -at Speier. We greeted each other warmly and exchanged our experiences, -which ran in a similar groove only in that he had been more unfortunate -than myself, having already served two rather long terms in prison. -We decided to enter into a temporary partnership, and this was the -beginning of the end. He had a theft in view promising rich spoils, for -which he required an accomplice, and that part he wished me to perform. -Nothing loth, I agreed, and we arranged a plan of campaign. He related -to me that a well-to-do man he knew of lived on the first floor of -a house which was surrounded by a high wall, and in an unfrequented -street, and kept his possessions in a heavy leather trunk. He went -out every evening from nine until twelve o’clock, so that during his -absence the coast was clear. We were to convey the trunk to the castle -garden, carry it over the bridge which crosses the Rhine, and at -Ludwigshafen break it open, bury it and take its contents to K., where -my ally knew how to dispose of them. - -“I liked the idea of the job, and we agreed to go to work that same -evening. Accordingly just before ten o’clock we started. On reaching -the street in question my heart began to beat furiously and I felt a -presentiment that ruin was at hand, but it was too late to turn back. -My colleague assured himself that the owner of the trunk was away, -according to his usual custom, and engaged in playing cards. The street -was quiet, and we scaled the wall around the house and entered the -room where the heavy box stood. We dragged it out and succeeded in -carrying it to the castle garden over the bridge already alluded to, -bearing our burden slowly and securely in this region where the police -is well represented. We passed through Ludwigshafen and reached a field -where there is a fish-pond. - -“Here we opened the trunk, which we found packed full to bursting, -emptied it and buried it so successfully that the police were afterward -four weeks in finding it, in spite of accurate indications. That -same night we marched, laden with our spoils, to Rheingönnheim, -from whence we travelled to K., where in a few hours, thanks to my -companion’s admirable business talents, we disposed of all we had to -sell at remunerative prices. Drunk with victory, we could not rest -satisfied and determined to attempt another _coup de main_. By broad -daylight we proceeded to enter the room of a tradesman and rifle it -of all its contents. We sold everything we had stolen except one -waistcoat. This was the cause of our undoing. My comrade carried the -garment in question, being half drunk, to a commissionaire in the open -market-place. The police were already on our traces. Two members of the -force came round the corner and immediately took us both in charge. We -were now imprisoned, previous to being tried, and when subjected to -a severe cross-examination, of course took refuge in subterfuge and -lies. As we were parted, however, and separately interrogated, we -soon made contradictory statements. My companion then decided to make -a partial confession, but endeavoured at the same time to incriminate -me as the ringleader in the affair. When I realised his infamy, I, on -my part, did not hesitate to keep back the truth in regard to him. On -December 24, 1873, we were taken, securely hand-cuffed, to the Court -of the Assizes in Zweibrücken, where we were condemned to three years’ -penal servitude. We entered a petition against this sentence, but it -was thrown out. On February 5, 1874, the dark door of the gaol of -Kaiserslautern closed upon me with a clanking sound.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SOME REMARKABLE PRISONERS - - Extracts from the experiences of a Bavarian prison - chaplain--Life history of a notorious criminal, Joseph - Schenk--Early crimes--Kaiserslautern, “The Crescent Moon” - prison--Schenk becomes known as the “Prison King”--Punishment - has no effect on him--Frequent escapes--Passes through - the prisons of Würzburg, Munich, Bayreuth--Würger, the - usurer--Plies his trade when committed to gaol--Anecdotes of - his rapacity--The tax collector who becomes his prey--Anna - Pfeiffer, a rare example of a female hypocrite--Two recent - crimes--The boy murdered in Xanten--A Jewish butcher - accused--Trial causes an immense sensation--Gigantic sum stolen - from Rothschild’s bank by chief cashier--Eventually arrested in - Egypt--The causes of the cashier’s crime. - - -Some other interesting types of German criminals are described by -a Bavarian prison chaplain, the Rev. Otto Fleischmann, who spent a -quarter of a century in earnest labours among the inmates of a great -penal institution. Some of his descriptions and experiences will be of -interest and give us at the same time the life histories of notorious -criminals. Let us begin with one Joseph Schenk, a curious example of -the old-time convict, one of a class now rarely to be met with in the -modern prison. - -Joseph Schenk was born in Berlin in 1798. His mother was a canteen -woman in a Prussian regiment. His father, whose name he never learned, -was no doubt a soldier and a man of coarse, brutal disposition, many -of whose worst traits had been clearly transmitted to his son. Joseph -Schenk, from his earliest days, exhibited a cruel nature; his temper -was ungovernable, his delinquencies incessant; he was given to acts of -brutal violence, and to the last he was of an inhuman character. He -passed much of his old age in the prison hospital, where his greatest -treat as a patient was permission to attend at a post mortem and be -present at the dissection of a corpse. It was horrible to see him -gloating over the hideous details as he watched the autopsy. - -Schenk’s mother, when she left the regiment, went to her native place, -Oberlustadt, where her son served his apprenticeship to a weaver and -was then drawn by conscription into a regiment of Bavarian light -horse. He never talked much of those days (we are still quoting from -the chaplain), but it is certain that when the restraints of strict -discipline were loosened and he was discharged, he rapidly fell into -evil courses and developed into an accomplished miscreant. He went home -to Oberlustadt and became the terror of the neighbourhood as the author -of repeated dastardly crimes. In 1824 Schenk was put upon his trial -to answer for the commission of three heinous offences perpetrated -in rapid succession. A large concourse of people attended the trial -at the Assizes. He was charged with rape, street robbery and murder, -and his sentence was death, but was commuted by the soft-hearted king, -Maximilian I, into lifelong imprisonment in chains. - -At that time the great central prison of Kaiserslautern, the so -called “Crescent Moon,” was still in process of construction, and -the reprieved convict was lodged in the gaol of Zweibrücken. There -he quickly developed into a prison notoriety; he became a terror to -his officers from his bold and cunning tricks, and the admiration -of his fellow-convicts. He was known as the “prison king,” whom no -walls, however high or thick, could hold, and who was endowed with -such strength that he could carry with ease a leg chain and bullet -weighing 28 pounds. He soon acquired the deepest insight into prison -ways and was unceasingly insubordinate and the constant contriver -of disturbance. He scoffed at all authority, sought perpetually to -attain freedom and was for ever setting all rules and regulations -at defiance. When the Kaiserslautern prison was finished he was -transferred there to ensure his safe custody, but was still the same -reckless, irreconcilable creature. In chapel services, which male and -female prisoners attended in common, he attracted the attention of the -women and started many intrigues by passing letters and presents to -them. When the spirit moved him, he would burst out into loud roars -of laughter or mock the officiating clergyman in the middle of the -service. He was continually engaged in tampering with officers and -guards, bribing them to carry on a clandestine traffic with “outside” -and persuading them to supply him with food and prohibited articles. He -was a power among his fellow-prisoners, who yielded ready obedience to -his caprices and carried out his orders punctiliously. When searched, -contraband articles were frequently found in his possession; weapons -for assault and tools to be of assistance in his many projected -escapes. Punishment, blows and close confinement in a dark cell, he -endured with a stoical resignation which earned him the glory of -martyrdom. With the higher authorities he comported himself cunningly, -adapting himself to their individual peculiarities; he could in turn -be cringingly civil, or audaciously impudent, and more than one letter -of complaint against them he concocted and contrived to have secretly -forwarded to Munich. - -After making several attempts to escape on his own account, he formed -a conspiracy with a number of daring convicts, the object of which was -to obtain freedom by armed force. The plot was carried out on October -18, 1827, but proved disastrously unsuccessful. The conspirators, -who were unable to effect the murder of some of the warders as -contemplated, were completely overpowered. A special court met in the -following year to sit in judgment on the would-be perpetrators of -this foul attempt, and on June 9, 1828, Schenk, as well as two of his -associates, was condemned to death for the second time, the execution -to be carried out in the market place at Kaiserslautern. King Ludwig, -the reigning monarch, was no more in favour of capital punishment than -his predecessor, and Schenk’s sentence was again commuted to life-long -imprisonment in chains. - -His peregrinations now began, for he was transferred from one prison -of Bavaria to another, until he had made acquaintance with nearly all. -In each his conduct was so outrageous that the managing board always -declined to keep him beyond a certain time, deeming him a constant -menace to good order. He invariably obtained so great an influence -in whatever prison he was held that the officials were in despair. -On January 22, 1829, Schenk left Kaiserslautern, laden with chains -and escorted by three of the most trustworthy police officials, and -arrived at the prison in Würzburg on February 1st; he remained there -until September 30, 1833. Here every thought was centred on means -of escaping. He tried violence, and all kinds of clever schemes and -devices, and in spite of being flogged and receiving other punishments, -he persevered in his daring ventures until the authorities of the -Würzburg prison declared that the prison was not sufficiently secure -to retain him in durance. He was now transferred to Munich, where an -interesting group of the most dangerous malefactors of Bavaria had -been collected and were placed under the supervision of a strict and -competent prison administrator. In Munich Schenk underwent a series -of the most severe punishments that could be inflicted. The governor -stated it as his opinion that Schenk was the most dangerous criminal -of his kind and of his century. He added that never during the six and -thirty years of his official life had he met with such a combination of -astute cunning, incomparable audacity and hypocritical deceit. - -Schenk remained at Munich until the year 1842, when the minister Abel -succeeded in establishing the plan he had conceived of placing the -Bavarian prisons on a denominational basis. This might have answered -fairly well had the convicts not been allowed to alter their religion -while in prison. As it was, whoever had had enough of one institution -and desired a change, simply declared himself converted to another -belief, and was then transferred to the fresh gaol where its professors -were collected. The convicts could change their creed as often as they -liked, but Schenk repudiated such weakness of character, and pretended -to set great store by his Protestantism. He could not, however, remain -at Munich because it was a Catholic prison, and at the beginning -of the year 1842 he was removed to St. George at Bayreuth. In this -institution he reached the pinnacle of his evil fame and influence. -The administrator charged with its management in the years 1848-1849 -must have been a young and diffident man, for Schenk intimidated him -to such an extent that the prisoner became the actual master of the -gaol. Seldom or never, perhaps, has a convict occupied such a position -in a prison as Schenk did during his palmy days at Bayreuth. To curry -favour with him he was often invited to drink coffee with the governor -in the office and while they drank it the governor discussed with him -prison problems and the proper treatment of prisoners. It must have -been a strange sight to witness the convict in his chains on a sofa -and the director doing the honours. Of course a peremptory stop was -put to such a scandal. The timid governor was superseded by a more -severe disciplinarian and Schenk was grievously annoyed. He stirred up -a fierce opposition to the new man, whom he represented as a ruthless -despot, and filled his fellow-convicts with apprehension as to the -future that lay before them. They determined, therefore, to greet this -functionary with a striking proof of their bad humour and distrust. -Accordingly, when the new administrator entered the building on -February 9, 1850, a general insurrection broke out among the prisoners, -which was only quelled with great difficulty by armed force. Schenk’s -reign was now over. The new governor soon knew that he had been the -ringleader and took measures to subdue his troublesome charge. Instead -of coffee, he received hard blows, and in place of the sofa he was -provided with a wooden couch. - -Yet Schenk contrived secretly that a letter full of complaints of the -new director, whom he described as a bloodhound hungry for the life -of a peaceful, inoffensive man, meaning himself, should reach the -authorities at Munich. The director accused was not slow to explain the -true facts; the lying denouncer met with his deserts and was soundly -flogged. He was still untamed, however, and fought on stubbornly until -his iron constitution began to give way. As his health declined and -he felt that death was approaching, he became for a time singularly -amenable. At last, in 1860, he was finally transferred to Plassenburg -prison, which he entered for the first time. His old audacious and -rebellious spirit reasserted itself, and he succeeded in breaking out -of prison with several companions. They were all promptly recaptured -by the peasants in the first village they reached, and laid by the -heels like wild beasts escaped from their cages. When once more in -durance, Schenk devoted himself to the writing of petitions for milder -treatment, and he was granted a few small privileges, such as the -lightening of his chains. In 1863 he was taken back to Kaiserslautern -after an absence of thirty-four years. Although feeble and broken in -health, he still enjoyed a great influence over the other prisoners, -and, when he chose, could still incite them to mutiny and rebellion. In -January, 1864, a violent outbreak occurred at Kaiserslautern in which -he did not figure personally but which he had no doubt brought about. - -It was at this period of his career that Herr Fleischmann became -acquainted with him and writes: “Schenk’s every thought was now centred -in obtaining a pardon. I often heard him exclaim, ‘I would gladly -die, if I could but enjoy freedom for a single day.’” His passionate -appeals were nearly bearing fruit when the inhabitants of Oberlustadt -protested, and, still remembering his parting threats on leaving -the town, hastily sent in a petition against the liberation of so -dangerous a man. With his hopes thus dashed to the ground forever, a -last spark of energy revived and he made a final attempt to escape from -the hospital, which miscarried, and in the end his release was only -compassed by death. For forty-seven years he had maintained a ceaseless -conflict with law and authority. - -Herr Fleischmann gives a graphic presentment of this remarkable -criminal, whom he first met in the hospital toward the end of his -life. “My interlocutor was an old man in the seventies. I shall never -forget his appearance, for I never beheld a more hideous or repulsive -countenance. He was of medium height, strongly built, and dragged one -leg slightly, like all those who have worn chains and balls for years. -His head was covered with thin gray hair always carefully brushed. One -side of his face was completely distorted from the effects of a stroke -of paralysis. Half the mouth and one wrinkled cheek hung down flabbily; -one bloodshot eye stared dimly from its socket, but the other, on -the contrary, was light gray and quite alive, with a look of extreme -cunning. He was a man of great natural intelligence, unusually gifted, -and he had improved himself by much reading; he expressed himself well, -possessed a keen knowledge of human nature and often succeeded in -deceiving the prison officials by his masterly power of dissimulation.” - -We have to thank our reverend author for one or two more types of -German prisoners. He speaks of one, Würger by name, who was of Jewish -extraction, but a Christian according to the testimony of his baptismal -certificate, although there was little to prove his real religion -in the records of his life. As to the outer man, he was short of -stature and very broad-shouldered; he had an enormous head with bushy, -prominent eyebrows and teeth large and pointed like the fangs of a wild -beast. His eyes were gray and cold but acute in their expression. The -first time the chaplain visited him in his cell he was sitting on the -edge of a big chest filled with papers and literally in hysterics. No -other word could adequately describe the passionate outburst of rage -and despair to which he was giving vent. When asked the cause of his -distress, he asserted with renewed wails that he was a ruined man. The -facts came out gradually. His wife had sent the huge chest to him, -because not even the most astute man of business in her vicinity to -whom she had applied could disentangle the mass of promissory notes -and dubious deeds which it contained. She had also written that no one -admitted indebtedness to him, and indeed, several of his debtors had -already run off. She said he must put the papers in order himself and -send the chest to some agent with instructions to act for him. The box -was full of documents, and represented the ruin and wretchedness of the -impecunious victims of his remorseless usury. - -The chaplain had little sympathy with his whining regrets and strongly -urged him to commit the contents of the box to the flames, but this -advice WÜrger received with horror. It would bring his family to -penury, he declared; he had done no one any harm but had rather been -a public benefactor, honest and straightforward in all his dealings, -and he had been ill-rewarded for his efforts to benefit his fellow -creatures. The tears streamed from the eyes of this friend of humanity -as he uttered this lying statement. - -Two anecdotes told by the writer will give some idea of the character -of this rapacious creature. His wife, who belonged to a good family, -had once instituted divorce proceedings against him. Her lawyer -insisted before the court that Würger was essentially a bad, vicious -person, but that his client had been quite unaware of his evil -tendencies before her marriage. Würger’s lawyer then took up the -parable and exclaimed,--“What, the plaintiff pretends ignorance of what -sort of man my client is! Why, it is notorious that in the whole of -Pfalz there is no worse fellow than Würger. And you worshipful judges,” -he added, “you certainly cannot assume that Würger’s wife was the -only person who did not know anything about it.” The wife’s petition -was dismissed and Würger, on hearing the result of the proceedings, -rubbed his hands, smirked with glee and clapped his lawyer on the back, -saying, “That was a lucky hit of yours, calling me the worst fellow in -Pfalz; you deserve great credit for the conduct of my case.” - -When Würger was in prison awaiting trial, a fraudulent tax-collector, -whom an auditor had caught embezzling public money, occupied the -same cell as the usurer. The collector was a man of fair character -but afflicted with a consuming thirst and fit for nothing until he -had swallowed many pints of beer. He brought into prison with him a -certain sum in cash, a silver watch and chain and a gold ring. Here was -Würger’s opportunity. He saw his companion’s funds gradually diminish -by his terrible thirst, and when they were exhausted, proposed to buy -his fellow-prisoner’s silver chain, and offered a ludicrously low price -for it. Bargaining and haggling went on for some time but without -result, although the usurer strove hard and backed up his offer by -constantly calculating how many pints of beer the suggested price would -buy. Every time Würger mentioned the word “beer” the other would sigh -deeply until the temptation conquered him, and finally the chain passed -into Würger’s hands. The price of the chain was consumed in drink and -the silver watch was the next to go. The last struggle was for the -gold wedding ring. The poor collector was quite determined not to part -with it; he inwardly took a solemn oath to conquer himself and not to -sacrifice this last precious treasure. Würger did not utter a word -for some days nor seem to notice the tortures of his mate. Finally, -however, he appeared softened by the moans and groans of his companion -who grew more and more thirsty, and offered to help him, but only at -the cost of the ring. The tax-collector fell on his knees and begged -the tyrant to lend him the money only and let him but pawn the ring; -but Würger drove him to distraction by ordering a pint of beer which -he slowly consumed before the drunkard. Again and again he tempted -and played upon the appetite of the unfortunate man until at last the -collector, half mad, tore the ring from his finger and threw it at the -feet of the usurer, who smilingly slipped it into his pocket. - -In prison Würger’s behaviour was cringing and artful. At the exercises -in chapel he would sit with his head bowed, evidently cogitating over -his impending lawsuits and thinking of his gold. His fellow-prisoners -treated him with contempt, and revelled in the knowledge that this -rich fiend, who had cheated many a poor man out of his last farthing, -was now one of themselves; and on Sunday especially they would cast up -his misdeeds against him and hold him up to ridicule. Toward the end -of his term he went to the chaplain and bought a Bible. This reckless -extravagance seemed odd, but it became known that the chaplain bought -his Bibles at a reduced rate, and the usurer had calculated that he -could sell at a profit. - -“A clergyman’s task,” says Herr Fleischmann, “is far more difficult in -a prison for women than in one for men. In the latter he has to deal -with coarseness, brutality and moral degradation, but in the former he -meets with many despicable traits: unlimited cunning, spitefulness, -love of revenge, deceit and artifice. The man often reveals himself as -he is, while the woman, on the contrary, having lost caste, desires to -conceal her abject condition and, with rare exceptions, assumes some -part foreign to her real nature which she plays cleverly throughout. -I was often obliged in spite of myself to compare the man’s gaol to a -menagerie, the woman’s to a theatre or stage. - -“I was twenty-six years of age when I started on my official career -of activity in K. On making my first rounds through the cells on the -female side, I found one woman sitting with her head on the table -weeping bitterly. She gave no sign that she had noticed my entrance, -but when I wished her ‘Good morning,’ she slowly lifted her head and -transfixed me with an uncomprehending gaze from soft, tear-dimmed brown -eyes. She was apparently about fifty years of age and retained traces -of great beauty. - -“‘I am your new pastor’ I said. What is your name?’ Then she passed -her hand across her forehead as if to dispel an evil dream and, rising -from her seat with a great show of good feeling, begged me to excuse -her seeming rudeness, but in truth she had been absorbed in the -contemplation of her past life. She claimed to be unfeignedly grateful -for my visit and as she spoke she seized my hand and would have kissed -it had I not drawn it away. I asked her name. ‘Ursula Pfeiffer, -reverend sir,’ she replied. ‘Very well,’ I said, ‘I will look into your -record and the next time I come we will discuss your past.’ But she -continued, ‘Let me confess at once; I am the greatest sinner in the -whole prison, but thank heaven, I have at last found peace within these -walls.’ - -“On the prison registers this woman’s record ran thus: ‘Anna Ursula -Pfeiffer, born at Zirndorf, near Nürnberg, in 1813, sentenced for -repeated thefts to four years’ penal servitude. Was, from 1838 to -1863, punished forty-one times for leading a vicious life, vagrancy -and theft.’ During my next few visits, her behaviour was characterised -by reserve, which led me to think she had realised that she must not -lay on her colours too thick. After the lapse of some weeks, she told -me her history simply, without flourishes, and I recognised from her -manner of relating that I had before me a woman of uncommon mental -gifts. - -“Her parents had been poor people, earning an honest livelihood, who -brought up their children respectably. They thought a great deal of -their Ursula, who always took a high place in school. Her intelligence -and her beauty, however, were to prove her curse. She went into -domestic service with a rich Jewish family, where the son of the house -seduced her and, when the consequences of the intrigue could no longer -be concealed, she was dismissed ignominiously. She moved to Nürnberg, -where she took to disreputable ways, and she always had plenty of money -until her beauty began to wane. Then she gradually sank lower and lower -in the social scale, and finally became addicted to thieving, which -landed her continually in prison. - -“I observed my penitent closely, but saw no reason to doubt or mistrust -her. I now and then made use of a text on Sunday to inveigh against -hypocrisy, but she continued to play the part of the crushed and -contrite Magdalen and asked permission to take down my sermon on her -slate. To this I could not, of course, object. I would sometimes look -at the slate and compare it with my manuscript and seldom found a word -wrong. What might not this woman have become had she been born in a -higher sphere? When her term of solitary confinement had expired, she -requested that it might be extended over her full time, and remained -for two years longer in her cell. By and by she became a prison nurse, -and not only tended the sick with kindness and devotion but also with -uncommon skill. Her conduct was exemplary to the last, and when she -finally departed, it was with many protestations of gratitude and the -most heartfelt assurances of reform. - -“Yet a few months later, Ursula Pfeiffer’s papers were asked for by -some other penal institution. She had soon fallen back into evil ways, -and was sentenced to a fresh imprisonment. I was convinced that my -first impression of her as a hypocrite and a dissembler was absolutely -correct.” - -The Reverend Otto Fleischmann’s experience will be borne out by -hundreds of other God-fearing, philanthropic ministers who have devoted -themselves to the care and possible regeneration of criminals. - -Two sensational crimes committed in our own day, and which made a great -stir in Germany, were much commented on in the journals of the time. -One was the murder of a boy of five years old at Xanten in Prussian -Rhineland. The trial took place at the provincial court of justice at -Kleve, and the hall used was part of the ancient castle of the dukes of -Kleve, around which the legend of the “Knights of the Swan” (Lohengrin) -still lingers. The case excited widespread interest. The man accused -was a Jew and the fiercest passions caused by religious hatred were -engendered. Excesses were committed in the town; the case became a -subject of heated dispute in the popular assemblies, and more than once -occupied the attention of the Prussian Chamber of Deputies. - -On June 29, 1891, soon after six o’clock, a servant maid, Dora Moll, -found the body of a boy, Johann Hegemann, with his throat cut, in a -barn where fruit was stored, belonging to a town councilman named -Kupper. The boy was the son of the carpenter and coffin-maker of the -place. At noon on the same day the child, a fine and healthy boy, -had been seen playing near the barn. The wound was a clean one and -there seemed to be no doubt that a murder had been committed, but -there appeared to be no motive for it. Soon, however, suspicion fell -upon Adolf Buschoff, a butcher and also the superintendent of the -Jewish congregation. Several persons testified to the boy having been -attracted by Buschoff’s wife and daughter to the butcher’s shop, -situated close by the Kupper barn, on the eve of the crime. Other -causes for suspicion were suggested, with the immediate result that -Buschoff’s property was laid waste by his enraged fellow-citizens and -“Murderer’s house” was written on his abode. Many shops belonging to -Jews were also sacked; indignation was intensified by a report that -the boy had been done to death by a knife such as is used by Jewish -butchers, and that murder had been committed because the Jews require -Christian blood for their Passover feast. The excitement of the -Christian population grew to such a pitch that the Jewish community of -Xanten begged, in their own defence, that a special detective might be -employed to follow up the crime. The result of this inquiry was the -arrest of Buschoff, with his wife and daughter, and their committal to -the prison at Kleve, from which they were at last released on December -23rd. - -Anti-Semitism, however, constantly rankled and inflamed public opinion; -the case was re-opened, and Buschoff, who had settled at Cologne, was -again arrested on the plea that further suspicion had arisen. His wife -and daughter escaped, although a warrant had been issued against them -as being also privy to the crime. Hitherto Buschoff had been looked -upon as a popular and harmless citizen, but now feeling ran high -against him and it was generally believed that the charge of deliberate -murder would be fully proved. - -The court was crowded to suffocation; many ladies looked down upon the -crowd in the place set apart for them. A hum was heard like that in a -theatre before the curtain rises, followed by a painful silence when -the prisoner entered and took his place behind the barrier. Buschoff -was a man of fifty, strongly built and of medium height. He sat with -downcast eyes, his hands trembling; his colour was so ruddy that, but -for the signs of inward agitation expressed in his face, it would not -have been easy to suppose that he had spent a long time in prison -awaiting trial. The case lasted ten days and many witnesses were -called, but no evidence was adduced incriminating Buschoff, who, when -interrogated, steadfastly denied his guilt. A professor of Semitic lore -and an expert in interpreting the Talmud, was asked if murders in the -cause of ritual were anywhere justified in the Talmud. This he denied, -and other witnesses testified that Buschoff belonged to the order of -priests commonly called Levites, who are not allowed to approach a -corpse except those of their parents or brethren. On the sixth day, a -bag belonging to Buschoff, apparently blood-stained, was examined, but -it could not be proved to be human blood. On the seventh day, the chief -interest was centred in the evidence of the provincial judge, Brixius, -who had examined Buschoff at the time of his first arrest. The result -was, upon the whole, favourable to the accused, as Brixius considered -many of the statements which had been made by witnesses the result -of heated fancy and unbridled imagination dictated by hatred of the -Jews. On the last day of the trial, Frau Buschoff, who had not as yet -been called, had to appear. The accused wept bitterly at the sight of -his wife. She corroborated the testimony which had been given by her -husband and daughter. - -The jury was then asked to decide whether “the accused Adolf Buschoff -were guilty of having deliberately murdered Johann Hegemann in Xanten -on the 29th June, 1891.” A speech for the defence then followed, which -lasted two hours, and in the afternoon a second counsel spoke for the -prisoner, setting forth the innocence of the accused and appealing to -the jury to acquit him. Then followed the judge’s summing up, which was -absolutely fair and impartial. He called attention to the fact that the -population of Germany was divided between friends and foes of the Jews. -“Before the court of justice, however,” he said, “all men are equal. A -judge’s task is not to inquire to what religion an accused belongs; he -must have no partisan feeling.” The jury was absent for only half an -hour, and returned with the verdict of “not guilty,” which was received -with storms of applause. So ended a trial which produced an immense -sensation, not only in the Rhine provinces but to the furthest confines -of Germany, and was followed with strained and feverish attention. - -Another great crime is of about the same date, but of a very different -character,--the theft and misappropriation of gigantic sums by the -chief cashier, Rudolf Jaeger, of the Rothschild banking-house at -Frankfurt-on-the-Main. The story will be best understood by an extract -from the indictment on which he was eventually charged. It stated that -on Good Friday, April 15, 1892, the chief cashier of the banking-house -of M. A. Rothschild and Sons disappeared, but was not missed until -April 20th by reason of intervening holidays, both Christian and -Jewish. The suspicion of his flight was confirmed by two letters from -him posted at Darmstadt. One was to a Frau Hoch, who sent it to the -Rothschild house; the other was addressed to Baron Rothschild’s private -secretary, Herr Kirch. In both letters Jaeger stated that he had been -guilty of embezzlement and that he meant to take his own life. In the -letter to Kirch he carried the comedy to the extent of sealing his -letter with black, using a black-edged envelope and placing a memorial -cross under his signature. He confessed that he had lost 1,700,000 -marks by unlucky speculations on the bourse with money entrusted to him -in the course of business by others, including the bank. The money was -gone, he declared briefly, and he meant to expiate his deed by death, -hoping for mercy from God alone. - -Rudolf Jaeger first entered the Rothschild house as assistant to his -father, then chief cashier, and on his father’s death he succeeded to -the position. His salary was 4,500 marks; besides this, he received -other payments for keeping the private accounts of the Barons Wilhelm -and Mayer Karl Rothschild, as well as the New Year’s bonus, and such -other extras, so that his circumstances were easy. He married in 1877. -His first wrongdoing was when he embarked upon an egg-trading business -in partnership with one Heusel, who subsequently entered the dock by -his side. Heusel was always in financial straits, insatiable in his -demands for money, and although Jaeger had advanced the sum of 102,000 -marks, he clamoured incessantly for more, and to satisfy him Jaeger -made his first fatal dip into the Rothschild safe, which was in his -keeping. For a long time he managed his depredations most skilfully, -and his methods of throwing dust into the eyes of the clerks under -him by manipulating the books of the bank were extremely clever. Even -when a revision of the books took place, after he had gone so far as -to falsify them, his dishonesty was not suspected. However, he only -narrowly escaped. He felt he was on the verge of being discovered and -began his preparations for flight, in company with Josephine Klez, with -whom he had been intimate for some time. - -The fugitives went first to Hamburg and thence to Marseilles, where -they embarked for Egypt. Having arrived there, they considered -themselves safe and went about freely and openly, frequenting different -hotels. Jaeger bought many valuable jewels for Klez in Alexandria and -Cairo. The police in pursuit were soon upon their track and on May 10th -both were arrested by the German consul, with the assistance of the -Egyptian authorities, at Ramleh in the Hotel Miramare, and their goods -were seized. Both carried revolvers. Jaeger attempted to draw his, but -was prevented. At first, both endeavoured to deny their identity, but -in the end they gave their real names. Jaeger maintained, when brought -before the consul, that he had lost the greater part of the embezzled -sum on the bourses, but the examination of his luggage proved this -to be false, and a sum of 489,779 marks was found among his effects. -Part of it consisted in thousand mark notes, which Klez had sewn into -a pin-cushion. She had two purses, a black and a red one; in the first -was English, French and Egyptian money, and the second contained German -bank bills and marks in gold. On a second search, one hundred notes of -a thousand marks each were extracted from a pillow. Among the papers -seized, the most important was Jaeger’s note book, for pasted under its -cover was a slip of paper with abbreviated figures not very difficult -to decipher, and with a complete account of the embezzled sum and of -the persons in whose hands the money had been deposited; so, thanks to -the discovery of this memorandum, the greater portion of the sums left -in Frankfurt was discovered. - -When Jaeger and Klez arrived in Germany, they were committed to the -Frankfurt prison, where a number of their accomplices were already -lodged. Jaeger, when arraigned, pleaded guilty on every count. The -woman Klez admitted her complicity in the flight, but denied that she -was concerned in the frauds or had accepted anything but jewelry from -Jaeger. The trial was brief and judgment was soon given. Jaeger was -condemned to ten years’ imprisonment and, over and above this, to five -years’ deprivation of his civic rights, “because he was so lost to all -sense of decency as to leave his family and elope with a shameless -woman.” Klez was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, Heusel to six -years, and others concerned to short terms. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -SILVIO PELLICO AT SPIELBERG - - Spielberg for many centuries Imperial State prison--Its - situation--Originally the castle of the ruling lords of - Moravia--Silvio Pellico imprisoned there--Also Franz von - der Trenck--Pellico’s relations with the Carbonari--His - imprisonment in the Santa Margherita and the Piombi--Sentence - of death commuted to fifteen years in Spielberg--Administration - of this prison--His fellow sufferers--The gaoler, - Schiller--Prison diet--Strict discipline enforced--Pellico is - released at the end of ten years. - - -Spielberg, in Austria, served for several centuries as an imperial -state prison to which many notable political and other offenders were -committed. It stands on the top of an isolated hill, the Spielberg, 185 -feet above the city of Brünn, the capital of Moravia and headquarters -of the governor of the two provinces of Moravia and Silesia. The -castle was originally the fortified residence of the ruling lords of -Moravia and a formidable stronghold. It was the place of durance for -that other baron Von der Trenck, Franz, the Colonel of Pandours or -Austrian irregular cavalry, whose terrible excesses disgraced the Seven -Years’ War. His unscrupulous and daring conduct gained him life-long -incarceration in Spielberg which he ended by suicide. The fortress was -besieged and captured by the French just before the famous battle of -Austerlitz, which was fought in the neighbourhood. Its fortifications -were never fully restored, but a portion of the enclosure was rebuilt -and the place was again used as a place of durance, where some three -hundred prisoners were constantly lodged. These were criminals largely, -with a sprinkling of persons of higher and more respectable station who -had become obnoxious to the Austrian government. - -The lengthy sentence of imprisonment which Silvio Pellico endured at -Spielberg was the penalty imposed upon him as an Italian subject who -dared to conspire against the Austrian domination. The rich provinces -of northern Italy had been apportioned to the emperor of Austria in the -scramble for territory at the fall of Napoleon. The Italians fiercely -resented the intolerable yoke of the arbitrary foreigners, and strove -hard to shake it off, but in vain, for nearly fifty years. Secret -societies pledged to resistance multiplied and flourished, defying all -efforts to extinguish them. The most actively dangerous was that of the -Carbonari, born at Naples of the hatred of the Bourbon rule and which -aimed at securing general freedom for one united Italy. Its influence -spread rapidly throughout the country and in the north helped forward -the abortive uprisings, which were sharply repressed by the Austrian -troops. Plots were constantly rife in Lombardy against the oppressive -rule in force and centred in Carbonarism which the government -unceasingly pursued. Silvio Pellico was drawn almost innocently into -association with the society and suffered severely for it. - -Silvio Pellico was born in 1788 and spent a great part of his youth at -Pinerolo, a place of captivity of the mysterious “Man with the Iron -Mask.” His health was delicate; he was a student consumed with literary -aspirations and intense political fervour, and he presently moved to -Milan, where he began to write for the stage. A famous actress inspired -him with the idea of his play, _Francesca da Rimini_, which eventually -achieved such a brilliant success. Pellico was welcomed at Milan by the -best literary society and made the acquaintance of many distinguished -writers, native-born and foreign--Monti, Foscolo and Manzoni, Madame de -Stael, Schlegel and Lords Byron and Brougham among them. The author of -“Childe Harold” paid him the compliment of translating “Francesca” into -English verse. - -About this time Silvio Pellico accepted the post of tutor to the sons -of Count Porro, a prominent leader of the agitation against Austria, -and whose dream it was to give an independent crown to Lombardy. Count -Porro approached the Emperor Joseph pleading the rights of his country, -and but narrowly escaped arrest. He saw that overt resistance was -impossible, but never ceased to conspire and encourage the desire for -freedom in his fellow-countrymen. He opened schools for the purpose and -founded a newspaper, the _Conciliatore_, to which many talented writers -contributed, including Pellico. It was a brilliant, though brief, -epoch of literary splendour, and the new journal was supported by the -most notable thinkers and eloquent publicists, whose productions were -constantly mutilated by the censorship. In the end, the _Conciliatore_ -was suppressed. - -Silvio Pellico, soon after his entry into Count Porro’s household, was -invited to affiliate himself with the Carbonari but hesitated to join, -having no accurate knowledge of the aims and intentions of the society. -He was moved, however, to inquire further and very incautiously wrote -through the post to a friend, asking what obligations he would have -to assume and the form of oath he must take,--all of which he was -willing to accept if his conscience would permit him. There was no -inviolability for private correspondence under Austrian rule, and -Silvio Pellico’s letter was intercepted and passed into the hands of -Count Bubna, the governor of Milan, who was already well informed of -the conspiracy brewing. He was, however, a humane official and did not -wish to proceed to extreme measures, but quietly warned the most active -leaders to disappear, telling them that “a trip to the country” might -benefit them just then. Many took the hint and left the city, among -them Count Porro, who escaped on the very day that the police meant to -make a descent on his house. Confalonieri, one of the chiefs, was not -so fortunate. He declined to run away until the _sbirri_ were at his -door and then climbed up to the top of the house, hoping to gain the -roof, but the lock of a garret window had been changed and he was taken -by the officers. - -Silvio Pellico, having no suspicion of danger, was easily captured in -his house and was carried at once to the prison of Santa Margherita -in Milan, where he lay side by side with ordinary criminals, and also -made the acquaintance of the “false” Dauphin commonly called the Duke -of Normandy, the pretended heir of Louis XVI. It may be remembered that -a fiction long survived of the escape of the little dauphin from the -Temple prison, to which he had been sent by the French revolutionaries, -and that an idiot boy had been substituted to send to the guillotine. -The real dauphin--so runs the story--was spirited out of France -and safely across the Atlantic to the United States and afterward -to Brazil, where he passed through many dire adventures until the -restoration in France. A serious illness at that time prevented him -from vindicating his right to the throne, and thenceforth he became -a wanderer in Europe, vainly endeavouring to win recognition and -support from the various courts. The assassination of this inconvenient -claimant had been more than once attempted, and his persistence ended -in his arrest by the Austrian governor at the instance of the French -government, and resulted in his being held a close prisoner in Milan. - -The warders of the Santa Margherita assured Silvio Pellico that they -were certain his fellow prisoner was the real king of France, and -they hoped that some day when he came to his own he would reward them -handsomely for their devoted attention to him when in gaol. Pellico -was not imposed upon by this pretender, but he noticed a strong family -likeness to the Bourbons and very reasonably supposed that herein was -the secret of the preposterous claim. - -This curious encounter no doubt served to occupy Pellico’s thoughts -during his long trial which was conducted by methods abhorrent to all -ideas of justice. No indictments were made public and no depositions -of witnesses, who were always invisible. Conviction was a foregone -conclusion, and the sentence was death, on the ground that Pellico had -been concerned in a conspiracy against the state, that he had been -guilty of correspondence with a Carbonaro and that he had written -articles in favour of Carbonarism. His fate was communicated to him at -Venice, to which he had been removed and where he occupied a portion of -the Piombi, or prison under the “leads” of the ducal palace. - -After a wearisome delay, the sentence was read to the prisoners, -Pellico and his intimate friend and companion Maroncelli, in court, and -afterward formally communicated to them on a scaffold which had been -raised in the Piazzetta of San Marco. An immense crowd had collected, -full of compassionate sympathy, and to overawe them a strong body of -troops had been paraded with bayonets fixed, and artillery was posted -with port fires alight. An usher came out upon an elevated gallery of -the palace above and read the order aloud until he reached the words -“condemned to death,” when the crowd, unable to restrain overwrought -feeling, burst into a loud murmur of condolence, which was followed by -deep silence when the words of commutation were read. Maroncelli was -sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment and Silvio Pellico to fifteen, -both to be confined under the rules of _carcere duro_ in the fortress -of Spielberg. - -The conditions of _carcere duro_ may be described as extremely irksome -and rigorous. The subject was closely chained by the legs; he had to -sleep on a bare board--the _lit de soldat_ or “plank bed”--and to -subsist on a most limited diet, little more than bread and water, with -a modicum of poor soup every other day. More merciless and brutal -treatment was that of _carcere durissimo_, when the chaining consisted -of a body belt or iron waist-band affixed to the wall by a chain so -short that it allowed no movement beyond the length of the plank bed. -Part of the rations was a most unpalatable and filthy food, consisting -of flour fried in lard and put by in pots for six months, then ladled -out and dissolved in boiling water. - -An Austrian commissary of police came from Vienna to escort the patriot -prisoners to Spielberg, and he brought with him news that afforded some -small consolation. He had had an audience with the Emperor Joseph, who -had been graciously pleased to grant a remission of sentence by making -every twelve hours instead of twenty-four count as one day; in other -words, diminishing the term by just half. No official endorsement of -this proposal was signified and there was no certainty that it was -true, and indeed, after the lapse of the first half of the sentence, -release was not immediately accorded. Silvio’s seven and a half years -was expanded into ten, and the imprisonment might have been dragged on -for the full fifteen years but for the warm pleadings of the Sardinian -ambassador at the court of Vienna. - -The long journey to Brünn was taken in two carriages and in much -discomfort, for each coach was crowded with the escort and their -charges, and each prisoner was fettered with a transversal chain -attached to the right wrist and left ankle. The one compensation was -the kindly sympathy that greeted the prisoners everywhere along the -road, in every town, village and isolated hut. The people came forth -with friendly expressions, and as the news of their approach preceded -them, great crowds collected to cheer them on their way. At one place, -Udine, where beds had to be prepared, the hotel servants gave place -to personal friends who came in, disguised, to shake them by the -hand. The demonstrations were continued far across the frontier, and -even Austrian subjects were anxious to commiserate the sad fate of men -whose only crime was an ardent desire to free their country. - -[_Silvio Pellico at Spielburg_ - -_After the painting by Marckl_ - -The gifted Italian patriot, arrested as a Carbonarist in 1820, was -imprisoned for ten years, first at Milan and Venice and then in the -fortress of Spielburg in Austria, where he was subjected to gross -indignities and cruel neglect. He wrote of his experiences in his book -“My Prisons,” which struck a severe blow to Austrian tyranny. - -Illustration] - -Silvio Pellico records feelingly the emotion displayed by one charming -girl in a Styrian village, who long stood watching the carriages and -waving her handkerchief to the fast disappearing occupants on their -way to protracted captivity. In many places aged people came up to ask -if the prisoners’ parents were still alive, and offered up fervent -prayers that they might meet them again. The same sentiment of pity -and commiseration was freely displayed in the fortress throughout the -imprisonment; the gaolers--harsh, ill-tempered old soldiers--were -softened towards them; their fellow prisoners--ordinary criminals--when -encountered by chance in the courts and passages, saluted them and -treated them with deep respect. One whispered to Pellico, “You are not -such as we are and yet your lot is far worse than ours.” Another said -that although he was a convict his crime was one of passion, his heart -was not bad, and he was affected to tears when Silvio Pellico took him -by the hand. Visitors who came in from outside were always anxious to -notice “the Italians” and give them a kindly word. - -Pellico, when received by the superintendent of Spielberg, was treated -to a lecture on conduct and warned that the slightest infraction -of the rules would expose him to punishment. Then he was led into -an underground corridor where he was ushered into one dark chamber, -and his comrade Maroncelli into another at some distance. Pellico’s -health was completely broken by the long wearisome journey and the -dreary prospect before him. His cell was a repulsive dungeon; a great -chain hung from the wall just above his plank bed, but it was not -destined for him, as his gaoler told him, unless he became violently -insubordinate; for the present leg irons would only be worn. - -This gaoler was an aged man, of gigantic height, with a hard -weather-beaten face and a forbidding look of brutal severity. He -inspired Pellico with loathing as he paced the narrow cell rattling -his heavy keys and scowling fiercely. Yet the man was not to be judged -by appearances, for he concealed beneath a rough exterior a tender, -sympathetic heart. Pellico, misjudging him entirely, bitterly resented -his overbearing manner and showed a refractory spirit, addressing -his warder insolently and ordering him about rudely. The old man--a -veteran soldier who had served with distinction in many campaigns, -behaved with extraordinary patience and good temper and shamed Pellico -into more considerate behaviour. “I am no more than a corporal,” he -protested, “and I am not very proud of my position as gaoler, which -I will allow is far worse than being shot at by the enemy.” Pellico -readily acknowledged that the man Schiller, as he was called, meant -well. “Not at all,” growled Schiller, “expect nothing from me. It is -my duty to be rough and harsh with you. I took an oath on my first -appointment to show no indulgence and least of all to state prisoners. -It is the emperor’s order and I must obey.” Pellico regretted his first -impatience and gently said: “I can see plainly that is not easy for you -to enforce severe discipline but I respect you for it and shall bear -no malice.” Schiller thanked him and added: “Accept your lot bravely -and pity rather than blame me. In the matter of duty I am of iron, -and whatever I may feel for the unfortunate people who are under my -control, I cannot and must not show it.” He never departed from this -attitude, and though outwardly cross-grained and rough-spoken, Pellico -knew he could count upon humane treatment. - -Schiller was greatly concerned at the prisoner’s ailing condition. He -had grown rapidly worse, was tormented with a terrible cough and was -evidently in a state of high fever. Medical advice was urgently needed, -but the prison doctor called only three times a week and he had visited -the gaol the day before; not even the arrival of these new prisoners, -nor an urgent summons to prescribe for serious sickness, would cause -him to change his routine. Pellico had no mattress and it could only -be supplied on medical requisition. The superintendent, cringing and -timid, did not dare to issue it on his own responsibility. He came to -see Pellico, and felt his pulse, but declared he could not go beyond -the rules. “I should risk my appointment,” he pleaded, “if I exceeded -my powers.” Schiller, after the superintendent left, was indignant with -his chief. “I think I would have taken as much as this upon myself; it -is only a small matter, scarcely involving the safety of the empire,” -and Pellico gratefully acknowledged that he had found a real friend in -the seemingly surly warder. Schiller came again that night to visit him -and finding him worse, renewed his bitter complaints against the cruel -neglect of the doctor. The next day the prisoner was still left without -medical treatment, after a night of terrible pain and discomfort, which -caused him to perspire freely. “I should like to change my shirt,” he -suggested, but was told that it was impossible. It was a prison shirt -and only one each week was allowed. Schiller brought one of his own -which proved to be several times too large. The prisoner asked for one -of his own, as he had brought a trunk full of his clothes, but this too -was forbidden. He was permitted to wear no part of his own clothing -and was left to lie as he was, shivering in every limb. Schiller came -presently, bringing a loaf of black bread, the allowance for two days, -and after handing it over burst out into fresh imprecations against -the doctor. Pellico could not eat a morsel of this coarse food, nor of -his dinner, which was presently brought by a prisoner and consisted -of some nauseous soup, the smell of which alone was repulsive, and -some vegetables dressed with a detestable sauce. He forced down a few -spoonfuls of soup and again fell back upon his bare, comfortless bed, -which was unprovided with a pillow; and racked with pain in every -limb, he lay there half insensible, looking for little relief. At -last, on the third day, the doctor came and pronounced the illness to -be fever, recommending that the patient should be removed from his -cell to another up-stairs. The first answer was that no room could be -found, but when the matter was specially referred to the governor who -ruled the two provinces of Moravia and Silesia and resided at Brünn, he -insisted that the doctor’s advice should be followed. Accordingly the -patient was moved into a room above, lighted by a small barred window -from which he could get a glimpse of the smiling valley below, the view -extending over garden and lake to the wooded heights of Austerlitz -beyond. - -When he was somewhat better, they brought him his prison clothing -and he put it on for the first time. It was hideous, of course; a -harlequin dress, jacket and pantaloons of two colours, gray and dark -red, arranged in inverse pattern; one arm red, the other gray, one leg -gray, the other red, and the colours alternating in the same way on -the waistcoat. Coarse woollen stockings, a shirt of rough sailcloth -with sharp excrescences in the material that irritated and tore the -skin, heavy boots of untanned leather and a white hat completed the -outfit. His chains were riveted on his ankles, and the blacksmith -protested as he hammered on the anvil that it was an unnecessary job. -“The poor creature might well have been spared this formality. He is -far too ill to live many days.” It was said in German, a language with -which Pellico was familiar, and he answered in the same tongue, “Please -God it may be so,” much to the blacksmith’s dismay, who promptly -apologised, expressing the kindly hope that release might come in -another way than by death. Pellico assured him that he had no wish to -live. Nevertheless, although dejected beyond measure, his thoughts did -not turn toward suicide, for he firmly believed that he must shortly -be carried off by disease of the lungs. But, greatly as he had been -tried by the journey, and despite the fever which had followed, he -gradually improved in health and recovered, not only so as to complete -his imprisonment but to live on to a considerable age after release. - -The prisoners suffered greatly from their isolation and the deprivation -of their comrades’ company, but Silvio Pellico and a near neighbour -discovered a means of communicating with each other and persisted in -it despite all orders to the contrary. They began by singing Italian -songs from cell to cell and refused to be silenced by the loud outcries -of the sentries, of whom several were at hand. One in particular -patrolled the corridor, listening at each door so as to locate the -sound. Pellico had no sooner discovered that his neighbour was Count -Antonio Oroboni than the sentry hammered loudly on the door with the -butt end of his musket. They persisted in singing, however, modulating -their voices, until they gained the good-will of the sentry, or spoke -so low as to be little interfered with. This conversation continued -for a long time without interruption until one day it was overheard by -the superintendent, who severely reprimanded Schiller. The old gaoler -was much incensed and came to Pellico forbidding him to speak again at -the window. “You must give me your solemn promise not to repeat this -misconduct.” Pellico stoutly replied: “I shall promise nothing of the -kind; silence and solitude are so absolutely unbearable that unless -I am gagged I shall continue to speak to my comrade; if he does not -answer, I shall address myself to my bars or the birds or the distant -hills.” Kind-hearted old Schiller sternly repeated his injunctions, but -failed to impress Pellico, and at last in despair Schiller threw away -his keys, declaring he would sooner resign than be a party to so much -cruelty. He yielded later, only imploring Pellico to speak always in -the lowest key and to prevail upon Oroboni to do likewise. - -The greatest trial entailed by the _carcere duro_ was the lack of -sufficient food. Pellico was constantly tormented with hunger. Some of -his comrades suffered much more, for they had lived more freely than -he and felt the spare diet more keenly. It was so well known throughout -the prison that the political prisoners were half-starved, that many -kindly souls wished to add to their allowance. The ordinary prisoner, -who acted as orderly in bringing in the daily rations, secretly -smuggled in a loaf of white bread which Pellico, although much touched, -absolutely refused to accept. “We get so much more than you do,” the -poor fellow pleaded, “I know you are always hungry.” But Pellico still -refused. It was the same when Schiller, the grim gaoler, brought in -parcels of food, bread and pieces of boiled meat, pressing them on his -prisoner, assuring him that they cost him nothing. Pellico invariably -refused everything except baskets of fruit, cherries and pears, which -were irresistible, although he was sorry afterward for yielding to the -weakness. - -At last the prison surgeon interposed and put all the Italians upon -hospital diet. This was somewhat better, but a meagre enough supply, -consisting daily of three issues of thin soup, a morsel of roast mutton -which could be swallowed in one mouthful, and three ounces of white -bread. As Silvio Pellico’s health improved this allowance proved more -and more insufficient and he was always hungry. Even the barber who -came up from Brünn to attend on the prisoners said it was common talk -in the town that they did not get enough to eat and wanted to bring a -white loaf when he arrived every Saturday. - -Permission to exercise in the open air twice weekly had been conceded -from the first, and was at the last allowed daily. Each prisoner -was marched out singly, escorted by two gaolers armed with loaded -muskets. This took place in the general yard where there were often -many ordinary prisoners, all of whom saluted courteously and were -often heard to remark, “This poor man is no real offender and yet he -is treated much worse than we are.” Now and again one would come up to -Pellico and say sympathetically that he hoped he was feeling better, -and beg to be allowed to shake his hand. Visitors who came to call on -the officials were always deeply interested in the Italians and watched -them curiously but kindly. “There is a gentleman who will not make old -bones,”--Pellico heard some one say,--“death is written on his face.” -At this time so great was his weakness that, heavily chained as he was, -he could barely crawl to the yard, where he threw himself full length -on the grass to lie there in the sunshine until the exercise was over. - -The officers’ families lived near at hand and the members, particularly -the ladies and children, never failed when they met the Italian -prisoners to greet them with kindly looks and expressions. The -superintendent’s wife, who was in failing health and was always carried -out on a sofa, smiled and spoke hopefully to Pellico, and other ladies -never failed to regret that they could do nothing to soften the -prisoners’ lot. It was a great grief to Pellico when circumstances led -to the removal of these tender-hearted friends from Spielberg. - -Schiller and his prisoner had a serious quarrel because the latter -would not humble himself to petition the authorities to relieve him of -his leg irons, which incommoded him grievously and prevented him from -sleeping at night. The unfeeling doctor did not consider the removal of -these chains essential to health and ruled that Pellico must patiently -suffer the painful infliction till he grew accustomed to them. Schiller -insisted that Pellico should ask the favour of the authorities, and -when he was subjected to the chagrin of a refusal, he vented his -disappointment upon his gaoler, who was deeply hurt and declined to -enter the cell, but stood outside rattling his heavy keys. Food and -water were carried in by Kemda, the prison orderly, and it now was -Pellico’s turn to be offended. “You must not bear malice; it increases -my suffering,” he cried sadly. “What am I to do to please you? Laugh, -sing, dance, perhaps?” said Schiller, and he set himself to jump about -with his thin, long legs in the most ridiculous fashion. - -A great joy came unexpectedly to Pellico. He was returning from -exercise one day when he found the door of Oroboni’s cell wide open. -Before his guards could stop him, he rushed in and clasped his comrade -in his arms. The officials were much shocked, but had not the heart to -separate them. Schiller came up and also a sentry, but neither liked -to check this breach of the regulations. At last the brief interview -was ended and the friends parted, never to meet again. Oroboni was -really hopelessly ill and unable to bear up against the burden of his -miserable existence, and after a few months he passed away. - -Prison life in Spielberg was dull and monotonous. It was little less -than solitary confinement broken only by short talks with Schiller or -Oroboni. Silvio Pellico has recorded minutely the slow passage of each -twenty-four hours. He awoke at daylight, climbed up at once to his cell -windows and clung to the bars until Oroboni appeared at his window with -a morning salutation. The view across the valley below was superb; -the fresh voices of the peasants were heard laughing and singing as -they went out to work in the fields, free and light-hearted, in bitter -contrast to the captives languishing within the prison walls. Then came -the morning inspection of the cell and its occupant, when every corner -was scrupulously examined, the walls tapped and tried, and every link -of the chains tested, one by one, to see whether any had been tampered -with or broken. - -There were three of these inspections daily; one in the early morning, -a second in the evening, and the third at midnight. Such scrupulous -vigilance absolutely forbade all attempts at escape. The broad rule -in prison management is obvious and unchanging; it is impossible for -those immured to break prison if regularly watched and visited. The -remarkable efforts made by Trenck, as detailed in a previous chapter, -and indeed the story of all successful evasions, depended entirely upon -the long continued exemption from observation and the unobstructed -leisure afforded to clever and untiring hands. In the Spielberg prison, -so close and constant was the surveillance exercised that no one turned -his thoughts to flight. - -After the first meal--a half cup of colourless soup and three fingers -of dry bread--the prisoner took to his books, of which at first he -had plenty, for Maroncelli had brought a small library with him. The -emperor had been petitioned to permit the prisoners to purchase others. -No answer came for a year or more and then in the negative, while -the leave granted provisionally to read those in use was arbitrarily -withdrawn. For four full years this cruel restriction was imposed. All -studies hitherto followed were abruptly ended. Pellico was deprived of -his Homer and his English classics, his works on Christian philosophy, -Bourdaloue, Pascal and Thomas à Kempis. After a time the emperor -himself supplied a few religious books, but he positively forbade the -issue of any that might serve for literary improvement. - -The fact was that political agitation had increased in Italy, and -Austrian despots were resolved to draw the reins tighter and crush -rebellion by the more savage treatment of the patriot prisoners. Many -more were brought to Spielberg about this time and the discipline -became more severe. The exercising yard on the open terrace was -enclosed by a high wall to prevent people at a distance from watching -the prisoners with telescopes, and later a narrower place was -substituted which had no outlook at all. More rigorous searches were -instituted and carried out by the police, who explored even the hems -and linings of clothing. Pellico’s condition had become much worse. -He suffered grievously from the misfortunes of his friends. Oroboni -died, and Maroncelli was attacked by a tumour in the knee which caused -intense suffering and in the end necessitated amputation. Added to -this was acute anxiety concerning his relatives and friends. No -correspondence was permitted; no news came from outside, but there were -vague rumours that evil had overtaken Pellico’s family. - -One day, however, a message was brought him through the director of -police from the emperor, who was “graciously pleased” to inform Silvio -Pellico that all was well with his family. He begged piteously for more -precise information,--were his parents, his brothers and sisters all -alive? No answer was vouchsafed; he must be satisfied with what he had -been told and be grateful for the compassionate clemency of his august -sovereign. A second message, equally brief and meagre, came later, -but still not one word to relieve the dreadful doubts that constantly -oppressed him. No wonder that his health suffered anew and that he was -seized with colics and violent internal pains. Another acute grief was -due to the loss of his good friend Schiller, who became so infirm that -he was transferred to lighter duty and was at last sent to the military -hospital, where he gradually faded away. He never forgot his dear -prisoners, “his children,” as he called them and to whom he sent many -affecting messages when at the point of death. - -The Austrian government, although uniformly pitiless and stony-hearted, -was at times uneasy, ashamed, it might be, at the consequences of its -barbarous prison régime. More than once special inquiries were made by -eminent doctors sent on purpose from Vienna to report on the sanitary -state of Spielberg and the constant presence of scurvy among the -prisoners. The evil might have been diminished, if not removed, by the -use of a more generous diet, but the suggestion, if made, was never -adopted. One commissioner had dared to recommend that artificial light -should be provided in the cells, which were so dark after nightfall -that the occupant was in danger of running his head against the walls. -A whole year passed before this small favour was accorded. Another -visitor, hearing that the prison doctor would have prescribed coffee -for Pellico but was afraid to do so, secured him that boon. A third -commissioner, a man of high rank and much influence at court, was so -deeply impressed by the miserable condition of the prisoners that he -openly expressed his indignation, and his kind words in some measure -consoled the victims of such cruel oppression. - -At last the authorities were so much disturbed by the reports of the -failing health of prisoners so constantly isolated, that they were -moved to associate them in couples in the same cell. Silvio Pellico, -to his intense delight, was given Maroncelli as his companion. He -was so much overjoyed by the news that at first he fainted away, and -after he had regained consciousness he again fainted at seeing how the -ravages of imprisonment with its attendant dejection, starvation and -poisonous air had told on his friend. The two continued together for -the years that remained to be served; years of suffering, for both were -continually ill, Maroncelli lost his leg, and both were attacked with -persistent scurvy. They waited together for the long delayed day of -release, which in the case of Pellico was greatly prolonged beyond the -promised termination of seven and a half years. In the end he served -fully ten years, but was finally released in 1830. - -The order reached him quite unexpectedly one Sunday morning immediately -after mass, when he had regained his cell for dinner. They were eating -their first mouthfuls when the governor entered, apologised for his -appearance, and led them off, Pellico and Maroncelli, for an interview -with the director of police. They went with a very bad grace, for this -official never came but to give trouble and they expected nothing -better. The director was slow of speech and long hesitated to impart -the joyful news that His Majesty the emperor had been mercifully -disposed toward them and had set them both free. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -BRIGANDAGE AND CRIME IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - - Brigandage a great scourge in Eastern Europe--The Hungarian - brigand a popular hero--The “poor fellows” and the - “betyars” or brigands on a large scale--Their methods and - appearance--Generous to the poor; fierce and revengeful to the - rich--A countess who danced at a brigands’ ball--The Jews who - were crucified and tortured--Famous brigand chiefs--Sobry--Some - of his extraordinary feats--Mylfait and Pap--The criminal woman - in Austria-Hungary--Remarkable rogues--Weininger--The black - pearl from the British Crown jewels--Capital punishment--The - execution of Hackler in Vienna--His brutal crime. - - -From time immemorial brigandage has been the principal scourge of the -great tracts of wild country beyond the eastern Alps. The penal code -has always bristled with laws against highway robbery and pillage. -The ancient nobility, entrenched in their fortified castles or -hidden safely within rocky fastnesses, were so many freebooters and -road-agents who issued forth to prey upon their defenceless victims. -They drew around them a strong body of vassals, peasants, herdsmen and -shepherds, and organised them into great bands of brigands, constantly -engaged in extorting ransoms and levying blackmail in the surrounding -districts. The evil example of these lawless chieftains was followed -by the “free” towns, and life and property were everywhere insecure. -Reference to this state of things is to be found in a royal decree -published by Mathias Corvinus in the fifteenth century, reciting that -“the number of criminals has so much increased that no one is safe -either on the public roads or even in his own house.” But the most -stringent laws proved powerless to repress brigandage and general -rapine. Whole villages were devastated by armed bands under powerful -and capable leaders, who carried their depredations far and wide -through the Carpathians. We may quote from the record of a traveller of -the seventeenth century, who, when making a journey from Poland into -Hungary, was forced to seek the protection of an escort of brigands -to defend him from the attacks of other brigands who dominated the -mountain road and the whole country-side. Their chief was one Janko, -who received and entertained the traveller hospitably, and he was -present at a great feast to celebrate a successful attack upon a -caravan of merchants whom they had despoiled. He was entirely at the -mercy of these questionable friends, who proposed to break one of his -legs to prevent him from resuming his journey prematurely. He escaped, -happily, and after thirty-six hours’ wandering reached a village, where -no one could be found to guide him further, lest they should offend the -brigands. The band was presently captured, and the traveller was forced -to witness the tortures inflicted upon Janko, who was flayed alive by -his executioners; his skin was wound round him in long strips, and he -was then hung in the sun on an iron hook, where he lingered for three -days. The other brigands were also flayed and broken on the wheel. It -was about this time that the famous band of cannibal-brigands under -Hara Pacha terrorised Hungary. - -The Hungarian brigand was something of a popular hero, esteemed for -his generosity and chivalry. He was ready for any dangerous and daring -deed, inspired rather by a thirst for adventure than by acquisitiveness -or the savage instincts of murder and pillage. Strange stories are -told to their credit. One of them, who had been condemned to death and -was being escorted to the gallows by a pandour, or local policeman, -never forgot that he had been regaled with a good dinner and afterward -allowed to escape. Three months later the pandour fell into the -brigand’s hands, and was treated to a banquet in return and then set -free. On another occasion, a band of a dozen brigands took refuge in -a glass manufactory on the borders of Lake Balaton, where they stood -siege for three hours by a strong party of pandours. Then they made a -temporary truce, invited their assailants to come in and drink, and -after a carouse together, expelled them and renewed the fight, in which -they were worsted and obliged to surrender. - -There were various classes of brigands; some of them top-sawyers -who flew at the highest game, others more or less inoffensive and -commonly known as “poor fellows,” the _Szegény Legény_, a name they -had invented for themselves. These last were mostly conscripts who -could not tolerate military discipline and had deserted from the army; -they had not dared to return home, but had taken refuge in forest -or steppe, where they lurked in concealment, issuing forth only to -steal food, seizing a sheep or a lamb from the first flock they might -encounter. The “poor companion” was not exactly a brigand, only a tramp -or vagabond who consorted with shepherds and, keeping up an outwardly -respectable appearance, entered the villages to join in the dances and -festivities. They were most formidable in parts of the country where -they were numerous enough to use menace in demanding hospitality. -They formed themselves into bands of twenty or thirty and broke into -isolated houses, armed with bludgeons, or by using threats induced the -proprietors to pay them blackmail. Once a nobleman met a “poor fellow” -in the open who had escaped from gaol, and threatened to send him back -there if he was caught stealing sheep. “If you will give me one every -year,” said the vagabond, “I will lay my hands upon no more of your -sheep.” It is not uncommon for the “poor companion” to reform, marry -and settle down into an industrious and well-conducted servant. They -have been known to beg for gifts in kind--bacon and bread, for the -support of their fellows in the woods. - -The real brigand, known by the name of _betyár_, is, so to speak, born -to the business and takes to it from sheer liking. He is a constant -marauder, a thief on a large scale, prepared to break into great -houses, to invade the castles and residences of noble proprietors and -extort considerable sums. He is described by one author in graphic -terms: “His enormous hat, his black hair falling in long curls upon -his square shoulders; his thick eyebrows, his large ferocious looking -eyes, his face burned by the sun, his massive chest seen through his -tattered shirt, all combine to give him a wild and terrifying look. -He carries a whole arsenal with him--a gun, pistols, a hatchet and -a loaded stick, though he very rarely commits murder. He wages war -also with the gendarmerie. A horse that he covets he is not long in -appropriating. As cunning as an Indian, he gets into the pasture at -night and carries off, without making the slightest noise and with an -incredible dexterity, the horse or the sheep that he is in want of. -Should it be a pig that he has set his eyes on, he entices it to the -edge of the forest by throwing down ears of maize to tempt it, and then -suddenly knocks it on the head with a blow of his club.” - -The betyars, armed to the teeth, ranged the country with the utmost -effrontery, daring riders mounted on good horses, accustomed to the -saddle from their earliest youth. They did not hesitate to attack -houses even in the largest villages, ransacking the places and -carrying off horses and spoil of all kinds. In 1861 a party encamped -near a town where great fairs were held, and levied contributions -on all who approached, stopping sixty carts in succession and -appropriating a sum of 15,000 florins in all. Eight of them once -surrounded a house in Transylvania, but were foiled in trying to break -in the door, so attempted the windows, where they were met by the -proprietor who opened fire on them. The brigands began a regular siege, -which ended in a parley. It appeared that hunger was the motive of the -attack, and the assailants withdrew when supplied with food and drink. - -A country gentleman was driving home in the dead of night, when his -horses became frightened and were pursued by wolves. Ammunition was -soon expended and escape seemed hopeless when a large party of mounted -men came to the rescue and drove off the ravenous brutes. The grateful -traveller, mistaking them for local police, thanked them warmly for -their timely help. “Man is bound to assist his fellow man,” was the -quiet reply, “but we want something more than thanks. We are not -pandours but gentlemen of the plain in search of horses and any money -we can pick up. You have not recognised us, but we know you and cannot -allow you to run the risk of going home with wolves prowling round. You -must be our guest for a time.” They took him to a neighbouring farm, -gave him supper and a bed and made him write a letter to his wife -saying he was detained by highwaymen who would not part with him until -she had paid over ten thousand florins as his ransom. The money was -duly handed over and the gentleman released. But he was not content to -submit. - -Upon reaching home he raised a hue and cry against the betyars, and -they were unceasingly pursued and driven from that part of the country, -to which they did not dare to return for a long time. Fifteen years -later, they swooped down upon the proprietor whom they thought had -betrayed them, and burned his residence and his well-filled granaries -to the ground. In explanation, the following letter reached him: -“We betyars never forget or forgive. We owe our expulsion from this -district to you, and we swore to take our revenge when we were next in -your neighbourhood. That vow was fulfilled last night! Let this be a -lesson to you never again to break a solemn promise given to a betyar.” - -The brigands often descended upon their victims with dramatic -suddenness. Their information was always accurate and excellent. -Tucker in his “Life and Society in Eastern Europe,” describes the -startling appearance of a much-dreaded betyar at a historic castle in -Transylvania. - -“The noble count was at table with his guests, doing justice to a -sumptuous supper, when the doors were thrown open and gave admission to -a tall, dark, handsome, fiery-eyed man, who advanced with a profound -obeisance and said, ‘I do myself the honour of paying my respects -to your excellencies,’ upon which he approached the countess with -martial step and clanking spurs and raised her trembling fingers to his -lips. No thunderbolt from heaven, no special apparition from beyond -the grave, could have terrified, stupefied, stunned the convivial -assemblage more effectually than the sudden entrance of this stranger. - -“His appearance was indeed striking,--in person tall and majestic, -of fierce look, defiant and resolute, despite his fascinating smile. -His brow was exceedingly swarthy, his eyes large and luminous, whilst -his huge jet-black moustache, trimmed in true Magyar fashion, added -even more ferocity to this undaunted robber of the plain. His attire -was picturesque, fantastic, gaudy, unique. In his small, round black -Magyar hat was stuck a long white feather. His tightly fitting vest -was of crimson satin, on which there flashed and glittered two long -rows of large and handsome buttons. The sleeves of his shirt were -extremely wide and open, falling in ample folds and disclosing his -brawny and sinewy arms.... His legs were incased in highly polished -boots reaching to the knees, while a pair of glittering silver spurs -adorned his heels. Encircling his waist in many folds was a crimson -scarf, terminating in broad, loosely hanging ends. Within the folds -were stuck three daggers, the hilts and shields elaborately studded -with costly gems and pearls, and two handsomely mounted horse-pistols -lay half-concealed beside them. A _kulacs_ or flat wooden flask, -gaily painted in floral designs, hung at his side, suspended from his -shoulder by a leather strap. In his left hand he held the _pkosch_,--a -stout stick headed by a small instrument of solid steel, representing -on one side a hatchet and on the other a hammer.” - -The count put the best face he could on the matter, asked how many -betyars there were, and gave entertainment for the men and horses, some -forty in all. The supper was relinquished, so that a new meal might -be set before the uninvited guests, and those present were dismissed -with a plain warning that no one was to go in search of aid. The forty -betyars then came in to devour the feast with keen relish, after -their long night’s ride. Healths were drunk in copious drafts, cigars -produced and the chief proceeded to serious business. He reminded his -host that the maize harvest which had just been gathered had been -bountiful, and a substantial sum had been paid in by the Jews for the -purchase of the crops. Forty-seven thousand florins were in the safe, -but this money was pledged to pay off a pressing mortgage and ought not -to be disturbed, the betyar chief generously admitted; but there was -a further sum nearly as large which the robbers declined to forego. -To have seized the mortgage money would have led to the betrayal -of the fact and an active pursuit would have been organised by the -police, feeble though it was, which might have led to an encounter and -blood-shed. But there was no lien upon the rest of the money, so the -robbers might safely take possession of it. - -There was no thought of resistance. The betyars might have been -outnumbered but they were well armed, while the residents and servants -in the castle had few, if any, weapons, and a conflict started would -have ended only in butchery, with the burning down of the house and -outbuildings, together with all they contained in corn, cattle and -machinery. It was better to stand the first loss,--no more than many a -Magyar magnate would waste at the gambling table in a single night. - -Maurice Jokai, the Hungarian novelist, tells a story, founded on fact, -of an adventure of a great lady with the brigands, in which she came -to no harm through her calm self-possession and courage. She was on -her way to a ball at Arad and, as she was obliged to travel through a -dense forest, she halted over night at an inn which was really a den of -robbers. There happened to be a great gathering of them there dancing. -Undaunted, she entered the ball-room,--a long room, filled with smoke, -where some fifty rough brigands were leaping about and singing at the -top of their voices. They stopped the dance and stared open-mouthed at -the audacious lady who dared to interrupt their revels. They were all -big, fierce looking men, and armed, but the beautiful countess cowed -them and imposed respect. One, the leader of the band, approached, -bowing low, and asked whom she was. He gallantly invited her to dance -the _czarda_ or national step, which she did as gaily and prettily as -on the parquet floor of the casino at Arad. - -An ample supper was brought in; pieces of beef were served in a -great cauldron, from which every guest fished out his portion with -a pocket-knife, and ate it with bread soaked in the gravy. Wine was -served in large wooden bottles. After supper cards were produced and -high play for golden ducats followed; then more dancing, and the -countess tripped it with the liveliest until morning. She had danced -eighteen _czardas_ in all with the principal brigand. Her companions -fearfully expected some tragic end to the festivities. When daylight -came, the horses were put to the carriage and the guests were suffered -to depart with compliments and thanks for their condescension. - -The betyars were not equally affable to all. They waged perpetual -warfare against Jews and priests, and all who were thought to be -unduly rich and prosperous, whom they constantly captured, robbed and -maltreated, inventing tortures and delighting in their agonies. The -wretched prisoners were beaten unmercifully, were crucified, shod like -horses, tied by the feet to a pendent branch of a tree, or buried up to -their necks by the road-side. A Jew was once taken when on his way to -market with honey. His captors stripped him naked, anointed his whole -body with the honey, rolled him in feathers and drove him in front of -them to the gates of the nearest town, where the dogs worried him and -the people jeered. - -Hungary produced many notable brigands, whose names are as celebrated -as the German “Schinderhannes,” or “Fra Diavolo,” or “Jose Maria” in -southern Spain. One of the most famous of these men was Sobry, who -haunted the great forest of Bakony, the chief scene of action for -Hungarian brigands. It was a wild district, its vast solitudes sparsely -occupied by a primitive people cut off from the civilised world. The -men, mostly swine-herds locally called the _kanasz_, were thick set and -of short stature, the women well-formed, with red cheeks and dark eyes. -Pigs roamed the forest in droves of a thousand, their herds consorting -with the vagabonds and refugees who hid in the woods, and were the -spies and sentinels of the brigands, who in return respected the swine. -The _kanasz_, or swine-herds who do business on their own account, are -very expert in the use of their favourite weapon, a small hatchet which -they carry in the waist-belt and prefer to a gun, and with which they -hunt and slay the bear of Transylvania. - -The great brigand Sobry was said to be the head of a noble family who -had wasted his patrimony in riotous living and disappeared. By and -by he returned to his ancestral castle with a fortune mysteriously -acquired. Again he ruined himself, and again disappeared, to turn -up later with a large sum of money, which he left to his people. -Sobry’s exploits filled all Hungary. As became an aristocrat he -had most polished manners, and treated his victims with the utmost -consideration. Once he made a descent upon a castle in the absence of -its rich owner, who had left his wife alone. Sobry hastened to the -lady, disclaiming all idea of doing her injury, but begged her to -invite him and his companions to dinner, as the table was reputed to be -the best in Hungary. Twenty-four covers were laid, and Sobry escorted -his hostess to the cellars, where she pointed out the best bins of -Imperial Tokay. At dinner the countess presided, with Sobry at her -right hand. The brigand proposed many toasts to his hostess, kissed her -hand and departed without carrying off even a single spoon. - -The following incident is related: A gentleman was driving into town in -a superb carriage, on the box of which sat a police pandour. A beggar -with a venerable white beard came up asking alms, and was invited to -get into the carriage. “I will give you a new suit of clothes from the -best tailors,” said the gentleman. Ready-made clothing was chosen and -put into the carriage, the old beggar being left in pledge for the -goods. The gentleman, who was Sobry, was then driven away, and never -returned. - -The affair with the archbishop was on a larger scale. His Grace enjoyed -princely revenues, and kept up great state. His coffers were always -filled to overflowing, and he had immense possessions in flocks and -herds. One day a letter was received from Sobry, announcing an early -visit and the intention to drive off His Grace’s fattest cattle. The -archbishop declined to be intimidated, armed his servants and prepared -to give Sobry a hot reception. The fat cattle were to be sold at once -to the butchers, and a summons was sent forth inviting them to come -and make their bids. One butcher, a well-to-do respectable burgher, -insisted upon transacting his business with the prelate in person, and -after much parley he was introduced into His Grace’s study. Presently -he left the room, telling the servants that he had completed the -bargain, but that the archbishop was somewhat fatigued and was lying -down on the sofa, having given orders that he was not to be disturbed. -So long a time elapsed before His Grace rang his bell that the -servants, risking his displeasure, went to him and found him tied, hand -and foot, and gagged. The story he told, when released from his bonds, -was that his visitor had been Sobry, disguised as a butcher, and that -he had suddenly drawn a pistol and pointed it at the prelate’s breast -exclaiming, “Utter one cry and I fire! I have come to fetch the 60,000 -florins you have in the safe, which will suit my purpose better than -your finest cattle.” The archbishop surrendered at discretion and after -this His Grace kept the body-guard in close attendance at the palace, -and never drove out without an escort of pandours. - -Two other brigands of a more truculent character than Sobry were -Mylfait and Pap, who never hesitated to commit murder wholesale. On -one occasion, Mylfait had reason to believe that a certain miller had -given information to the pandours, and having surrounded the mill with -his band, he opened fire upon the house, killing every one within,--the -miller, his wife and children, and all of the servants. He showed a -certain grim humour at times. A Jew once lost his way in the forest -and fell in with Mylfait’s band, who were sitting around a fire where -a sheep was being roasted. He was cordially invited to join the feast, -accepted gladly, and made an excellent meal washed down with much wine. -Then he rose abruptly, eager to take himself off. “Without paying for -all you have eaten and drunk?” protested Mylfait. “How much money -have you got about you? Hand it over. Thirty florins? No more!” he -exclaimed. “Here,” to an assistant, “take his gun from him and make him -strip off his clothes. We will keep them until he chooses to redeem -them with a further sum of thirty florins.” The Jew, in despair, begged -and implored for mercy, crying bitterly and shaking in every limb. - -“You are feeling the cold, I am afraid,” said the pitiless brigand. -“You shall dance for us; that will warm you and will afford us some -amusement.” The wretched Jew pleaded that he did not know how to dance -the _czarda_. “But you must give us some compensation. Go and stand -with your back against that tree,” Mylfait insisted. “I am going to -see what your gun is worth and whether it shoots true. I shall aim at -your hat. Would you prefer to have your eyes bandaged?” The Jew renewed -his piteous lamentations in the name of his wife and children. But -Mylfait was inflexible, and slowly taking aim, fired, not at the hat, -but a branch above. The ball broke it and it fell upon the Jew’s head, -who, thinking himself killed, staggered and dropped to the ground. “Be -off, you cur;” cried the brigand-chief, “you are not fit to live, but -you may go.” - -These notorious characters were usually adored by the female sex. -Every brigand had a devoted mistress, who prided herself on the evil -reputation of her lover, whatever his crimes, even when he had many -murders on his conscience. A strange flirtation and courtship was -carried on for years in one of the principal prisons of Vienna. It was -conducted through a clandestine correspondence; many ardent letters -were exchanged, and the parties were betrothed long before they had -actually seen each other. The letters that passed were models of style -and brimful of affection. One, which had been concealed under a stone -in the exercising yard, and was impounded, ran as follows: - - * * * * * - -“VERY DEAR FRÄULEIN: I am thunderstruck by the news of your departure. -I wish you every sort of happiness, but I earnestly hope you will write -me saying you still love me, and will wait for my release a month and -a half ahead. Please go to my father’s house in the Rue de la Croix -where you will be well received, for I have assured him that you alone -shall be my wife, and you will find me a man of my word. I may add that -I have the means of supporting you. Write me, I beg, so that my misery -may be somewhat assuaged. Believe me when I swear eternal fidelity. -Your own Charles. - -“Do not credit any stories you hear against me--they are all lies and -calumnies. The world is very wicked, let us rise superior to it. I -adore you. Adieu.” - - * * * * * - -Love affairs do not always prosper in gaol. They may have their origin -in true affection, and are as liable to be impeded as elsewhere by -quarrels, suspicion and jealousy. An amazing case of clever deception -was that of a woman who posed as the Countess Kinski, who when at -large carried on a number of different intrigues at the same time. -She established relations on paper with several lovers,--artists, -tradesmen, and well-to-do burghers, every one of whom she promised to -marry. She gave them all an appointment on the same night at the opera, -where each was to wear a red camellia in his buttonhole; and the stalls -were filled with them. That night the real countess was present in a -box with her parents, and was unable to understand the many adoring -glances directed toward her by her admirers. A clever idea was at the -bottom of this deception. The impostor in her letters pretended that -her parents would certainly oppose her marriage, but that she was -ready to fly to her lover’s arms, if he would help her to bribe the -servants, her own maid, the lackeys and the house porter. The response -was promptly made in the shape of a number of bank-notes, and the false -countess did a flourishing business until the police intervened. - -The criminal woman in Austria-Hungary differs widely from the criminal -male offender. The latter enters jail cowed and depressed, and his -temper grows worse and worse until he gives vent to it in furious -assault upon his wardens. The female, on the other hand, begins with -violent hysterics and nerve crises, crying continually, refusing food, -half mad with despair. But she improves day by day, will eat and drink -freely and take an interest in dress and appearance, until at last -she becomes gay and good-humoured. Good looks are frequently met with -in this class. The shop windows are full of photographs of attractive -_demi mondaines_. The story is told of a peasant from the Danube who -was terribly shocked by a photograph of the famous nude group of the -Graces from the statue of Rauch. “Well, well,” he exclaimed, “they are -indeed shameless. They can afford to be photographed and yet they are -too poor to buy clothes.” - -Many rogues and sharpers have been found in the Viennese prisons. One -was the famous Weininger, who amassed considerable sums by the sale of -sham antiquities. He disposed of quantities to the best known museums -and collections in Europe. Among other things, he palmed off a quantity -of ancient weapons and armour upon the duke of Modena, all of which -were reproductions made at Vienna. He sold as sixteenth century work -two handsome altars for 3,000 pounds, which he persuaded an English -dealer he had bought in a Jesuit convent in Rome for 5,000 pounds. -Weininger was assisted in his frauds by a Hungarian count who gave the -necessary false certificates of antiquity. - -But genuine valuables often came into the market at Vienna. One day a -poor Jew, ragged and travel-stained, offered an authentic black pearl -for sale in a jeweller’s shop. It was beyond question worth a great -sum, and the dealer very properly refused to trade until satisfied -as to the holder’s rightful possession. The story told seemed very -questionable, and the Jew was taken into custody. He claimed that the -pearl had been given to him in payment of a bill owed him by one of -the guests in his boarding-house at Grosswardein. The debtor, he said, -had been at one time a servant of Count Batthyani, who had given it to -him on his death-bed. The pearl was at once recognised as one of the -three black pearls of that size in existence,--one of the English crown -jewels which had long since been stolen. There was nothing to prove how -it had come into Count Batthyani’s possession, but it was generally -supposed that he had acquired it from a dealer, neither of them being -aware of its enormous value. The British government is said to have -paid 2,000 pounds to recover the lost treasure. - -Capital punishment is still the rule in Austria-Hungary, as the -penalty for murder in the first degree. At one time noble birth gave -a prescriptive right to death by the sword for both sexes. Hanging -is to-day the plan adhered to for all. The condemned, as in most -countries, is humanely treated in the days immediately preceding -execution. He is carefully watched and guarded against any despairing -attempt at self-destruction, and he is given ample and generally -appetising food. Some curious customs survive. On the third day before -death the executioner brings the convict a capon for supper with a cord -around its neck, and at one time the bird was beheaded before being -served, and its legs and wings were tied with red thread. The ceremony -is still performed in the open air and with much solemnity. As a rule -the journey to the gallows is made in a cart with open sides, and the -condemned, tied and bound, sits with his back to the horses so that he -cannot see the scaffold. Before leaving the jail, the executioner asks -his victim’s pardon, and then, escorted by soldiers to protect him from -the people if he bungles in his horrible task, he takes a different -road to the gallows than that followed by the criminal. When he has -completed his task, he goes through the crowd, hat in hand, collecting -alms to provide masses for the man who has just passed away. - -Victor Tissot in his “Viene et la Vie Viennoise” gives a graphic -account of an execution of recent date, which he witnessed at the -Alservorstadt Prison in Vienna. It was conducted within the walls, -but a large concourse had assembled in front of the gates. The place -of execution was the so-called “Court of Corpses,”--a narrow triangle -wedged in by high walls at the end of a short corridor leading from the -condemned cell. The first to appear was the executioner dressed in a -blue over-coat and a crushed hat, followed by his assistants, two of -whom were beardless boys. The gallows, erected above a short flight -of steps at the end of the small court, was minutely examined by the -executioner, after he had selected the most suitable rope from the many -he carried in a small handbag. He was provided also with cords to tie -up the convict’s limbs. - -Precisely as the clock struck eight, the cortège appeared, headed by -the convict, by whose side walked the chaplain with the governor and -the president of the High Court behind. The doomed man, Hackler by -name, carried a crucifix in his hand; his face was deathly white, and -great drops of perspiration beaded his forehead and trickled down his -cheeks. He looked around with a stupid and apathetic malevolence at -the officials, and listened with brutal indifference to the judge, as -he formally handed him over to the executioner with these words: “I -surrender to you the person of Raymond Hackler condemned to be hanged; -do your duty.” - -The convict betrayed no emotion. He repelled the hangman’s assistance, -who would have helped him to undress, saying: “I’ll do it myself,” and -he proceeded to remove his coat and waistcoat as coolly as though he -were going to bed to sleep the sleep of the just. He then stepped into -the appointed place beneath the gallows with his head bent between his -shoulders. His hands were now fastened behind his back, and a cord -slipped over his head fell down as far as his knees, securing his legs. -The last act was to fix the halter around his neck, which he resisted -spasmodically. The next instant the signal was given and he was run up -into the air. As there was no “drop,” no floor which opened to let the -victim fall through out of sight, and as he wore no cap, his indecorous -contortions and white protruding eyes were plainly visible, while the -hangman completed the horrible operation by adding his weight to break -the vertebral column. His last act was to close the dead man’s eyes. - -Hackler’s crime was one of peculiar atrocity. He had murdered his -mother to gain possession of a few florins which he wasted the same -night in ghastly debauchery. The crime was attended with the most -revolting circumstances. When his mother would have driven him forth -to work, he threw a rope around her neck, gagged her, and killed her -with a log of wood. The same night, having thrust the corpse under the -bed, he slept on the mattress “quite as well as usual,” so he told -the examining judge. His death was heartily approved by the people of -Vienna as a just retribution. - -Superstition long surrounded execution. The bodies of those who were -executed were left to hang upon the gallows until they fell to pieces. -People came in the night to cut off a shred of the clothes worn, or -sought to mutilate the body by removing a little finger; this relic was -treasured greatly by professional thieves, who foolishly believed that -they would escape detection, or even observation, if they carried it in -their pocket when plying their trade. - -Under Austrian law a woman never suffers the death penalty, no matter -what crime has been committed. Women are not regarded as ordinary -criminals, and if convicted, are sent to a convent near Vienna. - -The penal codes of Austria proper and Hungary are not identical, but -comparatively few criminals sentenced to death in either country are -actually brought to the scaffold. Statistics show that in Austria -over seven hundred criminals were sentenced to death in the six years -from 1893 to 1898, but less than three per cent. of that number were -actually hanged. The death sentence is in the majority of cases, -commuted to penal servitude for life or for periods ranging from ten to -twenty years, and in the case of both Austria and Hungary a distinct -decrease in the number of capital crimes committed has accompanied the -falling off in the proportion of capital executions. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber’s note: - -Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE OF CRIME: -GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS*** - - -******* This file should be named 51065-0.txt or 51065-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/0/6/51065 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: The History and Romance of Crime: German and Austrian Prisons</p> -<p> Prisons of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Austria-Hungary; the Fortresses of Magdeburg and Spielberg</p> -<p>Author: Arthur George Frederick Griffiths</p> -<p>Release Date: January 28, 2016 [eBook #51065]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE OF CRIME: GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Wayne Hammond, Chris Curnow,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyromanceof08grif"> - https://archive.org/details/historyromanceof08grif</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div id="coverpage" class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /> -<p class="copy">The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h1> -<span class="antiqua">The History and<br /> -Romance of<br /> -Crime</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="table"> -<span class="trow center medium">FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES</span> -<span class="trow center medium">TO THE PRESENT DAY</span> -</span> -<br /> -<img src="images/colophon.jpg" alt="" /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span class="table"> -<span class="trow large">THE GROLIER SOCIETY</span> -<span class="trow small">LONDON</span> -</span> -</h1> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">1</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">2</span></p> - -<div id="FRONTISPIECE" class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/frontis.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_frontis.jpg" alt="" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">3</span></p> -<p class="caption"><i>Heidelberg</i></p> - -<p class="ph1"> -<span class="antiqua">German and Austrian<br /> -Prisons</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="table medium"> -<span class="trow">PRISONS OF PRUSSIA, BAVARIA,</span> -<span class="trow">SAXONY AND AUSTRIA-HUNGARY</span> -<span class="trow">THE FORTRESSES OF</span> -<span class="trow">MAGDEBURG AND SPIELBERG</span> -</span> -<br /> -<span class="small"><i>by</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="table"> -<span class="trow large">MAJOR ARTHUR GRIFFITHS</span> -<span class="trow small"><i>Late Inspector of Prisons in Great Britain</i></span> -</span><br /> -<span class="table small"> -<span class="trow small"><i>Author of</i></span> -<span class="trow small"><i>“The Mysteries of Police and Crime</i></span> -<span class="trow small"><i>“Fifty Years of Public Service,” etc.</i></span> -</span> -<br /> -<br /> -<img src="images/colophon.jpg" alt="" /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span class="medium">THE GROLIER SOCIETY</span> -</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">4</span></p> - -<p class="table center"> -<span class="trow large">EDITION NATIONALE</span> -<span class="trow small">Limited to one thousand registered and numbered sets.</span> -<span class="trow small">NUMBER <span class="xlarge"> 307</span> -</span> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">5</span></p> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<h2 id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION</h2> - -<p>Interest in penal matters in Germany and in -Austria-Hungary centres rather in the nature and -number of persons who commit crimes than the -methods pursued in bringing them to justice or the -places in which penalties have been imposed. The -character and extent of crimes committed from time -to time, attracts us more generally than the prisons -designed and established for their punishment. This -is the more marked because such prisons have not -achieved any remarkable prominence or notoriety. -They have been for the most part the ordinary institutions -used for detention, repression and correction, -more noted for the offenders they have -held than their own imposing appearance, architectural -pretensions, or the changes they have introduced -in the administration of justice. Only in -more recent years, since so-called penitentiary -science has come to the front and the comparative -value of prison systems has been much discussed, -have certain institutions risen into prominence in -Germany and become known as model prisons. -These have been erected in various capitals of the -empire, to give effect to new principles in force in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">6</span> -the administration of justice. Among such places -we may specify a few, such as Bruchsal in Baden; -the Moabit prison in Berlin; the prison at Zwickau -in Saxony; the prisons of Munich and Nürnberg -in Bavaria and of Heilbronn in Württemberg. To -these may be added the prisons of Stein on the -Danube, of Marburg on the Drave, and of Pankraz -Nusle near Prague in Austria-Hungary. Many -others might be mentioned which have played an -important part in the development of penitentiary -institutions.</p> - -<p>The conflict of opinions as to prison treatment -has raged continuously and as yet no uniform plan -has been adopted for the whole German Empire. -Each of the constituent states of the great aggregate -body has maintained its independence in penal matters -and the right to determine for itself the best -method of punishing crime. At one time, after -1846, the theory of complete isolation was accepted -in all German states, although the means to carry -it into effect were not universally adopted. Reports -from the United States had deeply impressed -the authorities with the merits of solitary confinement, -among others the well known Professor Mittermaier, -one of the most notable judicial authorities -of his time. But reaction came with another -no less eminent expert, Von Holtzendorff, whose -works on prison administration are still held in -great esteem. After visiting Ireland, he was won -over to the seeming advantages of the progressive -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">7</span> -system, the gradual change from complete isolation -to comparative freedom, and he strongly favoured -the policy of cellular imprisonment. His proposals -laid hold of the practical German mind, and to-day -the scheme of continuous isolation finds little support; -it left its mark, however, in several prisons -which will be referred to in the following pages. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">8</span> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">9</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> - -<table> - <tr> - <td class="small">CHAPTER</td> - <td></td> - <td class="small tdr">PAGE</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><a href="#INTRODUCTION"><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">5</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">I.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><span class="smcap">Principal Prisons</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">13</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">II.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><span class="smcap">Friedrich von der Trenck at Magdeburg</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">41</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">III.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><span class="smcap">Notorious Poisoners</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">81</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IV.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><span class="smcap">Three Celebrated Cases</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">106</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">V.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><span class="smcap">Clever Impostors and Swindlers</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">137</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VI.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><span class="smcap">Typical Murderers</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">173</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VII.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><span class="smcap">The Story of a Vagrant</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">201</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">VIII.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><span class="smcap">Some Remarkable Prisoners</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">224</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">IX.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_IX"><span class="smcap">Silvio Pellico at Spielberg</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">249</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdr">X.</td> - <td><a href="#CHAPTER_X"><span class="smcap">Brigandage and Crime in Austria-Hungary</span></a></td> - <td class="tdr">273</td> - </tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">10</span></p> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">11</span></p> - -<h2 id="List_of_Illustrations">List of Illustrations</h2> - -<table> - <tr> - <td><a href="#FRONTISPIECE"><span class="smcap">Heidelberg</span></a></td> - <td colspan="2" class="tdr"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#i_052"><span class="smcap">Friedrich Von Der Trenck, in his Cell in the Star Fort</span></a></td> - <td class="tdc"><i>Page</i></td> - <td class="tdr">52</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><a href="#i_256"><span class="smcap">Silvio Pellico at Spielberg</span></a></td> - <td class="tdc">“ </td> - <td class="tdr">256</td> - </tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">12</span></p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">13</span></p> - -<p class="ph1">GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I<br /> - -<span class="medium">PRINCIPAL PRISONS</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">The Bruchsal in Baden—The Moabit in Berlin, the -prison Stein—Penal methods in force—Adoption of -solitary confinement not universally accepted—Bruchsal -opened in 1848—Penal methods employed—The annex -where prisoners are kept in association—The Protestant -brotherhood and their work in the Moabit prison—Munich—The -work of Obermaier—Bavarian penal -code—Capital Punishment—Long Trials—Case of Riembauer—Hans -Leuss’ account of Celle and his imprisonment -there—Flogging—The “bed of lathes”—Zwickau -in Saxony—Humane treatment in force—Heilbronn—Prison -reform in Austrian and Hungarian prisons—Three -new prisons erected in Austria-Hungary.</p> - -<p>The cellular prison at Bruchsal in the grand-duchy -of Baden was commenced in 1841 and opened -on October 10, 1848. It stands at the northeast of -the town of Bruchsal, on the highway to Heidelberg, -in a pleasant part of the country, enjoying a -mild and healthy situation. Hills rise in the background, -while in front stretches the plain of the -Rhine, with its rich fields and wealthy villages. -Immediately adjoining the prison are two larger -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">14</span> -and two smaller buildings containing official abodes -for the superior and lower officers of the penitentiary. -The main building is a stately edifice, on an -elevated site, and the entire group is surrounded by -a wall. This wall, of considerable thickness and -height, is a regular octagon, flanked by turrets at -the angles, which serve above as sentry boxes for -the military posts and below as dark cells. The -soldiers who guard the penitentiary walk about on -the wall, which is four hundred feet long and encloses -a plot of ground of more than seven acres.</p> - -<p>The discipline imposed at Bruchsal is very severe -in character and it has been found that the rule of -isolation cannot be persisted in for much more than -four years. Only nine per cent. of the prisoners -could support so long a term; and the director has -reported that after three years of cellular confinement -the muscular fibres become so weakened that -it is almost impossible to expect hard work from -those subjected to it. Bruchsal has an annex or -auxiliary establishment where association is the -rule for certain prisoners: First, those who have -undergone six years of cellular confinement, unless -they elect to remain in the cell; second, those who -are above seventy years of age; third, those whose -bodily or mental health unfits them for separation. -Industrial and other education go hand in hand at -Bruchsal; the earnings of the inmates at many -various trades are substantial and the prisoners -value the teaching of the schoolmaster. The trades -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">15</span> -are various, to avoid interference with private -labour. The contract system is not employed, but -the prison authorities manufacture goods on their -own account. All needful attention is paid in the -Bruchsal prisons, whether cellular or associated, to -hygiene, diet, clothing, bedding and so forth.</p> - -<p>In Prussia, long before the establishment of -Bruchsal, the method of solitary confinement found -many advocates, and, beginning in 1846, several -large, separate cell prisons were built. The first, -the Moabit, which was organised by Dr. Wichern, -the famous creator of the Hamburg Raue Haus, is -a cellular prison on the “wheel” or radiating plan, -with four wings and 508 cells in all. An interesting -feature of the Moabit is its management by a -Protestant brotherhood, that of the Raue Haus, or -Hamburg reformatory, whose members are regularly -trained for this useful work on lines laid down -by Dr. Wichern. All the brothers do not devote -themselves to prison management, however, but are -sent as required to various fields of labour.</p> - -<p>At Moabit it soon became evident that the separate -system was not suitable, and that secret intercourse -among the convicts was not preventable. -The doors of the cells were therefore left open during -working hours, and a number of convicts -worked in company. In church, during exercise, -and in school no isolation took place, but silence was -always enforced. On the whole, the Prussian authorities -were not in favour of prolonged isolation. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">16</span> -As to the general result, it has been thought that -the cellular system lessened the number of reconvictions, -but that the experience had no lasting effect -upon hardened or habitual criminals. On the -other hand, first offenders, or those who had been -tempted by opportunity or carried away by passion, -were believed to have been returned to society -changed and reformed after a period of cellular -confinement. Progress continued to be made, although -the introduction of a new system of criminal -procedure in 1849 led to such an increase in the -number of sentences that much overcrowding of the -prisons followed. Attention was in consequence -directed rather toward providing further accommodation -than to experiments in treatment. Such reforms -as were urgent, including the separation of -the sexes in different buildings, were accomplished, -while the building of new prisons went steadily on -and the fine specimens of the Stadtvogtei in Berlin, -the cellular prisons at Ratibor in Silesia and Rendsburg -in Schleswig-Holstein, a cellular police prison -at Altona and similar institutions in other provinces, -showed that improvement did not tarry by the way -in Prussia.</p> - -<p>Bavaria made the most marked progress, which -was worthy of the country that produced the famous -Herr Obermaier, and the great state prison -of Munich is still worked upon the lines he introduced -in 1843, although cellular confinement, which -he did not favour, has been to some extent installed. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">17</span> -Obermaier was one of those rare characters, another -Montesinos, who left his mark on prison administration. -He was a man of the same indomitable -will and commanding personal influence, who could -work wonders with prisoners and change their -natures entirely. When he assumed charge, the -prison of Munich contained some six or seven hundred -prisoners in the worst state of insubordination. -They defied all discipline, although the harshest and -most severe had been tried. They were chained -together and to each chain so heavy a weight was -attached that even the strongest found a difficulty -in dragging it along. Soldiers, a hundred of them, -were on duty all through the prison, at the gates, -around the walls, in the passages, inside the work-shops -and dormitories; at night, as an additional -precaution, a pack of from twenty to thirty large -and savage bloodhounds roamed at large through -the yards. Obermaier called the place “a perfect -pandemonium, comprising within the limits of a few -acres, the worst men, the most slavish vices, and the -most heartless tyranny.” By degrees he relaxed the -severity of the discipline, lightened the chains and -sent away the soldiers and the dogs.</p> - -<p>The prisoners became humanised and in return -for the confidence placed in them, grew well-behaved. -They managed themselves, and public opinion -among them checked flagrant misconduct, all -yielding ready obedience to those of their fellows -who were appointed overseers. If a prisoner was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">18</span> -inclined to break a rule, the warning, <i>es ist verboten</i>, -was sufficient to deter him. The most satisfactory -industry prevailed, and the prisoners became self-supporting, -making their own clothes, building their -own walls, forging their own fetters, and more especially -manufacturing useful articles which found -ready sale. In these employments they earned good -wages, part of which was given to them on discharge. -Nor was the conquest thus achieved over -these turbulent spirits merely evanescent, disappearing -after release. It was proved, “on irrefutable -evidence,” that about five-sixths of those sent out -from the Munich prison returned to society improved -and that the percentage of relapse was exceedingly -small.</p> - -<p>Bavaria has four cellular prisons in all; one at -Nürnberg and three others intended to serve the -district courts of justice and filled mostly with prisoners -not yet tried. Other prisons are conducted on -the collective system. Many of them are ancient -convents and castles, little suited for the purpose to -which they have been converted. Crime is very -prevalent, owing to a generally low standard of -morality, the neglect of education and the rough -manners and customs of the population. The peasants -in many parts of the country are in the habit -of carrying long stiletto-like knives at public houses -and dancing places, and murderous conflicts, after -nasty quarrels, when grave injuries are inflicted, are -very common. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">19</span></p> - -<p>The penal code of Bavaria, compiled chiefly by -Anselm von Feuerbach, a distinguished criminal -jurist, was adopted by the government in 1813, and -became the basis of criminal legislation for all the -German states. In Bavaria the peculiar merits and -defects of this code were strongly accentuated. The -laws are severe and the punishment merciless, but -blood is never shed until the most minute pains have -been taken to secure proof of guilt. Circumstantial -evidence is never held sufficient to justify the extreme -penalty, and sentence of death cannot be -passed unless the culprit has confessed his crime.<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">1</a> -Two witnesses are deemed sufficient when they testify -to facts seen with their own eyes, and the statement -of one witness is accepted only as half proof. -By far the most important evidence is that given by -the prisoner himself. He is questioned by the examining -judge in the presence of the notary only, who -is employed to take down his replies. The judge -seeks to elicit a full statement by suggesting that -ample confession may soften punishment. An attempt -is made to entrap the prisoner into untruthfulness -by asking him if he knows the real reason of his -arrest, and if he affects ignorance or gives a false -answer he is gravely admonished and warned that -lying will prejudice his case. All the questions put -to him are aimed to mislead him and obtain unwary -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">20</span> -admissions inconsistent with innocence. If the prisoner -has replied truthfully, he is closely cross-examined -on his own story, which is twisted and inverted -until he is confused into contradicting and committing -himself.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">1</a> -This practice of requiring confession in capital cases -doubtless had its origin in the influence of the Church and -the doctrine of the confession as necessary to absolution.</p></div> - -<p>All this time he is kept in the dark as to the exact -nature of the accusation laid to his charge, and it is -illegal for him to seek enlightenment. He is not -furnished with a copy of his own evidence or of that -of the witnesses for or against him. Pitfalls are -laid for him by his unexpected confrontation with -an accomplice. If he obstinately refuses to speak, -he is sentenced to bread and water. If it is a murder -charge, he is brought face to face with the bleeding -corpse, or it may be that the decaying remains -are exhibited to him. The most curious feature in -the proceedings is their prolixity.</p> - -<p>Criminal trials in Bavaria have lasted for years. -The reports in one leading case, that of the priest-murderer -Riembauer, filled forty-two folio volumes. -The most minute and searching investigation was -made of the secret motives and inmost feelings of -the accused, as well as his open actions. Feuerbach -has written an account of remarkable crimes and -lengthy trials in Germany, and among others tells -the story of Francis Riembauer. He was a parish -priest whose first worldly venture was the purchase -of a farm near the village of Lauterbach between -Ratisbon and Landshut, where he lived with the -former owners, a widow, Mrs. Frauenknecht, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">21</span> -her two daughters, Magdalena and Catherine. All -were esteemed by their neighbours. Riembauer -passed for a model of apostolic zeal and charity. -Though the son of humble parents, he had a fine -person and was an eloquent preacher. In 1808, -after passing with great distinction the examination -for ecclesiastical preferment, he obtained the benefice -of Priel, sold the farm and moved with the -Frauenknecht family to his new parsonage.</p> - -<p>Soon after the change, the mother and the elder -daughter Magdalena died. Riembauer then endeavoured -to persuade Catherine, the remaining -daughter, to continue to live with him as his housekeeper -in her sister’s place. She refused, however, -and left him to take a position as a domestic in -another family. It was noted that for some time -afterward she was subject to periods of great gloom -and depression. Finally she confided to a friend, -and then confessed to a priest, that she was the possessor -of a dreadful secret: that Riembauer had -murdered a woman; that she and her mother and -sister had witnessed the deed; and that he had also -appropriated the entire fortune of her family. The -priest to whom she confessed counselled silence, but -wrote Riembauer in an attempt to bring about the -restoration of the fortune, with no result.</p> - -<p>Catherine was bright and clever and she was not -satisfied to let the matter rest there, but laid the -whole story before the tribunal of Landshut. She -was then seventeen years old, but as the Bavarian -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">22</span> -law would not allow her to be sworn until she was -eighteen, it was not until the following year, 1814, -that her deposition was taken. She testified that -several years before a woman had called at their -house to see Riembauer, who was then absent. A -few months later the woman returned, and at that -time the priest took her up to his room. She had -not been there long when the sound of crying -reached the family below. They hastened up-stairs -and heard Riembauer say, “My girl; repent your -sins, for you must die.” And on looking through -the keyhole, they were horrified to behold the man -bending over the woman in the act of choking her.</p> - -<p>When Riembauer came out, he told them that this -woman had borne him a child and had asked him -for money, threatening to denounce him to his ecclesiastical -superiors if he refused, and that he had -killed her. Catherine’s mother and sister threatened -to reveal his secret but were prevailed upon to keep -silence out of respect for his office, and soon after -both died very suddenly and under suspicious circumstances.</p> - -<p>Riembauer was arrested as a result of Catherine’s -accusation, and gave his own version of the murder, -acknowledging that he knew the woman whom he -said he had promised a position as cook, but stating -that Mrs. Frauenknecht and her daughter Magdalena -had committed the crime. He knew nothing, -of course, at that time of the deposition against him.</p> - -<p>During a period of three years, examination followed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">23</span> -examination. He was confronted with the -skull of his victim, and every possible method was -tried to shake his testimony, but it was not until -October, 1817, that Riembauer, broken physically -and mentally, confessed to having murdered Anna -Eichstaedter. His confession contained the statement -of a remarkable “code of honour” which he -professed to follow. “My honour, my position,” -he said, “my powers of being useful, all that I -valued in the world, was at stake. I often reflected -on the principle laid down by my old tutor, Father -Benedict Sattler, in his ‘Ethica Christiana’ ... -‘that it is lawful to deprive another of life, if that -be the only means of preserving one’s own honour -and reputation. For honour is more valuable than -life; and if it is lawful to protect one’s life by destroying -an assailant, it must obviously be lawful to -use similar means to protect one’s honour.’”</p> - -<p>On the 1st of August, 1818, he was declared -guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite imprisonment -in a fortress. The regular punishment -for murder was death, but in this case the learned -jurist Feuerbach admitted that had the court not -accepted Riembauer’s confession, he could not have -been convicted, because the evidence, though strong, -was purely circumstantial. It was proved that the -woman had visited him; that an umbrella marked -with her initials was in his possession; that she had -been buried under a shed on his farm, and that the -floor of his room was stained with blood and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">24</span> -showed the result of efforts to remove the stains -with a plane; yet the court held that evidence was -lacking as to marks on the body for sufficient proof -of the actual manner of death.</p> - -<p>The use of physical torture was abandoned in -1806, and then only with a strong protest from -judges of the old school, who parted with great -reluctance with so simple and expeditious a method -of obtaining evidence.</p> - -<p>Curiously enough, the accused persons in the -Bavarian courts were generally moved to confess. -Many reasons for this are given. Some few confessed -from remorse, others could not beat off the -pertinacious interrogatories of the judge, not a few -were anxious to end the long period of acute anxiety -and suspense, and many were exasperated beyond -measure by the strict discipline and compulsory -silence enforced in Bavarian prisons. Rather -than be condemned to perpetual silence, the accused -would speak out even to his own undoing.</p> - -<p>Capital punishment was legal in Bavaria and was -inflicted by decapitation with a sword, or breaking -on the wheel from the feet upwards. But where -conviction rested on circumstantial evidence only, -or assumed guilt was not borne out by actual confession, -imprisonment for life in chains was substituted, -and it was a terrible penalty. The sentence -annihilated civil existence; it was moral if not physical -death. The culprit lost all rights as a husband, -father or citizen; he was deprived of property, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">25</span> -freedom and honour; nothing remained but bare -life passed in slavery and chains. There was no -recovery even if error were proved. He did not get -back what he had lost, and if his wife married again -he could not recover his property. It was not capital -punishment, but it was death in life.</p> - -<p>In the progressive national development of Prussia, -as wars were waged and fresh territory acquired, -prison reform obtained attention. In Hesse-Cassel, -prisons were in a very backward state and -many were condemned as unfit for habitation. In -Hanover alone conditions were more satisfactory. -The journalist Hans Leuss served a term of three -years’ imprisonment in 1894 in one of the chief -prisons, that of Celle-on-the-Aller, which he graphically -describes in his autobiography.</p> - -<p>“It lies on the river bank. The front looks -toward the avenue which in Celle forms the approach -to the station. The external aspect of the -terrible house is not unpleasing; neither does the -appearance of the inside give the most distant conception -of the conditions under which the prisoners -live, nor of their situation, so that visitors are -rather favourably impressed than otherwise. On -arrival we were led into the vestibule of the building -and drawn up in line, while an official cross-examined -us. Until noon, one formality after another -had to be gone through. We were first taken -to the bathroom where, after being plunged into -hot water, we had to sit on the edge of the bath -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">26</span> -while the barber shaved us. I shook so with cold -that he had to let me return to the water while he -finished his operations, and we dressed standing on -a cold floor in our prison gaol. We next went -before the governor and other officials, and then -partially stripped again and had to cross a cold passage -to the doctor’s room, who in my case found -both lungs affected. I have always ascribed to the -hardships endured on that first day in Celle the -severe chest complaint from which I suffered during -my imprisonment, and the effects of which I still -feel.</p> - -<p>“These disagreeable preliminaries over, a cell -was allotted to me. I was put under a warder who -was the most hated by the prisoners, the most -trusted by the authorities. He had a diminutive -body, a large and powerful hand, a bitter and suspicious -countenance. He made my life a burden -and yet I pitied him. The deep lines of care -on his face convinced me he was wretched and -made me sorry for him in my heart. We were -twenty-four prisoners in the middle ‘cell passage’ -as the ‘station’ was officially called. All conversation -was prohibited to us. I was set to cane chairs. -The prison diet was poor and the lack of fat contained -in it reduced me to a state of complete emaciation. -I learned nothing of my surroundings. -The first person who spoke a kind word to me was -a humane warder who encouraged me, although this -was not necessary as my courage always triumphed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">27</span> -over every hardship; yet it did me good and I was -gratified by the man’s kind intention in assuring -me he had seen several educated men endure long -times of punishment without being broken down.</p> - -<p>“One day the door opened and a man entered -whose appearance filled me with surprise. He was -a giant of spare build with a long dark beard, delicately -modelled, sympathetic hands and the countenance -of a real saint. He resembled neither a -clergyman nor a fanatic, but was evidently of a -nature as gentle as his mind was vigorous. A man -whose outward semblance was unforgettable, how -much more his soul, which stands as clear in my -recollection as does his tall stature. This was the -prison chaplain. The advantage of becoming acquainted -with this representative of the noblest form -of humanity would alone suffice to compensate me -for the terrible sufferings I endured in the course -of those few years. Parson Haase has lived nearly -a century as the confidant of the sufferers in prison. -His powerful but healthy mind was ever impressed -with the infinite misery around him. He became -a friend of the prisoners, gave them his confidence -and received theirs. I owe this man more than I -can say. After him, and thanks to him, the most -humanising influence in the gaol was the library, -which became a priceless boon. This chaplain was -a liberal-minded man who did not limit his choice -to books of devotion when making the yearly additions, -but he provided the prisoners with works to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">28</span> -amuse as well as improve, selected after careful -consideration of the varied tastes and requirements -of their readers. With books of travel and adventure -were scientific manuals and works of still -higher pretensions to suit the better educated, and -which helped them to escape from mental breakdown -and served to counteract the deteriorating effects -of cellular incarceration. The chaplain’s assistant-librarian -at Celle was an ex-murderer who -had killed an intimate friend, a bookseller, whom -he robbed. It was a senseless crime, the discovery -of which was certain, and its cause was never explained.</p> - -<p>“Religious exercises were strictly observed at -Celle. The chapel was constructed on the well-known -plan of providing separate boxes like lairs -for each individual. All turned towards the altar -which was adorned with a copy of Guido’s crucifixion. -The services were given well and on a regular -date there was a church ‘visitation day’ -when a high dignitary preached a stirring discourse, -with no other effect than that of starting -a controversy among his prison congregation as to -whether his cross was of gold or silver. Other subjects -formed the staple conversation. One was always -deeply interesting, the news that corporal -punishment had been ordered and that a prisoner -was to be strapped to the block.”</p> - -<p>Hans Leuss animadverts strongly upon the discipline -at Celle and quotes several cases from official -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">29</span> -reports in which much cruelty was exercised. One -was of a man well advanced in years, who suffered -from misdirected acquisitiveness and frequently -found himself in gaol, where he constantly misconducted -himself and was punished by long committals -to the dark cell. In the end his health gave way, -but the trouble was not diagnosed and he was very -harshly treated. One morning he declared he was -unable to leave his bed, but he was nevertheless -dragged up and into the exercising yard where he -was unable to walk and fell to the ground. The -governor, believing the illness was feigned, would -have flogged him but was reluctant to order corporal -punishment for so old a man, and had him -put into the straight-jacket. Then the doctor interposed, -being in grave doubt as to his mental condition, -and took him into the hospital for observation, -and he died that same afternoon, of senile -decay. It is horrible to think that the coercion of -this poor old creature was carried so far that he -was nearly flogged, and that he was actually confined -in a straight-jacket so short a time before his -death.</p> - -<p>Another prisoner in Celle was adjudged to be -feigning insanity and subjected to very harsh treatment; -to douches and the jacket by the order of -the medical officer. He was suffering really from -religious mania, which took the form of exaggerated -reverence for holy things; he raved of them -all night, abused Dr. Martin Luther and perpetually -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">30</span> -asked to be flogged until he died for the glory of -the faith. He constantly sought to enter into disputation -with the chaplain upon whom he greatly -imposed. No one thought he was mad, and his -punishment continued unceasingly until one night -he hanged himself.</p> - -<p>A third case of medical shortsightedness is reported -from Celle, where an habitual criminal, with -a long record of crimes and punishments, came -under a new sentence for robbery. He was ill and -would eat nothing, and the doctor prescribed a blister. -He did not mind, declared he could not work -and went for days without food. The doctor -thought it was catarrh of the stomach and decided -that the man was quite fit for light labour, but the -governor only admonished him as he seemed really -weak from want of nourishment. Still the medical -reports were against him, and he was charged again -with malingering, which took him for five days to -the dark cell. He did not improve, however, although -it was presently admitted that he was out -of health and he was taken at last into hospital, -the doctor having diagnosed the disease as hemorrhage -of the kidneys. He rapidly grew worse, ice -and port wine were ordered, but not very regularly -given to him. Within six weeks of his first arrival -he suddenly died. The post mortem examination -revealed an advanced cancer in the liver.</p> - -<p>The practice of flogging was long retained in -Prussian prisons, and is still employed as a disciplinary -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">31</span> -measure. The prisoner was strapped over a -block by his hands and feet and the implement used -was a stick, the buttock piece of an ox, a leather -whip or a rod with which the prescribed number of -strokes were laid on. A stalwart flagellator usually -acted as executioner, and the strokes were regulated -by the clock—one a minute. This punishment was -in former times administered in the most terribly -cruel manner and permanent injuries to the spine -often resulted. A choice selection of whips of various -sizes and description may be seen in the strong -room of Prussian prisons, most of them of hard -cutting leather unevenly plaited. Hans Leuss asserts -that at Celle prisoners detected in the manufacture -of false coins were always flogged severely.</p> - -<p>The power of inflicting the lash is vested in the -hands of the governors of prisons and superior authorities. -The former can order up to thirty, the -latter up to sixty stripes. The assent of the higher -prison officials to the governor’s decree is required, -but is a pure formality. It is little likely that the -sanction of a majority of the subordinates would -ever be refused to the governor. The administration -of a prison is bureaucratic, and the governor is -nearly always a military officer and thoroughly imbued -with the importance of his very responsible -position, which gives him power over hundreds of -human beings. The subordinate officials are usually -selected from the ranks of non-commissioned officers. -Both the chaplain and the doctor may and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">32</span> -do raise objections to the governor’s orders. The -doctor can enforce his objection on the ground of -health if he believes the man to be punished is not -a fit subject, but for this reason only. Any other -excuse he may offer is liable to be disregarded by -his colleagues; if the majority of the superior -officials are not with him, the governor can still -have the punishment carried out. As a matter of -fact, their consultation only occupies a few minutes -and is a pure formality, the governor alone deciding. -Up to 1902 the infliction of corporal punishment -was not at all rare.</p> - -<p>Herr Krohne, a privy councillor and member of -the prison board in the Prussian Home Office, has -described the hideous administration of the punishment -of flogging in his hand-book of prison law. -Herr Krohne is an opponent of flogging and of the -“bed of lathes,” another form of punishment practised -in German prisons, which he rightly considers -a survival of barbarism. This last named punishment -of the bed of lathes, <i>lattenarrest</i>, consists of -solitary confinement in a room, of which the floor -is laid with three cornered lathes or boards with -pointed side uppermost—in Saxony the walls also -used to be lined with these lathes—the culprit being -stripped to his linen shirt, his underwear and -stockings. After a time he suffers pitifully; he can -neither stand nor lie down, cannot rest night or -day and his body becomes gradually covered with -welts in stripes. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">33</span></p> - -<p>In the five years from 1894 to 1898, in all of the -prisons of Prussia taken together, there were 281 -inflictions, and during the same period the bed of -lathes was ordered 176 times and in some cases for -female prisoners. The first curtailment was in the -reign of King Frederick William III, and in 1868 -it was altogether abolished for women, although not -without violent protest from some prison governors -who were much opposed to the reform. It was -further reduced in 1879 and might only be administered -in correction of the most serious offences, -as a rule after a previous offence. It has of late -fallen into disrepute and was rarely employed in -the Moabit, the Gross Strehlitz or Cologne prisons -and the bed of lathes has almost disappeared. It -was generally adjudged as the punishment for attempted -escape and inflicted after the recapture of -a fugitive.</p> - -<p>Among the German States, Saxony has held a -rather exceptional position. A system of classification -of prisoners was introduced by a minister -named Lindeman as far back as 1840, and ten years -later the penitentiary of Zwickau was opened, in -which reformation was pursued by individual treatment -on humane and careful lines, with education -and industrial employment. The dietaries were -ample and must be said to have erred on the side -of over-indulgence, in that Saxon prisoners had at -one time a choice among ninety different dishes for -dinner and twenty-eight for breakfast and supper. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">34</span> -The discipline enforced was generally mild. Corporal -punishment was allowed by the rules and also -the bed of lathes, but neither of them has been -applied for many years past. Industry was encouraged -by the hope of reward, pleasanter labour, and -remission of a part of the sentence in the form of -leave of absence or conditional release. Many excellent -prisons exist similar to Zwickau above mentioned, -such as Waldheim, Hubertusburg and -others. All of them are kept up to a high standard -and improvements are constantly in progress. Separation -by night is the general rule while dangerous -or incorrigible convicts are completely isolated.</p> - -<p>In the Kingdom of Württemberg the cellular plan -of prison construction was adopted in 1865 and the -first building, that of Heilbronn, was occupied in -1872. Other places of durance are mostly on the -collective system as at Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg and -Gotteszell, but means of isolation and separation by -night is practised generally. Discipline is firm but -not harsh, and corporal punishment is excluded -from the penalties for misconduct. Deterrence is -held to be the primary object of imprisonment, but -moral reformation is not overlooked.</p> - -<p>A few words may be inserted here as to penal -institutions in other German states. Thus in the -grand-duchy of Hesse the principle of herding the -prisoners together prevails, although efforts have -been made to introduce the isolated cell system. -The chief prisons are the “Marienschloss” and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">35</span> -those in Darmstadt and Mainz. The national penal -institution of Dreibergen serves both of the grand-duchies -of Mecklenburg as their chief prison. Peculiar -interest attaches to it in view of the almost -forgotten fact that here a sort of transition stage -was instituted for convicts with long sentences who -were during the latter part of their term removed -from the isolation cells and sent out to such work as -was calculated to develop their physical powers.</p> - -<p>In the history of prison management, Oldenburg -earned an excellent reputation through the remarkable -individuality of Hoyer, for years the director -of the house of correction at Vechta. He advocated -cell isolation until the latter years of his life, when -he declared himself in favour of the Irish system. -His plan of forming settlements for convict labour -on waste lands was discontinued, as the results were -unfavourable, and a modified form of solitary confinement -was reinstated. A portion of the Thuringian -states was under Prussian and Saxon jurisdiction -with regard to their prison system. The -rest formed a combination among themselves for -the building of prisons to be used by them in common. -The principal one was in Ichtershausen.</p> - -<p>The improvement of penal institutions was undertaken -by Austria in the early forties and a special -commission was appointed to examine into the -merits of various systems recommended, with the -result that solitary confinement was recognised as -the most suitable form of punishment for all prisoners -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">36</span> -awaiting trial and for those sentenced for a -year or less. But before this could be put into practice -in the new prisons, the political situation -changed and the projected reforms were delayed. -The old system was not changed, but efforts were -made to provide further accommodation to meet -the great increase in the number of sentences. Much -energy was devoted to the work and considerable -outlay, which produced prisons large enough to contain -thirteen thousand inmates. The entire prison -administration was entrusted to religious orders and -even prisons for male offenders were placed under -the superintendence of nuns, a cardinal error resulting -in much mischief. Under the minister of -justice, in 1865, reforms were again instituted; he -assumed the supreme control, and prison management -was made to conform to the spirit of the then -prevailing liberal views. The system of imprisonment -hitherto in force throughout Austria remained -untouched for the time being. Among other reforms, -corporal punishment and chains were abolished.</p> - -<p>In 1868 the penal institutions of Garsten and -Karthaus came under government inspection, the -contracts with the religious orders ceased, and in -1870 all male prisons were put under direct state -control. A new male prison for three hundred inmates -was opened at Laibach in Carniola and another -at Wisnicz to accommodate four hundred. -In April, 1872, the system of solitary confinement -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">37</span> -was partially introduced, but the progressive principle -of prison treatment was kept steadily in view. -After a period of cellular confinement, prisoners -lived and laboured in association, care being taken -to separate the worst from the less hardened offenders. -Juveniles were segregated and, of course, the -women, the whole number falling into three principal -divisions,—the first offenders, the possibly -curable and the hopeless, habitual criminals.</p> - -<p>A prominent feature in the modern administration -of these institutions has been the employment -of prisoners approaching the time of their release -in a state of semi-liberty, at a distance from any -permanently established prison. The first experiment -was made in 1886, when a party was sent to -improve the bed of a river in Upper Carinthia. -They went from the Laibach prison and were followed -by reinforcements in the following year. -Similar public works were undertaken in 1888-9 in -Upper Carniola, Carinthia, Upper Styria and Galicia, -for the construction of canals and roads and -the opening up of rivers. In some cases the prisoners -took with them a portable shed-barrack, in -others they built huts in the neighbourhood of their -works. The labour performed was cheap and -effective, the discipline maintained excellent, and -the prisoners are said to have much benefited, -morally and physically, by the trust reposed in -them and by the healthfulness of their daily occupations. -The building of the reformatory at Aszod -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">38</span> -was undertaken by convicts, a number of whom, to -the great alarm of the villagers, arrived on the -newly bought lands, where they lodged in huts -without bolts or bars. Their conduct, however, -was exemplary. It has been claimed, not without -reason, that this method of employing prisoners has -been most successful.</p> - -<p>A large operation was undertaken in the district -of Pest-Pilis-Solt, where the torrential river Galga -does considerable damage at flood time. Owing to -the demands of harvest and agricultural works, free -labour was not to be had in the summer, when alone -the river was low enough to admit of interference, -and the local authorities having two large prisons -within easy access sought for a concession of prison -labour. It was granted, and two sets of prisoners -commenced at either end of the river valley. These -were specially selected men; they encamped at the -places where they were busy, being supplied with -canvas tents by the military authorities; they ministered -to their own needs and cooked their own -food, which was brought in the raw state from the -neighbouring prison. Excellent results followed -their employment for three consecutive years. Not -only was a work of great public utility completed, -but the prisoners conducted themselves in the most -exemplary manner. Although they were held under -no restraint in the midst of a free population, there -was not a single attempt at escape during the entire -three years; there was no misconduct, and discipline -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">39</span> -was easily maintained by the mere threat of -relegation to the prison. The prison administration -has in consequence decided that it is now unnecessary -to construct special intermediate prisons; -places where men, as in the old Irish farm of Lusk, -might be suffered to go half free while proving their -fitness for complete liberty.</p> - -<p>Three new prisons were built in Austria-Hungary -during the latter years of the nineteenth century, -all of them imposing edifices. One of these is -at Marburg on the Drave and holds eight hundred -prisoners, partly in cells, partly in association; another -is at Stanislau in Galicia for the same number, -which has but few cells, as separate confinement -is not suited to the agricultural classes constituting -the inmates of the prison. The farm land and gardens -surrounding are extensive and the work done -is mainly agricultural. A third prison is at Pankraz -Nusle near Prague and stands on a height behind -the celebrated Wyschehrad. The prison can -accommodate one thousand inmates and has replaced -the old building at St. Wenzel. A portion -of the building at Marburg was carried out by convicts. -Till these new prisons were built, that at -Pilsen was considered the best in Austria. Another -at Stein on the Danube, between Linz and -Vienna, holds about one thousand prisoners sentenced -to a year and upwards, and is organised on -a very sound and intelligent basis. The discipline -at Stein, according to the reports of competent -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">40</span> -visitors, is very creditable. It is claimed for it that -the daily average on the punishment list is only -nine and that there has not been a sign of a mutiny -in sixteen years. Corporal punishment does not -exist, but the methods by which order is maintained -seem harsh and afford another proof that -the abolition of the lash calls for other penalties -which are physically more injurious and morally -quite as debasing. A writer in the <i>Times</i> in 1886 -gives a description of a prisoner whom he saw -who had been sentenced to a month in a punishment -cell for destroying materials entrusted to him for -manufacture. He was to spend twelve days in -darkness on bread and water; twelve days absolutely -fasting, with only water to drink; to have no -work, to sleep on a plank bed, and for four whole -days was to wear a chain and shot on his ankles. -Finally, for the last eighteen hours of his punishment -he was to be “short-chained”—a torture -which consists in “strapping up one foot at right -angles to the knee of the other leg, so that the prisoner -cannot stand but can only sit in a posture which -after a few minutes becomes intolerably fatiguing, -and then acutely painful.”</p> - -<p>Strait-waistcoats are also used for the refractory, -and a very effective but cruel gag,—an iron hoop -with a brass knob like a door handle. The knob is -forced into the mouth and the hoop passed over and -locked behind the head. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">41</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II<br /> - -<span class="medium">FRIEDRICH VON DER TRENCK AT MAGDEBURG</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Two barons Von der Trenck—Friedrich a cornet of the -Gardes du Corps—Favoured by the Princess Amelia—Incurs -the displeasure of Frederick the Great—Sent to -the fortress of Glatz—Escaped to Bohemia and passed -into Russia—Re-arrested at Danzig and sent to Magdeburg—Plans -for escape—The grenadier Gefhardt a -faithful friend—Communication established with friends -outside—Funds obtained—Plot discovered—Removed -to the Star Fort and loaded with irons—Terrible suffering—Attempt -to cut through the doors discovered—His -prison is strengthened but his courage is unbroken—Fresh -plans made—A new tunnel begun—Plot discovered—The -sympathy of the Empress-Queen of Austria aroused—Released -on Christmas Eve, 1763—Married and settled -in Aix-la-Chapelle—His death on the scaffold during -the French Revolution.</p> - -<p>There were two barons Von der Trenck, Franz -and Friedrich, in the middle of the 18th century, -both intimately associated with the prisons of their -respective countries, for although cousins, Franz -was an Austrian, and the other, Friedrich, a Prussian. -Both were military officers. Franz was a -wild Pandour, a reckless leader of irregular cavalry, -who for his sins was shut up for life in the Spielberg, -the famous prison fortress near Brünn, where -he committed suicide. Friedrich, after enjoying the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">42</span> -favour of Frederick the Great and winning the -rank of cadet in the Gardes du Corps, was eventually -disgraced and imprisoned in the fortress of -Magdeburg, where he was detained for ten years -and treated with implacable severity. Friedrich von -der Trenck was richly endowed by nature; he was -a gallant young soldier with good mental gifts and -a handsome person which enabled him to shine in -court society and achieve many successes. He was -fortunate enough to gain the good graces of the -king’s sister, the Princess Amelia of Prussia, who -greatly resembled her celebrated brother both physically -and mentally. She possessed the same sparkling -wit, the same gracious vivacity and, like Friedrich, -was a distinguished musician. She was a -warm votary of art, science and literature and was -always surrounded and courted by the most cultured -German princes. All her contemporaries describe -her beauty with enthusiasm. So far, she had -declined the many proposals of marriage, which, as -a matter of course, she had received. Her heart -belonged to the cornet of the Gardes du Corps, and -a secret understanding existed between them. The -lovers were at first cautious, but soon became -bolder, and the king’s suspicions were aroused. At -first he tried fatherly remonstrances, but in vain. -The extraordinary liaison became the talk of the -hour. A lieutenant of the Prussian Foot Guards -taunted the favoured lover about his relations with -the princess, they quarrelled, and a duel followed. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">43</span> -The king was furious, and a catastrophe was imminent, -but was avoided by the outbreak of war. -Then this gay and reckless courtier allowed himself -to be drawn into a correspondence with his cousin -in Vienna, the notorious colonel of the Pandours, -and the measure of the king’s wrath overflowed. -Trenck was cashiered and sent to the fortress of -Glatz. The king wrote with his own hand to the -commandant of the fortress on the 28th June, 1745, -“Watch this rogue well; he wished to become a -Pandour under his cousin.” Undoubtedly Frederick -intended to keep Trenck imprisoned for a short -time only, but he was detained for a whole year, -during which time he made more than one attempt -to escape.</p> - -<p>The following account is in his own words: -“At last, after I had spent about five months in -confinement (at Glatz) peace had been proclaimed, -the king had returned to Berlin and my place in the -<i>gardes</i> had been filled. A certain lieutenant Piaschky -of the Fouquet regiment and the ensign Reitz, who -was often on sentinel duty outside my cell, offered -to make preparations to enable me to escape and -take them with me. Everything was settled and -agreed upon. At that time there was in the cell -next to mine a certain Captain von Manget, a native -of Switzerland. He had been cashiered, was condemned -to ten years’ imprisonment and had only -four rix dollars to spend. I had shown this man -much kindness out of pity, and I wished to save -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">44</span> -him as well as myself, and this was discussed and -proposed to him. We were betrayed by this rascal -on the first opportunity, he in consequence earning -his pardon and liberty. Piaschky had wind that -Reitz was already a prisoner, and saved himself by -deserting. I denied everything, was confronted -with Manget, and because I could bribe the judge -with a hundred ducats, Reitz escaped with castigation -and a year’s imprisonment. I, on the contrary, -was now considered as a corrupter of the officers -and was locked up in a narrow cell and strictly confined. -Left to myself, I still meditated flight, as -the seclusion in a small cell was too irksome to my -fiery temperament. The garrison was always on -my side, therefore it was impossible to deprive me -of friends and assistance. I was known to have -money, so that all was possible to me. The first -plan was as follows. My window was above the -ramparts, about ninety feet from the ground, and -looked towards the town. I could not therefore -get out of the citadel and must find a place of safety -in the town. This was assured to me through an -officer, in the house of an honest soap-boiler. I -then cut with a pen knife that had been made -jagged at the end, right through three iron bars of -enormous thickness, but as this took up too much -time, as eight bars must be sawn through before -I could get out of the window, an officer provided -me with a file, with which I had to work very carefully -so as not to be heard by the sentries. As soon -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">45</span> -as this was accomplished, I cut my leather knapsack -into strips, sewed them together with the thread -from an unravelled stocking, brought my sheet likewise -into requisition, and let myself down from this -astounding height in safety. It was raining, the -night was dark and everything went off well. I -had, however, to wade through the public drain and -this I had not foreseen. I only sank into it just -above the knees, but was not able to work my way -out of it. I did all I could, but stuck so fast that -at last I lost all my strength and called to the sentry -on the rampart, ‘Tell the commandant that Trenck -is sticking in the mire!’</p> - -<p>“Now to augment my misfortune, it happened -that General Fouquet was at that time commandant -in Glatz. He was a well known misanthrope, had -fought a duel with my father and been wounded by -him, and the Austrian Trenck had taken his baggage -from him in 1744. He was therefore a great -enemy to the Trenck name, and consequently made -me remain in the filth for some hours as a public -spectacle to the garrison, then had me pulled out -and confined in my cell, allowing no water to be -taken to me for cleaning purposes. No one can -imagine how I looked; my long hair had got into -the mud, and my condition was really pitiable until -some prisoners were permitted to wash and cleanse -me.”</p> - -<p>When he finally escaped from Glatz, he went to -Bohemia, to Nürnberg and to Vienna, whence he -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">46</span> -passed into Russia and entered the service of the -czar for a time. Then he again travelled through -northern Europe and returned to Vienna, where he -was coldly received, and he started once more for -Russia, but was intercepted at Danzig and again -arrested in 1753, after which he suffered a more -severe imprisonment for nearly ten years, characterised -with such inhuman treatment that it must ever -tarnish the reputation of the monarch who posed as -a poet and a philosopher, the friend of Voltaire. -Frederick the Great would hardly have earned his -ambitious epithet had it depended upon the measure -he meted out to his turbulent subject, Friedrich -von der Trenck. He hated him cordially and -persecuted him cruelly, behaving with a pitiless -severity, and exhibiting such a contemptible spirit -of revenge that he has been hopelessly disgraced -by the enlightened verdict of history.</p> - -<p>Von der Trenck has told his own story in one -of the most remarkable books published in the eighteenth -century, as the following excerpts will show. -He was taken into custody at Danzig, despoiled of -all his cash and valuables, and carried in a closed -coach under escort to Lauenberg, and thence via -Spandau to Magdeburg, where he was lodged in -the destined prison. “It was a casemate,” according -to his own account of the cell, “the forepart -of which was six feet wide and ten feet long, and -divided by a separation wall in which were double -doors with a third at the entrance of the casemate. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">47</span> -The outer wall was seven feet thick, with one window -giving upon the top of the magazine, sufficient -for light, but I could see neither the heaven nor the -earth. It was barred inside and outside, and there -was a narrow grating in the middle, through which -nothing could be seen. Six feet beyond my wall -stood a row of palisades which prevented the sentry -or any one from coming near enough to pass anything -in. I had a bed with a mattress, the bedstead -clamped down to the floor so that I might not drag -it to the window and climb upon it to look out. A -small stove and night table were fixed in like manner -near the door.</p> - -<p>“I was not ironed, and my daily ration was one -pound and a half of ammunition bread and a jar -of water. I had an excellent appetite, but the bread -was mouldy and I could barely touch it. Through -the avarice of the town major, the supplies were -almost uneatable and for many months following -I suffered torture from raging hunger.... I -begged for an increase, but prayers and entreaties -were of no avail. ‘It is the king’s order,’ I was -told; ‘we dare not give you more.’ The commandant, -General Borck, cruelly reminded me that -I had long enough eaten patties out of the king’s -silver service, I must learn now to be satisfied with -ammunition bread.”</p> - -<p>Von der Trenck turned his thoughts at once to -the possibilities of escape. He soon found that he -was left very much to himself; his food was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">48</span> -brought every day and passed in to him through -a slit in the door; but his cell was actually opened -only once a week for the visit and inspection of the -major of the fortress. He might work, therefore, -for seven days without fear of interruption, and he -proceeded forthwith to execute a plan he had formed -of breaking through the wall of his cell into an -adjoining casemate, which he learned from a -friendly sentry was unoccupied and unlocked. This -sentry and another spoke to him through the window, -despite strict orders to the contrary. They -gave him a good idea of the interior arrangements -of the fortress, and told him that the Elbe was -within easy reach. He might cross it by swimming -or by a boat, and so gain the Saxon frontier.</p> - -<p>Thus encouraged, he devoted himself with unremitting -energy to his gigantic task of making a -practicable hole in the wall. He found bricks in -the first outward layers, and then came upon large -quarry stones. His first difficulty was to dispose -of the debris and material produced by the excavation; -after reserving a part to replace and so conceal -the aperture formed, the rest he gradually distributed -when ground down into dust. The quarry -stones gave infinite trouble, but he tackled them -with the irons extracted from his bedstead, and he -got other tools from his sentries,—an old ramrod -and a soldier’s clasp knife. The labour of piercing -this wall of seven feet in thickness was incredible. -It was an ancient building, the mortar was very -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">49</span> -hard, and it was necessary to grind the stones into -dust. It lasted over six months, and at length the -outer layer of bricks on the side of the adjoining -casemate was reached.</p> - -<p>Fortune now favoured Von der Trenck in the discovery -of a veteran grenadier among his guards, -named Gefhardt, who proved to be of inestimable -service then and afterwards, and a devoted ally. -Through the sentries’ good offices, Trenck was -enabled to communicate with his friends outside, -and through Gefhardt he made the acquaintance -across the palisades of a Jewish girl of Dessau, -Esther Heymannin, whose father was serving a -sentence of ten years’ imprisonment in Magdeburg. -With splinters cut from his bed board, the prisoner -manufactured a long staff which reached from his -window beyond the palisades, and by means of it -obtained writing materials, a knife and a file. This -was effected by Esther with the assistance of two -friendly sentries. Trenck wrote to his sister, who -resided at Hammer, a village fourteen miles from -Berlin, begging her to hand over a sum in cash to -the girl when she called; he wrote another letter to -the Austrian ambassador in Berlin, enclosing a bill -on his agent in Vienna, for Trenck, although in the -Prussian service, was of Austrian extraction and -owned estates in that country. The girl succeeded -in her mission to Hammer and took the money to -Berlin, where the Austrian minister’s secretary, -Weingarten, assured her that a larger sum was on -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">50</span> -its way from Vienna, and that if she would return -to Berlin after carrying her first good news to -Magdeburg, it would be handed over to her. But -on approaching the prison, the wife of one of the -sentries met her with the sad news that both men -had been arrested and lay in irons awaiting sentence, -and Esther, rightly judging that all was discovered, -hurriedly fled to Dessau. It may be added -that the thousand florins to come from Vienna were -retained by the Austrian secretary, and although -Trenck years later, after his release, made constant -applications to both Count Puebla and Weingarten, -he never recovered the money. Weingarten had -acted the traitor throughout and it was on his information, -extracted from the Jewish girl, that the -plot to escape became known. The consequences -were far reaching, and entailed cruel reprisals upon -Von der Trenck’s friends. The two sentries, as has -been said, were arrested, tried and condemned, one -to be hanged and the other to be flogged up and -down the streets of Magdeburg on three successive -days. Trenck’s sister was cruelly persecuted; she -was fined heavily and plundered of her fortune, a -portion of which was ingloriously applied to the -construction of an entirely new prison in the Star -Fort of the Magdeburg fortress, for the special -confinement of her brother.</p> - -<p>Von der Trenck, as his measures for evasion had -become ripe, was on the point of breaking prison -when a more terrible blow fell upon him. The new -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">51</span> -prison in the Star Fort had been finished most expeditiously, -and orders were suddenly issued for his -removal after nightfall. The major and a party of -officers, carrying lanterns, entered his cell. He was -roused and directed to put on his clothes, and manacles -were slipped on his hands and feet, but not -before he had managed to conceal the knife on his -person; he was blindfolded, lifted under the arms -and conveyed to a coach, which drove through the -citadel and down toward the Star Fort, where it -had been rumoured he was to be beheaded. He -was thrown into his new place of durance, and -forthwith subjected to the pain and ignominy of -being loaded with fetters; his feet were attached to -a ring in the wall about three feet high by a ponderous -chain, allowing movement of about two feet -to the right and left; an iron belt as broad as the -palm of a hand was riveted around his naked body, -a thick iron bar was fixed to the belt, and his hands -were fastened to the bar two feet apart. “Here,” -says Trenck, “was I left to my own melancholy -reflections, without comfort or aid, and sitting in -gloomy darkness upon the wet floor. My fetters -seemed to me insupportable, until I became accustomed -to them; and I thanked God that my knife -had not been discovered, with which I was about -to end my sufferings forthwith. This is a true -consolation for the unfortunate man, who is elevated -above the prejudices of the vulgar, and with this -a man may bid defiance to fate and monarchs.... -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">52</span> -In these thoughts I passed the night; the day appeared, -but not its brightness to me; however, I -could, by its glimmerings, observe my prison. The -breadth was eight feet, the length ten; four bricks -were raised from the ground and built in the corner, -upon which I could sit and lean my head against -the wall. Opposite to the ring to which I was -chained was a window, in the form of a semicircle, -one foot high and two feet in diameter. This aperture -was built upwards as far as the centre of the -wall which was six feet thick, and at this point there -was a narrow grating, secured both without and -within with strong close iron bars from which, outward, -the aperture sloped downward and its extremity -was again secured with strong iron bars. My -prison was built in the great ditch, close to the rampart, -which was about eight feet broad on the inside; -but the window reached almost to the second wall, so -that I could receive no direct light from above and -had only its reflection through a narrow hole. -However, in the course of time my organs became -so accustomed to this dimness that I could perceive -a mouse run, but in winter, when the sun seldom or -never shone in the ditch, it was eternal night with -me. On the inside, before the grating, was a glass -window, the middle pane of which might be opened -to let in the air. In the wall my name, ‘Trenck,’ -might be read, built with red bricks; and at my -feet was a gravestone, with a death’s head and my -name inscribed upon it, beneath which I was to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">53</span> -have been interred. My gaol had double doors -made of oak; in front of them was a sort of antechamber, -with a window, and this was likewise -fastened with two doors. As the king had given -positive orders that all connection and opportunities -of speaking with sentries should be debarred me, -that I might not have it in my power to seduce -them, my den was built so as not to be penetrated; -and the ditch in which the prison stood was crossed -on each side by palisades twelve feet high, the key -being kept by the officer of the guards. I had no -other exercise than leaping up and down on the -spot where I was chained, or shaking the upper part -of my body till I grew warm. In time I could move -about four feet from side to side, but my shin bones -suffered by this increase of territory.</p> - -<div id="i_052" class="figcenter"> -<p class="caption"><i>Baron Friedrich von der Trenck</i></p> - -<p class="caption small"><i>After the painting by Marckl</i></p> - -<p>A love affair with the Princess Amelia was the cause of -the long imprisonment of Von der Trenck by Frederick the -Great, first in Glatz, from which he escaped, and afterward -in the Star Fort of the Fortress of Magdeburg. He endured -almost untold hardships, and his numerous attempts to escape -showed marvellous persistence and almost superhuman endurance. -His life was romantic and stormy. He went to Paris -during the French Revolution and was finally guillotined by -Robespierre.</p> - -<img src="images/i_052.jpg" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>“In this prison I sat for six months, constantly -in water, which was perpetually dropping down -upon me from the roof of the arch. I can assure -my reader that my body was never dry during the -first three months and yet I continued in health. As -often as I was visited, which was every day at -twelve o’clock after guard mounting, the doors were -obliged to be left open some minutes, or the stifled -vapour and dampness would have extinguished the -candles of the lantern. In this condition I remained, -abandoned by friends, without help or comfort; -where reflection was my only employment and -where, during the first days, until my constancy -became confirmed and my heart more obdurate, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">54</span> -nothing but the most frightful images of grief and -woe were perpetually presenting themselves to my -diseased imagination. The situation could not have -been more calculated for despair, nor can I describe -the cause which restrained my arm from suicide, -for I was far above all narrow prejudices and never -felt the least fear for occurrences beyond the grave. -My design was to challenge fortune and obtain my -victory in spite of every impediment. The ambition -to accomplish this victory was perhaps the strongest -inducement to my resolve, which at length rose to -such a degree of heroism and perseverance, that -Socrates, in his old days, could not boast of more. -He was old, ceased to feel, and drank the poison -with indifference. I, on the contrary, was in the -fire of my youth, and the aim to which I aspired -seemed to be on all sides far distant. The present -situation of my body and the tortures of my soul -were of such a nature as gave me but little reason -to expect that my frame could support them for any -length of time.</p> - -<p>“With these thoughts I struggled till midday, -when my cage was for the first time opened. Sorrow -and compassion were painted on the countenances -of my guards; not one spoke a word, not so -much as a good-morrow, and terrible was their arrival, -for not being used to the monstrous bolts and -locks, they rattled nearly half an hour at the doors -before the last could be opened. A wooden bedstead -with a mattress and a woollen cover were brought -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">55</span> -in, likewise an ammunition loaf of six pounds; -upon which the town-major said: ‘That you may -no longer complain of hunger, you shall have as -much bread as you can eat.’ A water jar, containing -about two quarts, was placed beside me, the -doors were again shut and I was left to myself. -How shall I describe the luxurious delight I felt -in the moment I had an opportunity, for the first -time, of satiating the raging hunger which had been -eleven months gnawing at me! No joy seemed to -be more perfect than this, and no mill could grind -the hard corn with more expedition than my teeth -devoured my ammunition loaf; no fiery lover, -after a long and tedious languishing, could fall -with more eagerness into the arms of his yielding -bride, nor any tiger be more ravenous on his prey, -than I on my humble repast. I ate, I rested, ate -again, shed tears; took one piece after another, and -before night all was devoured. My first transports -did not last long and I soon learned that enjoyment -without moderation creates disgust. My stomach -was enfeebled by long abstinence, and digestion was -impeded; my whole body swelled, my water jar was -empty; cramps, colics and at last thirst, with incredible -pains, tortured me continually until the -next day. I already cursed those whom a short -time before I had blessed for giving me enough to -eat. Without a bed that night, I should certainly -have despaired. I was not accustomed to my cruel -chains, nor had I learned the art of lying extended -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">56</span> -in them, which afterward time and habitude taught -me; however, I could sit on my dry mattress. That -night was one of the most severe I ever endured. -The following day, when my prison was opened, -I was found in the most wretched condition. The -officers were amazed at my appetite and offered me -a loaf. I refused it, believing that I should have -no occasion for more. However, they brought me -one, gave me water, shrugged their shoulders and -wished me happiness, for to every appearance I -could not suffer long; and the door was shut again -without my being asked if I wanted any further assistance.... -During the first three days of my -melancholy incarceration my condition appeared to -me quite insupportable and deliverance impossible. -I found a thousand reasons which convinced me -that it was now time to put an end to my sufferings.”</p> - -<p>Yet we read that this man’s indomitable pluck -survived and once more his thoughts turned to escape. -He was encouraged at finding that the doors -of his cell were only of wood, and he conceived the -idea that he might cut out the locks with the knife -he had so fortunately brought with him from the -fortress. “I immediately made an attempt to rid -myself of my irons, and luckily forced the fetter -from my right hand though the blood trickled from -my nails. I could not for a long time remove the -other; but with some pieces of the brick from my -seat I hammered so fortunately against the rivet, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">57</span> -which was but negligently fastened, that I finally -effected this also, and thus freed both my arms. To -the belt round my body there was only one hasp -fastened to the chain or arm bar. I set my foot -against the wall and found I could bend it; there -now remained only the principal chain between the -wall and my feet. Nature had given me great -strength; I twisted it across, sprang with force -back from the wall, and two links instantly gave -way. Free from chains and fancying myself already -happy, I hastened to the door, groped in the dark -for the points of the nails by which the lock was -fastened, and found that I had not a great deal of -wood to cut out. I immediately cut a small hole -through the oak door with my knife and discovered -that the boards were only one inch thick, and that -there was a possibility of opening all the four doors -in the space of one day. Full of hope, I returned -to put on my irons; but what difficulties had I here -to surmount!</p> - -<p>“The broken link I found, after a long search, -and threw into my sink. Fortunately for me, nobody -had examined my cell because they suspected -nothing. With a piece of my hair ribbon I bound -the chain together, but when I tried to put the irons -on my hands, they were so swollen that every attempt -was in vain. I worked the whole night to -no purpose. Twelve o’clock, the visiting hour, approached. -Necessity and danger urged me on; -fresh attempts were made with incredible torture, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">58</span> -and when my keepers entered everything was in -proper order.”</p> - -<p>After this Trenck concentrated all his efforts upon -cutting out the locks of his doors. The first yielded -within an hour, but the second was a far more difficult -task, as it was also closed by a bar and the -lock was opened on the outside. The work was -carried on in darkness and his self-inflicted wounds -bled profusely. But when the second door had been -cut through, he came out into half daylight, which -enabled him to cut out the third lock as readily as -the first. The fourth, however, was placed like the -second and involved equal labour. He was attacking -it bravely when his knife broke in his hand and -the blade fell to the ground.</p> - -<p>Despair then seized him, and picking up his -knife blade he opened the veins of his left arm and -foot, meaning to bleed to death. When almost insensible, -a voice crying, “Baron Trenck!” roused -him, and on asking who called, he learned that it -was his staunch friend and ally, the grenadier Gefhardt, -who had come to the rampart to comfort him. -He told Gefhardt that he was lying in his blood -and at the point of death, but the stout old soldier -consoled him with the assurance that it would be -much easier to escape here, as there were no sentries -over him and only two in the whole fort. -Trenck listened with revived hope and determined -on a new plan of action. The seat in his prison -was built of brickwork, still green, and he quickly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">59</span> -tore it down to provide himself with missiles, which -he laid out ready for use against his gaolers at their -next visit. They came at midday and were horrified -to find the three inner doors opened, the last -of them barred by a terrific figure, wounded and -bleeding, and in a posture of desperate defiance. In -one hand he held a brick and with the other he -brandished his knife blade, crying fiercely, “Let no -one enter; I will kill all who attempt it. You may -shoot me down, but I will not live here in chains. -Stand back. I am armed.”</p> - -<p>The commandant had inadvertently stepped -forward but retired at these threats, and ordered -his grenadiers to storm the cell. The narrow opening -allowed only one to enter at a time and a combined -attack was impossible. All halted irresolute -under the menace of the missiles, and in the pause -the major and chaplain tried to reason with Von der -Trenck. The former implored him to yield and -surrender the knife blade, as the major was responsible -for his possession of it and would no doubt -lose his place. These entreaties prevailed, and -Trenck gave in, being promised milder treatment. -His condition cried aloud for pity; he lay there -suffering and exhausted. A surgeon was called in -to apply restoratives and dress his wounds, and for -four days he was relieved of his irons and was well -fed with meat soup. Meanwhile the cell doors were -repaired and bound with iron bands. The fetters -were reimposed, but that which chained the prisoner -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">60</span> -to the wall and which he had broken was strengthened. -No amelioration of his state was possible, -for the king was implacable and still ferociously -angry. Von der Trenck remained in extreme discomfort. -As his arms were constantly fastened to -the iron cross bar and his feet to the wall, he could -put on neither his shirt nor his breeches; the former, -a soldier’s shirt, was tied together at the seams and -renewed every fortnight; the breeches were opened -and buttoned up at the sides; on his body he wore -a blue frock of coarse common blue cloth, and on -his feet were rough ammunition stockings and slippers.</p> - -<p>“It is certain,” says Trenck, “that nothing but -pride and self-love, or rather a consciousness of my -innocence, together with a special confidence in my -resolutions, kept me afterward alive. The hard -exercise of my body and my mind, always busy in -projects to obtain my freedom, preserved at the -same time my health. But who would believe that -a daily exercise could be taken in my chains? I -shook the upper part of my body and leaped up and -down till the sweat poured from my brows, and by -this means I grew fatigued and slept soundly.</p> - -<p>“By degrees I accustomed myself to my chains. -I learned to comb my hair and at length even to -tie it with one hand. My beard, which had not yet -been shaved, gave me a frightful appearance. This -I plucked out; the pain was considerable, more especially -about the lips; however, I became accustomed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">61</span> -to this also and performed the operation during -the following years, once every six weeks or -two months, for the hairs being pulled out by the -roots required that length of time to grow again -long enough to lay hold of them with my nails. -Vermin never tormented me; the great dampness -of the walls was not favourable to them; neither -did my limbs swell, because I took the exercise -already mentioned; the constant darkness alone -was the greatest hardship. However, I had read, -learned and already seen and experienced much in -the world; therefore I always found matter to -banish melancholy from my thoughts, and in spite -of every obstacle, could connect my ideas as well as -if I had read them, or written them on paper. Habit -made me so perfect in this mental exercise that I -composed whole speeches, fables, poems and satires, -and repeated them aloud to myself. At the same -time they were impressed so forcibly on my memory -that after I obtained my freedom I could have written -a couple of volumes of such works.</p> - -<p>“I employed myself in projecting new plans. -That I might be more nearly observed, a sentry was -posted at my door who was always chosen from -what were called the trusty men, or the married -men and natives. These, as will be related in the -course of my memoirs, were easier and safer to -bring over to my relief than strangers; for the -Pomeranian is honest and blunt, and consequently -easy to move and be persuaded into anything you -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">62</span> -please. About three weeks after the last attempt, -my honest Gefhardt was posted sentry over me. -As soon as he came upon his post we had a free -opportunity of conversing with each other, for when -I stood with one foot on my bedstead my head -reached as high as the air-hole of the window. He -described the situation of my gaol to me, and the -first project we formed was to break under the -foundation, which he had seen built and assured me -was only two feet deep. I wanted money above all -things, and this I contrived to get in the following -manner: After Gefhardt was first relieved, he returned -with a wire round which a sheet of paper -was rolled, and also a piece of small wax candle -which luckily he could pass through the grating; -I got likewise some sulphur, a piece of burning tinder -and a pen; I now had a light, pricked my finger, -and my blood served for ink. I wrote to my -worthy friend, Captain Ruckhardt, at Vienna, described -to him my situation in a few words, gave -him a draft for three thousand florins upon my -revenues and settled the affair in the following -manner: He was to keep one thousand florins for -the expenses of his journey and to arrive without -fail on the 15th of August in Gummern, a small -Saxon town, only two miles from Magdeburg; -there he was to appear at twelve o’clock with a letter -in his hand, which with the two thousand florins -he should give to a man whom he would see there -carrying a roll of tobacco. Gefhardt had these instructions, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">63</span> -received my letter through the window -in the same manner as he had given me the paper, -sent his wife with it to Gummern and there put it -safely into the post office.</p> - -<p>“At length the 15th of August arrived,—but -some days passed before Gefhardt was posted as -sentry over me. How did my heart leap with happiness -when he suddenly called out to me:—‘All -is well—we have succeeded.’ In the evening it was -agreed in what manner the money was to be conveyed -to me; as my hands were fettered, I could -not reach to the grate of the window, and as the air-hole -was too small, we resolved that he should do -the work of cleaning my cell and should convey the -money to me by putting it into my water jar when -he filled it. This was fortunately effected, but -judge of my astonishment when I found the whole -sum of two thousand florins, of which I had promised -and desired him to take the half. Only five -pistoles were wanting, and he absolutely refused -any more. Generous Pomeranian, how rare is thy -example!</p> - -<p>“I now had money to put my designs into execution. -The first plan was to undermine the foundation -of my prison, and to do this it was necessary -that I should be free from chains. Gefhardt conveyed -to me a pair of fine files. The cap or staple -of the foot-ring was made so wide that I could draw -it forward a quarter of an inch; therefore I filed -the inside of the iron which passed through it. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">64</span> -more I cut out, the further I could draw the staple, -till at last the whole inside iron through which the -chain passed was entirely cut through, the cap remaining -on the outside entire. Thus my feet were -free from the wall and it was impossible, with the -most careful examination, to find the cut, as only -the outside could be searched. By squeezing my -hands every day, I made them more pliant and at -last got them through the irons. I then filed round -the hinge, made myself a screw-driver with a -twelve-inch nail drawn from the floor, and turned -the screws as I pleased, so that no marks could be -seen when I was visited. The belt round my body -did not at all hinder me. I filed a piece out of a -link of the chain which fastened the bar to my arms, -and the link next to it I filed so small as to be able -to get it through the opening. I then rubbed some -wet ammunition bread upon the iron to give it the -proper colour, stopped the open link with dough, -and let it dry over night by the heat of my warm -body, then put spittle upon it, to give it the burnish -of iron; by this invention, I was sure that without -striking upon each with a hammer it would be impossible -to find out that which was broken.</p> - -<p>“It was now in my power to get loose when I -chose. The window never was examined; I took -out the hooks with which it was fastened in the -wall, but I put them properly in again every morning -and made all as it should be with some lime. -I procured wire from my friend and endeavoured -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">65</span> -to make a new grating. This I likewise completed; -therefore I took the old one from the window and -fixed mine in its place; this opened a free communication -with the outside, and by this means I -obtained light and fire materials. That my light -might not be seen, I hung my bed cover before the -window, and thus I could work as it was convenient.”</p> - -<p>Trenck now proceeded to penetrate the floor, -which was of oaken planks in three layers, altogether -nine inches thick. He used the bar which -had fastened his arms and was now removable, and -which he had ground on the gravestone till it -formed an excellent chisel to serve in digging into -the boards. These he patiently cut through and -pulled up, reaching the fine sand below the foundation -on which the Star Fort was built. The wood -splinters were hidden, the sand run over in long -narrow linen bags provided by Gefhardt, which -could be dragged through the window. By the -same friendly help he obtained a number of useful -implements; a knife, a bayonet, a brace of pocket -pistols, and even powder and shot, all of which -he concealed under the floor.</p> - -<p>He ascertained now that the foundation was -four feet thick and that a very deep hole must be -dug to get a passage underneath the outer wall, -a long, wearisome operation demanding time, labour -and caution, and especially difficult of execution, -with his figure twisted into an awkward -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">66</span> -shape so that his hands might extract the sand. -There was no stove in the cell and it was bitterly -cold, but he was warmed by his joyous anticipations -of escape. Gefhardt kept him well supplied -with provisions, sausages and hung beef, brought -in paper for writing and supplies for light, so that -the time did not hang heavily.</p> - -<p>A sudden catastrophe nearly ruined everything. -In replacing the window sash, it slipped out of his -hands and fell, breaking three panes of glass. Detection -was now imminent, as fresh panes must be -inserted before the sash was refixed. Trenck was -in despair, and as a last resource appealed to the -sentry of the night, a stranger, whom he offered -thirty pistoles to seek new panes. The man was -happily agreeable, and by good fortune the gate of -the palisades in the ditch had been left unlocked, -so he prevailed on a comrade to relieve him for a -short time and ran down into the town, taking with -him the dimensions of the glass, secured the panes, -and returned with them in time to allow Trenck -to complete his task as glazier. But for this lucky -ending, Gefhardt’s complicity would have been discovered -and he would certainly have been hanged.</p> - -<p>Misfortunes never come singly. Trenck wanted -more money and wrote to his friend in Vienna, -enclosing a draft which he was to cash and asking -him to bring the effects to the Saxon village of -Gummern, a few miles from Magdeburg, and there -await Trenck’s messenger. This letter was to be -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">67</span> -despatched by Gefhardt’s wife from Gummern -across the frontier. The foolish woman told the -Saxon postmaster that the letter was of the utmost -importance, affecting a law suit of Gefhardt’s in -Vienna, and she was so anxious for its safe transmission -that she handed it over with a large fee, -ten rix dollars. The postmaster’s suspicions were -aroused; he opened the letter, read it, and thinking -to curry favour, brought it to Magdeburg, where -it fell into the hands of the governor, Prince Ferdinand -of Brunswick. All the fat was then in the -fire.</p> - -<p>The first intimation Trenck received was from -the prince who came in person to his cell, followed -by a large staff of officials. The governor called -upon the prisoner to confess who had carried his -letter to Gummern. Trenck denied that he had sent -any letter, and his cell was searched forthwith. -Smiths, carpenters and masons entered, but after -an hour’s work failed to discover more than the -false grating in the window. The prince upbraided, -argued, threatened; but Trenck obstinately refused -to speak. The governor had scarcely been gone an -hour when some one came in saying that one of -his accomplices had already hanged himself, and, -fearing that it was his good friend, he was on the -point of betraying Gefhardt, when he heard by -accident that the suicide was some one else. He -took fresh courage from the fact that his diggings -had not been exposed, and that he had five hundred -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">68</span> -florins in gold safely concealed, with a good supply -of candles and all his implements. After this collapse, -there was a change in Trenck’s condition. -The regiment in the garrison went off to the Seven -Years’ War which had just broken out, and was -relieved by a party of militia, and a new commandant -took charge, General Borck, who was informed -by the king that he must answer for Trenck with -his head. Borck was timorous and mistrustful, a -stupid bully, who acted to his prisoner “as an executioner -to a criminal.” He increased Trenck’s -irons, and had a broad neck ring added with a chain -that hung down and joined the anklet; he removed -the prisoner’s bedding, did not even give him straw, -and constantly abused him with “a thousand insulting -expressions.” “However,” says Trenck, -“I did not remain a single word in his debt and -vexed him almost to madness.”</p> - -<p>The object of the governor was to cut Trenck -off from all communication with mankind. To assure -complete isolation, the four keys of his four -doors were kept by four different persons; the -commandant held one, the town-major another, the -third was kept by the officer of the day and the -fourth by the lieutenant of the guard. The prisoner -had no opportunity for speaking to any of -them singly, until the rule slackened. The commandant -rarely appeared; Magdeburg became so -filled with prisoners of war that the town-major -gave up his key to the officer of the day; and the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">69</span> -other officers, when they dined with General Walrabe, -who was also confined in the Star Fort, passed -their keys to the lieutenant of the guard. So in -this way Trenck sometimes had a word with each -of them alone, and in due course secured the friendship -of two of them.</p> - -<p>At this period his situation was truly deplorable. -“The enormous iron round my neck,” he says, -“pained me and impeded motion, and I dared not -attempt to disengage myself from the pendent -chains till I had for some months carefully observed -the method of examination and learned -which parts they supposed were perfectly secure. -The cruelty of depriving me of my bed was still -greater; I was obliged to sit upon the bare ground -and lean with my head against the damp wall. The -chains that descended from the neck collar I was -obliged to support, first with one hand and then -with the other, for, if thrown behind, they would -have strangled me, and if hanging forward occasioned -excessive headaches. The bar between my -hands held me down, while, leaning on one elbow, I -supported my chains with the other, and this so -benumbed the muscles and prevented circulation -that I could perceive my arms sensibly waste away. -The little sleep I could have in such a situation may -easily be supposed, and at length body and mind -sank under this accumulation of miserable suffering, -and I fell ill of a burning fever. The tyrant -Borck was inexorable; he wished to expedite my -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">70</span> -death and rid himself of his troubles and his terrors. -Here did I experience the condition of a sick -prisoner, without bed, refreshment, or aid from a -human being. Reason, fortitude, heroism, all the -noble qualities of the mind, decay when the bodily -faculties are diseased, and the remembrance of my -sufferings at this dreadful moment still agitates, -still inflames my blood so as almost to prevent an -attempt to describe what they were. Yet hope did -not totally forsake me. Deliverance seemed possible, -especially should peace ensue; and I sustained, -perhaps, such suffering as mortal man never bore, -being, as I was, provided with pistols or any such -immediate mode of despatch. I continued ill about -two months, and was so reduced at last that I had -scarcely strength to lift the water jug to my mouth. -What must be the sufferings of that man who sits -two months on the bare ground in a dungeon so -damp, so dark, so horrible, without bed or straw, -his limbs loaded as mine were, with no refreshment -but dry ammunition bread; without so much as a -drop of broth, without physic, without a consoling -friend, and who under all these afflictions must -trust for his recovery to the efforts of nature -alone!”</p> - -<p>The officers on guard all commiserated him, and -one of them, Lieutenant Sonntag, often came and -sat with him when he could get all the keys. This -officer was poor and in debt and did not refuse the -money liberally offered by Trenck. A fresh plan -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">71</span> -of escape was soon conceived. As before, the essential -preliminary was to obtain more cash to be -employed in further bribery. The lieutenant, Sonntag, -provided false handcuffs so wide that Trenck -could easily draw his hands out, and he was soon -able to disencumber himself at pleasure of all his -other chains except the neck-iron. It was no longer -possible to get out by the hole first constructed, as -the sentinels had been doubled, and Trenck began -driving a new subterranean passage thirty-seven -feet long to the gallery in the principal rampart, -through which, if gained, a free exit was assured.</p> - -<p>Another superhuman task was begun, which -lasted for nearly a year. A deep hole was sunk, -and on reaching the sand below the foundation, a -transverse passage was driven through it, entailing -such severe fatigue that at the end of one day’s -work Trenck was obliged to rest for the three following -days. It was necessary to work naked, as -the dirtiness on his shirt would have been observed; -at the depth of four feet the sand became wet and -a stratum of gravel was reached. “The labour -toward the conclusion,” Trenck tells us, “became -so intolerable as to incite despondency. I frequently -sat contemplating the heaps of sand during -a momentary respite from work, and thinking it -impossible I could have strength or time to replace -all things as they were. I thought sometimes of -abandoning my enterprise and leaving everything -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">72</span> -in its present disorder. Recollecting, however, the -prodigious efforts and all the progress I had made, -hope would again revive and exhausted strength -return; again would I begin my labours to preserve -my secret and my expectations. When my work -was within six or seven feet of being accomplished, -a new misfortune happened that at once frustrated -all further attempts. I worked, as I have said, -under the foundations of the rampart near where -the sentinels stood. I could disencumber myself -of my fetters, except my neck-collar and its pendent -chain. This, although it had been fastened, got -loose as I worked, and the clanking was heard by -one of the sentinels about fifteen feet from my -dungeon. The officer was called; they laid their -ears to the ground, and heard me as I went backward -and forward to bring my earth bags. This -was reported the next day, and the major, who -was my best friend, with the town-major, a smith -and a mason entered my prison. I was terrified. -The lieutenant, by a sign, gave me to understand -I was discovered. An examination was begun, but -the officers would not see, and the smith and mason -found everything, as they thought, safe. Had they -examined my bed they would have seen the ticking -and sheets were gone.”</p> - -<p>A few days later the same sentinel, who had been -called a blockhead for raising a false alarm, again -heard Trenck burrowing, and called his comrades. -The major came also to hear the noise, and it was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">73</span> -now realised that Trenck was working under the -foundation toward the gallery. The officials entered -the gallery at the other end with lanterns, and -Trenck as he crawled along saw the light and their -heads. He knew the worst, and hurrying back to -his cell, had still the presence of mind to conceal -his pistols, candles, paper and money in various -holes and hiding places, where they were never -found. This was barely accomplished before his -guards arrived, headed by the brutal and stupid -major, Bruckhausen by name. The hole in the -floor was at once filled up and the planking reinstated; -his foot-chains, instead of being merely -fastened as before, were screwed down and riveted. -The worst trial for the moment was the loss of his -bed, which he had cut up to make into bags for the -removal of the sand.</p> - -<p>At this time General Borck was ill with an ailment -that soon ended in mental derangement. Another -general, Krusemarck, replaced him and proceeded -to visit Trenck. They had been old friends -and brother officers, but the general showed him -no compassion; on the contrary, he abused him -roundly, promising him even more severe treatment. -It was then that the inhuman order was -issued to the night guards to waken Trenck every -quarter of an hour,—a devilish form of cruelty -unsurpassed in prison punishments. Kindly nature, -however, came to the rescue, and Trenck -learned to answer automatically in his sleep; yet -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">74</span> -this cruel device was continued for four years and -until within a few months of his final release.</p> - -<p>The precautions taken effectually debarred the -prisoner from any fresh attempt at evasion. A new -governor had replaced the madman Borck, Lieutenant-Colonel -Reichmann, a humane and mild-mannered -officer. About this time, several members -Of the royal family, including Princess Amelia, -came to reside at Magdeburg and showed a kindly -interest in Trenck’s grievous lot; his cell doors -were presently opened each day to admit daylight -and fresh air. He found employment, too, for his -restless energies and was permitted to carve verses -and figures upon the pewter cup provided as part -of his cell furniture. The first rude attempt was -much admired, the cup was impounded, and a new -one served out; several, indeed, were provided in -succession, so that Trenck became quite expert in -this artistic employment and laboured at it continuously -until the day of his release. By means of -these cups he opened up communication with the -outside world. Hitherto all correspondence had -been forbidden; no one under pain of death might -converse with him or supply him with pen, ink or -paper. Strange to say, he was allowed to engrave -what he pleased upon the pewter, and the cups -were in great demand and passed into many hands. -One reached the empress-queen of Austria and -stimulated her to plead for Trenck’s pardon -through her minister accredited to the court of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">75</span> -Frederick. The engraving that touched her feelings -was that of a bird in a cage held by a Turk, -with the inscription, “The bird sings even in the -storm: open his cage and break his fetters, ye -friends of virtue, and his songs shall be the delight -of your abodes.” The demand for these cups was -so keen that Trenck worked at them by candle light -for eighteen hours a day, and the reflected lustre -from the pewter seriously injured his eyesight. It -is a pathetic picture,—that of the active-minded, -undefeated captive, labouring incessantly although -weighed down by chains and the terrible encumbrance -of a huge collar which pressed on the arteries -at the back of his neck and occasioned intolerable -headache.</p> - -<p>Although repeatedly foiled in his assiduous attempts -to break prison, the indomitable Trenck -never abated his unshaken desire to compass freedom. -At length opportunity offered for a larger -and more dangerous project: the seizure of the -Star Fort and the capture of Magdeburg. At that -time the war was in full progress and the garrison -of the fortress consisted of only nine hundred discontented -men of the militia. Trenck had already -won over two majors and two lieutenants to his -interest. The guard of the Star Fort was limited -to one hundred and fifteen men. The town gate -immediately opposite was held by no more than -twelve men under a sergeant; just within it was a -barrack filled with seven thousand Croat prisoners -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">76</span> -of war, several of whose officers were willing to -join in an uprising. It was arranged that a whole -company of Prussians should turn out at a moment’s -notice with muskets loaded and bayonets fixed, to -head the attack as soon as Trenck had overpowered -the two sentinels who stood over him, secured them -and locked them into his cell. It was an ambitious -plan and was well worth the attempt. Magdeburg -was the great national storehouse, holding all the -sinews of war, treasure and munitions, and Trenck -in possession, backed with sixteen thousand Croats, -might have dictated his own terms. The plot failed -through the treachery of an agent despatched to -Vienna with a letter, seeking cooperation; it was -given into the wrong hands and was sent back to -Magdeburg, where the governor, then the landgrave -of Hesse-Cassel, read it and took prompt precautions -to secure the fortress. An investigation was -ordered, and Trenck was formally arraigned as a -traitor to his country, but he sturdily denied the -authorship of the incriminating letter, and the -charge was not brought home to him. The landgrave -was more merciful than former governors -and showed great kindness to Trenck, relieved him -of his intolerable iron collar, sent his own private -physician to attend him in his illness and revoked -the cruel order that prescribed his incessant awakening -during the night.</p> - -<p>A fresh attempt to undermine the wall was soon -undertaken by the captive, but he was presently -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">77</span> -discovered at work and the hole in the floor walled -up. The humane landgrave did not punish him -further, and in the period of calm that followed, -Trenck’s hopes were revived with the prospect of -approaching peace, for he was now at liberty to -read the newspapers. But when the landgrave succeeded -to his throne and left Magdeburg, Trenck -in despair turned his thoughts once more to a -means of escape, and decided on the same method -of driving a tunnel underground. A dreadful accident -befell him in this particular attempt. While -mining under the foundation, he struck his foot -against a loose stone which dropped into the passage -and completely closed the opening. Death by -suffocation stared him in the face and paralyzed -his powers. For eight full hours he could not stir -a finger to release himself, but at last he managed -to turn his body into a ball and excavate a hole -under the stone till it sank and left him sufficient -space to crawl over it and get out.</p> - -<p>All was in a fair way to final evasion when -Trenck had another narrow escape from discovery. -It occurred through a pet mouse he had tamed and -trained to come at his call, to play round him and -eat from his hand. One night Trenck had encouraged -it to dance and caper on a plate, and the noise -made attracted the attention of the sentries, who -gave the alarm. An anxious visitation was made -at daybreak; smiths and masons closely scrutinised -walls and floors and minutely searched the prisoner. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">78</span> -Trenck was asked to explain the disturbance, -and whistled to his mouse which came out and -jumped upon his shoulder. The alarm forthwith -subsided, and yet he found what the searchers had -missed,—that his mouse had nibbled away the -chewed bread with which he had filled the interstices -between the planks of the floor which he had -cut to penetrate below.</p> - -<p>Trenck’s efforts did not flag till the very last -hour of his imprisonment, nor did his gaolers relax -their determination to hold him. One of their last -devices was to reconstruct and strengthen his -prison cell by paving the floor with huge flagstones. -His courage was beginning to fail, but the darkest -hour was before the dawn. Quite unexpectedly -on Christmas Eve, 1763, the governor appeared at -his cell door, accompanied by the blacksmith. -“Rejoice,” he cried, “the king has been graciously -pleased to relieve you of your irons;” and again,—“The -king wills that you shall have a better -apartment;” and last of all,—“The king wills that -you shall go free.”</p> - -<p>It has been said that the empress-queen of Austria -had been moved to compassion for Trenck by -the engraving on the pewter cup that came into -her hands. His beloved Princess Amelia had also -been active in trying to obtain his release. She -employed a clever business man in Vienna, who -at her bidding and for a sum of two thousand -ducats won over a confidential servant of Maria -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">79</span> -Theresa, and caused him to intercede for the -wretched prisoner at Magdeburg, who after all was -still an Austrian officer. The kind-hearted Hapsburg -sovereign wrote a personal letter to Frederick, -her great antagonist, and the king of Prussia at -last pardoned the miserable man who had dwelt -for ten years in a living tomb. Like all political -prisoners, he was obliged to bind himself by oath -to the following conditions, which were not exactly -performed by him:—that he would take no revenge -on anyone; that he would not cross the -Saxon or the Prussian frontiers to re-enter those -states; that he would neither speak nor write of -what had happened to him; that he would not, so -long as the king lived, serve in any army either in -a civil or military capacity.</p> - -<p>After his liberation, he first lived in Vienna, -where he came into personal contact with Maria -Theresa and the emperors Francis and Joseph II. -Later he settled at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he married -the daughter of Burgomaster de Broe, and -conducted a flourishing wine business. He undertook -long journeys, and published his poems and -autobiography, which had an immense success and -were translated into almost every European language; -he was also the editor of a newspaper and -another periodical entitled <i>The Friend of Men</i>, and -he amassed a handsome fortune.</p> - -<p>After the death of Frederick, Trenck was allowed -to return to Berlin and his confiscated goods -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">80</span> -were restored to him. His first visit was to his -liberator and earliest love, the Princess Amelia; -the interview was most affecting and heartrending. -They were both greatly changed in appearance and -more like the ghosts of their former brilliant selves. -She inquired for his numerous children, for whom -she assured him she would do all in her power, and -he parted from her full of gratitude and greatly -moved. It is a creditable trait in Trenck’s character -that in spite of all his sufferings he did not -hate the Prussian king, Frederick the Great.</p> - -<p>One would think this aged adventurer would -now seek rest, but far from it. He was attracted -to Paris by the outbreak of the French Revolution, -and he felt the necessity for playing an active part. -He finally fell into the hands of Robespierre, and -was tried and guillotined at the age of sixty-nine. -On the scaffold his great stature, for he was much -above the average height, towered over his fellow-sufferers. -He looked quietly at the crowd and -said, “Why do you stare? This is but a comedy -à la Robespierre!”</p> - -<p>The day before his tragic death he gave to a -fellow-prisoner, Count B——, the last memento -he possessed of the lady who had been the first -innocent cause of his sufferings, a tortoise-shell -box with the portrait of the Princess Amelia. The -9th Thermidor saved the count, and the box was -long preserved in his family. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">81</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III<br /> - -<span class="medium">NOTORIOUS POISONERS</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Famous female poisoners—This crime not so prevalent in -Germany as in southern countries—Frau Ursinus—Her -early history—Mysterious deaths of her husband and aunt—Attempted -murder of her man-servant—Arrested and -sentenced to imprisonment for life in the fortress of -Glatz—Anna Schönleben or Zwanziger—Deaths followed -her advent into different families—Arrested at Bayreuth, -confessed her guilt and was condemned to death.</p> - -<p>In the early decades of the nineteenth century, -when the Napoleonic wars caused constant conflict -and change, crime flourished with rank growth in -most European countries and nowhere more than -in the German states,—both those that remained -more or less independent and those brought into -subjection to the French Empire. Whole provinces -were ravaged by organised bands of brigands, such -as that which obeyed the notorious Schinderhannes; -travelling was unsafe by all ordinary roads and -communications; thieves and depredators abounded; -murderers stalked rampant through the land; the -most atrocious homicides, open and secret, were constantly -planned and perpetrated; swindling and -imposture on a large scale were frequently practised, -and crimes of every kind were committed by -all kinds of people in all classes of society. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">82</span></p> - -<p>Poisoning was not unknown as a means of removal, -although it never prevailed to the same extent -as among people of warmer blood. It never -grew into an epidemic affecting whole groups and -associations, but it occurred in individual cases, exhibiting -the same features as elsewhere. This form -of feloniously doing to death has ever commended -itself to the female sex. Women are so circumstanced -as wives, nurses and in domestic service -that they possess peculiar facilities for the administration -of poison, and so the most prominent poisoners -in criminal history have been women.</p> - -<p>A curious instance is to be found in the German -records, and the story may be told in this place as -belonging to this period. The murderess was a -certain Frau Ursinus, widow of a privy counsellor -who was also president of a government board. -Ursinus was a highly esteemed member of the upper -classes of Berlin. Deep interest attached to this -case of Frau Ursinus from the prominent position -occupied by her late husband, her considerable fortune, -her prepossessing person and spotless reputation, -as well as her cultured mind which made her -conspicuous in the society of the Prussian capital. -The news, therefore, of her sudden and unexpected -arrest on a criminal charge, caused great consternation -and surprise.</p> - -<p>Early in May, Frau Ursinus was at a party, -playing whist, when a footman, evidently greatly -perturbed, came in and said that several police officials -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">83</span> -were in the anteroom and wished to speak to -her. She rose without manifesting any emotion, -put down her cards, excused herself to her fellow-players -for this slight interruption, doubtless caused -by a mistake which would soon be accounted for, -and adding that she hoped soon to return, left the -room. She did not, however, come back to resume -her game, and after a few moments of strained -expectation it became known that she had been arrested -and taken to prison on a criminal charge.</p> - -<p>Her servant, Benjamin Klein, had complained of -not feeling well one day toward the end of the -previous February. His mistress had accordingly -given him a cup of broth and a few days later some -currants. These remedies were of no avail, and -he became worse. When, on February 28th, Frau -Ursinus offered him some rice, he refused it, whereupon -she threw it away, a singular proceeding on -her part, as he thought, and his suspicions were -aroused that the food she had previously administered -to him had contained something deleterious. -He made a strict search in consequence through his -mistress’s apartments, and presently discovered a -powder labelled arsenic in one of the cupboards. -This happened on March 21st. On the following -day, Frau Ursinus offered him some plums, which -he accepted but prudently did not taste. Then he -confided the result of his search and his fears to -his mistress’s maid, Schley, who took the plums to -her brother, an apprentice in a chemist’s shop, where -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">84</span> -they were analysed. The plums were found to contain -arsenic and the master of the establishment -immediately laid the information before the authorities; -an inquiry was set on foot, the principal witnesses -were examined, and in the end Frau Ursinus -was taken into custody. These facts came out after -the arrest and a good deal more was assumed. It -was rumoured that she had not only poisoned her -deceased husband three years previously, but also -her aunt, a spinster called Witte as well, and a -Dutch officer of the name of Rogay. These deaths -had occurred in sequence after that of the privy -counsellor.</p> - -<p>Frau Ursinus persistently denied all the earlier -charges of administering poison, but admitted the -attempts upon her servant, Klein. A thorough investigation -followed, and a number of damning -facts in her past and present life were brought to -light.</p> - -<p>Sophie Charlotte Elizabeth, the widow Ursinus, -was born on May 5, 1760, and was the daughter -of the secretary of the Austrian legation, Weingarten, -afterward called Von Weiss. Contemporary -historians call him Baron von Weingarten. -He was supposed to have turned traitor to the Austrian -government, and this led to his settling in -Prussia and to his change of name. According to -common belief, he had really refused a tempting -offer made to him by the Prussian government to -hand over some important papers, very much -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">85</span> -wanted. But he was in love, and the mother of his -betrothed, an enthusiastic partisan of Frederick the -Great, managed to abstract the papers from a cupboard. -He had to bear the brunt of this misdeed -and voluntarily accepted exile. Charlotte lived with -her parents until her twelfth year, and was then -committed to the care of a married sister in Spandau -to be educated. Her parents were Catholics but she -declared herself a Lutheran. Later, the father and -mother being unwilling to countenance a love affair -into which their daughter had been drawn, took up -their residence in Stendal. Here Charlotte became -acquainted with her future husband, at that time -counsellor of the Supreme Court, who after a year’s -acquaintance, sought her hand. She did not precisely -love this grave, sickly, elderly man, but she -confessed to a sincere liking and was willing to -marry him on account of his many excellent qualities, -his position and his prospects. She was then -in her nineteenth year. The pair, after moving to -and fro a great deal, finally settled in Berlin, where -Privy Counsellor Ursinus died on September 11, -1800.</p> - -<p>The match had not been happy; husband and -wife lived separately; they were childless and Frau -Ursinus was inclined to flirtation, having taken a -strong fancy to a Dutch officer named Rogay. The -aged husband did not seem to disapprove of the attachment, -which his wife always maintained was -perfectly platonic, and it was generally believed that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">86</span> -the phlegmatic Dutchman was incapable of the -“grand passion.” After leaving Berlin, probably -to escape her influence, Rogay returned and died -there three years before the privy counsellor. When -the propensity of Frau Ursinus to secret poisoning -was discovered, the making away with this Dutch -officer was laid to her charge, but she was acquitted -of the crime, and it was indeed sworn by two competent -physicians that Rogay had died of consumption.</p> - -<p>Privy Counsellor Ursinus died very suddenly and -mysteriously, his death being in no wise attributed -at the time to his chronic ailments. But when, -three years later, the widow came under suspicion, -serious doubts were entertained as to whether she -had not poisoned her husband. Her own account -as to the manner of his death only strengthened the -presumption of her guilt. According to her statement, -she had given a small party on September -10th, her husband’s birthday. He was in fairly -good spirits, but had remarked more than once that -he feared he was not long for this life. On retiring -to rest, his wife saw nothing wrong with him, but -in the middle of the night his moans and groans -awakened her. An emetic stood handy by the bedside, -kept thus in readiness by the doctor’s order -(which the doctor subsequently denied), and Frau -Ursinus wished him to take it, but gave him an -elixir instead. As he did not improve, she tried the -emetic and rang up the servants, but none came; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">87</span> -then she sought the porter, desiring him to call -them, but still no one appeared. So she remained -alone with her suffering husband through the entire -night. The following morning he was in a very -weak and feeble condition and he died on the afternoon -of the same day.</p> - -<p>Grave suspicion of foul play was now aroused -and Frau Ursinus was arrested. It was urged -against her that she had shown no real desire to -summon the servants; that she made no attempt -to call in the doctor; that the family physician had -never prescribed the emetic; why, then, was it -there? A worse charge against the wife was her -volunteering the statement that she kept arsenic to -kill rats, a conventional excuse often made in such -cases. And in this case it was put forward quite -unnecessarily, for there were no rats in the house.</p> - -<p>Yet there was no definite charge against Frau -Ursinus. No motive for murder could be ascertained. -They were by no means bad friends, this -wedded pair. Frau Ursinus might in her secret -heart desire to be freed from the bond that tied her -to an infirm old man, and marry another husband, -but she had always appeared grateful to the privy -counsellor and treated him kindly. On the other -hand, it was proved that she had purchased a quantity -of arsenic for the purpose of destroying the -fictitious rats. Sufficient doubt existed to justify -the exhumation of the body and proceed to a postmortem -examination. No definitely incriminating -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">88</span> -evidence was, however, forthcoming. The autopsy -was conducted by two eminent doctors, who could -find no positive traces of arsenic, but there was a -presumption from the general condition of the vital -organs and convulsive contraction of the limbs that -it had been used. Three physicians who had attended -Herr Ursinus in his last illness testified that -his death resulted from a natural cause, that of -apoplexy of the nerves, and repudiated all idea of -arsenic. At this stage there was a foregone conclusion -that Frau Ursinus would be quite exonerated -from the felonious charge.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the situation entered upon a new phase. -Frau Ursinus was accused of another and entirely -new murder, that of her aunt, a maiden lady named -Witte, who had died at Charlottenburg on the 23d -January, 1801, after a short illness. No suspicious -circumstances were noted at the time of her death, -but after the arrest of Frau Ursinus, the possibility -of her complicity in this deed took definite shape. -A careful inquiry ensued and the inculpation, -amounting to little less than certainty, was soon established. -Again the process of exhumation was set -afoot and there was not the smallest doubt that the -deceased had died from arsenical poisoning. It was -equally certain that Frau Ursinus had administered -it.</p> - -<p>On her own confession she admitted her arrival -at her aunt’s house on January the 16th. Fräulein -Witte was sick and complaining, and her niece, who -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">89</span> -professed great affection for her, decided to spend -some little time with her. On the day following the -arrival of her niece, Fräulein Witte’s disorder increased, -and she had other disquieting symptoms. -Frau Ursinus now summoned a doctor, stating that -she herself felt so low and depressed that she contemplated -suicide and had made up her mind to take -poison. In the meantime, her aunt became more and -more seriously ill. On the 23d of January Frau -Ursinus persuaded her to let another physician be -called in, who pronounced the illness to be unimportant, -but when he left it increased. Frau Ursinus -watched by her aunt all night, during the -course of which the poor woman died. She was -quite alone with her expiring victim and must have -been a witness of her terrible convulsions. It came -out at the trial that on the occasion of a previous -visit to Charlottenburg, Frau Ursinus had written -to a chemist in Berlin for a good dose of poison to -destroy the rats in her aunt’s house. Here again -the rats were non-existent.</p> - -<p>This pretence was as false as was her insistence -on the fact that she had been in a great state of -depression since her husband’s death. This mental -condition and her consequent desire to commit suicide -came up prominently at her trial. She had always -affected great sensibility, wishing to pose as -a fragile, delicate person, as she considered robust -health to be vulgar. Yet she was naturally strong -and well. No proof could ever be found that she -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">90</span> -meant to take her own life. When really she had -most ground for depression, being burdened with a -terrible accusation, and the scaffold loomed threateningly -before her, the undaunted spirit of the woman -rose to the occasion and her real and powerful nature -asserted itself. She did not exhibit the smallest -sign of low spirits, but fought on with desperate -courage and self-reliance, disputing every point, -lying freely and recklessly in her unshaken resolve -to save life and honour. Her adroitness in defence -was greatly aided by her extraordinary knowledge -of the Prussian criminal code. Very rarely her -fortitude deserted her, and she was betrayed into -a strange admission, that if she had really handed -poison to her aunt she must have been out of her -mind. The object of this particular murder was -plainly indicated in the fact that she expected a considerable -inheritance from Fräulein Witte. Conviction -in this case followed almost as a matter of -course.</p> - -<p>Her guilt in attempting the life of the man-servant -Klein was never in doubt, but the motive remained -obscure to the very end. One explanation -was offered by Frau Ursinus herself. She denied -all wish to kill him but admitted that she was making -an experiment in the operation of lethal drugs -with the idea of ascertaining their effect on herself. -A more plausible reason was that she had at one -time made him her confidant and wished to use him -as a go-between in negotiating a second marriage. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">91</span> -They had quarrelled, and Klein was about to leave -her service, which she dreaded, lest he might tell -tales and make her appear ridiculous before the -world. She owed him a deep grudge also for having -presumed upon the favour she had shown him. -To get rid of so presumptuous and dangerous a -person was enough to move this truculent poisoner -to seek to compass his death. Klein eventually recovered -his health and survived for twenty-three -years, living comfortably on a pension forcibly extracted -from Frau Ursinus.</p> - -<p>The verdict pronounced upon her was one of -“not guilty” as regards her husband and the Dutch -officer Rogay. But she was fully convicted of having -murdered her aunt, Christina Regina Witte, -and of several felonious attempts to poison her servant, -Benjamin Klein. Her sentence was imprisonment -for life in a fortress and she endured it in -Glatz, on the frontier of Silesia and Bohemia. -From the first she was treated with excessive -leniency and in a way to prove that prison discipline -was then a mere farce in Prussia. She was permitted -to furnish and arrange the quarters allotted -to her according to her own taste, and she spent -much time at a comfortable writing table under a -well lighted window. She engaged a lady companion -to be with her constantly, and passing travellers -curious to make the acquaintance of a murderess -were allowed to call on her and to listen to her unending -protestations of innocence. She did not always -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">92</span> -evoke sympathy, and the government was -much abused for its favouritism. A cutting comparison -was drawn between this aristocratic criminal -parading the ramparts of Glatz in silks and satins, -and humble offenders who had been condemned for -succumbing weakly to ungovernable rage and who -were driven to toilsome labour in deep ditches, -heavily chained and grossly ill-used. Here she -acted the lady of quality, and being possessed of a -considerable income, was able to give parties which -were largely attended. At one of these receptions, -it is said that a lady guest on noticing some grains -of sugar sparkling in a salad involuntarily started -back. Frau Ursinus remarking this, said, smiling -sarcastically, “Don’t be afraid, it is not arsenic!”</p> - -<p>Her companion who was with her until her death -on April 4, 1836, and never left her, bore witness -to her religious resignation in bearing her physical -suffering caused chiefly by a chest complaint. She -remained more or less unconscious for some months, -but on the night before her end her mental faculties -returned and she passed away peacefully. She was -the first person to be buried in the Protestant cemetery -which King Frederick William III had given -to the evangelical congregation at Glatz.</p> - -<p>A year before her death she had ordered a costly -oak coffin. Clad in a white petticoat, a cap trimmed -with pale blue ribbon on her head, her hands encased -in white gloves, on one finger a ring which -had belonged to her late husband and with his portrait -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">93</span> -on her breast, she lay as if asleep, an expression -of peace upon her unchanged face. Several carriages, -filled with her friends and acquaintances, -followed the body to the grave, which was decorated -with moss and flowers, and when the clergyman had -finished his discourse, six poor boys and the same -number of girls, to whom she had shown great kindness, -sang a hymn in her honour. Instead of the -sexton, the hands of friends and poor recipients of -the dead woman’s charity filled in the grave and -shaped the mound above it. It was a bitterly cold -morning, and yet the cemetery could hardly contain -the people who thronged it.</p> - -<p>Thus Frau “Geheimräthin” Ursinus died in the -odour of sanctity. Her many relatives, who greatly -needed money, only received one-half of her fortune; -the other half she parcelled out into various -bequests and several pious institutions benefited; and -we may thus fairly conclude that she desired to rehabilitate -her accursed name by ostentatious deeds -of charity. She left her gaoler, who had treated -her considerately, five hundred thalers and his -daughter a piano. Doctor Friedham, who had procured -the royal favour through which she was liberated -from the fortress, received a substantial legacy.</p> - -<p>Another female poisoner in a lower sphere of life, -whose lethal propensities were more strongly developed -and more widespread, belongs to this period -and the neighbouring kingdom of Bavaria. The -woman, Anna Schönleben or Zwanziger—her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">94</span> -married name—known in criminal history as the -German Brinvilliers, was as noxious as a pestilence, -and death followed everywhere in her footsteps. -Never did any human being hunger more to kill, -and revel more wantonly in the reckless and unscrupulous -employment of the means that secret poisoning -put at her disposal. Her extravagant fondness -for it was “based upon the proud consciousness -of possessing a power which enabled her to break -through every restraint, to attain every object, to -gratify every inclination and to determine the very -existence of others. Poison was the magic wand -with which she ruled those whom she outwardly -obeyed, and which opened the way to her fondest -hopes. Poison enabled her to deal out death, sickness -and torture to all who offended her or stood in -her way; it punished every slight; it prevented the -return of unwelcome guests; it disturbed those -social pleasures which it galled her not to share; it -afforded her amusement by the contortions of the -victims, and an opportunity of ingratiating herself -by affected sympathy with their sufferings; it was -the means of throwing suspicion upon innocent persons -and of getting fellow servants into trouble. -Mixing and giving poison became her constant occupation; -she practised it in jest and in earnest, and -at last with real passion for poison itself, without -reference to the object for which it was given. She -grew to love it from long habit, and from gratitude -for its faithful services; she looked upon it as her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">95</span> -truest friend and made it her constant companion. -Upon her apprehension, arsenic was found in her -pocket, and when it was laid before her at Culmbach -to be identified, she seemed to tremble with -pleasure and gazed upon the white powder with eyes -beaming with rapture.”</p> - -<p>We will take up her story when she was a widow -of about fifty years old, resident at Pegnitz and -bearing the name of Anna Schönleben. In 1808 she -was received as housekeeper into the family of Justice -Glaser, who had for some time previous been -living apart from his wife. Shortly after the beginning -of her service, however, a partial reconciliation -took place, in a great measure effected through the -exertions of Schönleben, and the wife returned to -her husband’s house. But their reunion was of -short duration, for in the course of four weeks after -her return, she was seized with a sudden and violent -illness, of which, in a day or two, she expired.</p> - -<p>After this event, Schönleben quitted the service -of Glaser and was received in the same capacity into -the household of Justice Grohmann, who was then -unmarried. Although only thirty-eight years of -age, he was in delicate health and had suffered -severely from gout, so that Schönleben soon gained -his favour by the kindly attentions she bestowed -upon his health. Her cares, however, were unavailing; -her master fell sick in the spring of 1809, his -disease being accompanied with violent internal -pains of the stomach, dryness of the skin, vomiting, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">96</span> -etc., and he died on the 8th of May after an illness -of eleven days. Schönleben, who had nursed him -with unremitting anxiety and solicitude during his -illness and administered all his medicines with her -own hand, appeared inconsolable for his loss and -that of her situation. The high character, however, -which she had acquired for her unflagging devotion -and tenderness as a sick nurse, immediately procured -her another post in the family of Herr Gebhard, -whose wife was at that time on the point of -being confined. This event took place on the 13th -of May, shortly after the arrival of the new housekeeper, -who made herself particularly useful. -Mother and child were thought to be progressing -extremely well when, on the third day after the -birth, the lady was seized with spasms, high temperature, -violent thirst, vomiting, etc. In the extremity -of her agony, she frequently exclaimed that -they had given her poison. Seven days after her -confinement she expired.</p> - -<p>Gebhard, the widower, bereaved and helpless in -managing household affairs, thought it would be -prudent to retain the housekeeper in his service who -had been so zealous and assiduous during his wife’s -illness. Some of his friends sought to dissuade him -from keeping a servant who seemed by some fatality -to bring death into every family with which she became -connected. The objection arose from mere -superstitious dread, for as yet no accusation had -been hinted at, and Gebhard, a very matter of fact -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">97</span> -person, laughed at their apprehensions. Schönleben, -who was very obliging, with a great air of -honesty, humility and kindliness, remained in his -house and was invested with almost unlimited authority.</p> - -<p>During her residence in the Gebhard household, -there were many circumstances which, although they -excited little attention at the time, were subsequently -remembered against her. They will be mentioned -hereafter; for the present, let us follow the course -of events and the gradual growth of suspicion. -Gebhard had at last, by the importunity of his -friends, been persuaded to part with his housekeeper -and did so with many regrets. Schönleben received -her dismissal without any remark beyond an expression -of surprise at the suddenness of his decision. -Her departure for Bayreuth was fixed for the -next day, and she busied herself with arranging the -rooms, and filled the salt box in the kitchen, remarking -that it was the custom for one who went away -to do this for her successor. On the next morning, -as a token of her good-will, she made coffee for the -maids, supplying them with sugar from a paper of -her own. The coach which her master had been -good-natured enough to procure for her was already -at the door. She took his child, now twenty weeks -old, in her arms, gave it a biscuit soaked in milk, -caressed it and took her leave. Scarcely had she -been gone half an hour when both the child and -servants were seized with violent retching, which -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">98</span> -lasted some hours and left them extremely weak and -ill. Suspicion being now at last fairly awakened, -Gebhard had the salt box examined, which Schönleben -had so officiously filled. The salt was found -strongly impregnated with arsenic; in the salt barrel -also, from which it had been taken, thirty grains of -arsenic were found mixed with about three pounds -of salt.</p> - -<p>It was now clear to every one that the series of -sudden deaths which had occurred in the families -in which Schönleben had resided, had been due to -arsenical poison, and it seemed extraordinary that -this circumstance had been so long overlooked. It -came to light now that while she was with Gebhard -two friends who had dined with her master in August, -1809, were seized after dinner with the same -symptoms of vomiting, convulsions, spasms and so -forth, which had attacked the servants on the day -of Schönleben’s departure, and again, had shown -themselves in the condition of the unfortunate mistress -when she died. Also Schönleben had on one -occasion given a glass of white wine to a servant -who had called with a message, which had produced -similar effects; the attack was indeed so violent as -to oblige him to remain in bed for several days. On -another occasion she had taken a lad of nineteen, -Johann Kraus, into the cellar, where she had offered -him a glass of brandy which he tasted, but -perceiving a white sediment in it, declined to swallow. -And again, one of her fellow servants, Barbara -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">99</span> -Waldmann, with whom Schönleben had had -frequent quarrels, after drinking a cup of coffee was -seized with exactly the same symptoms as the others. -Last of all, it was remembered that at a party which -Judge Grohmann gave, he sent her to the cellar for -some jugs of beer, and after partaking of it, he and -all his guests—five in number—were almost immediately -seized with the usual spasms.</p> - -<p>The long interval which had elapsed since the -death of most of these individuals rendered it improbable -that an examination of the bodies would -throw any light upon these dark transactions. It -was resolved, however, to put the matter to the test, -and the result of this tardy inspection was more decisive -than might have been expected; all the bodies -exhibited in a greater or less degree traces of arsenic. -On the whole, the medical authorities felt -themselves justified in stating that the deaths of at -least two of the three individuals had been occasioned -by poison.</p> - -<p>Meantime Schönleben had been living quietly at -Bayreuth, quite unconscious of the storm gathering -round her. Her finished hypocrisy even led her, -while on the way there, to write a letter to her late -master reproaching him with his ingratitude at dismissing -one who had been a protecting angel to his -child; and in passing through Nürnberg, she dared -to take up her residence with the mother of her -victim, Gebhard’s wife. On reaching Bayreuth, she -again wrote to Gebhard vainly hoping he would take -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">100</span> -her back into his service, and she made a similar -unsuccessful attempt on her former master Glaser. -While thus engaged, the warrant for her arrest arrived -and she was taken into custody on October -19th. When searched, three packets were found -in her pocket, two of them containing fly powder -and the third arsenic.</p> - -<p>For a long time she would confess nothing; it -was not till April 16, 1810, that her courage gave -way, when she learned the result of the examination -of the body of Frau Glaser. Then, weeping and -wringing her hands, she confessed she had on two -occasions administered poison to her. No sooner -had she admitted this than she fell to the ground -in convulsions “as if struck by lightning,” and was -removed from the court. Strange to say, although -she knew that by her confession she had more than -justified her condemnation to death, she laboured to -the very last to gloss over and explain the worst -features of her chief crimes, and in spite of ample -evidence, denied all her lesser offences. It was impossible -for her false and distorted nature to be quite -sincere, and when she told a truth she at once associated -with it a lie.</p> - -<p>When Anna Schönleben fell into the hands of -justice, she had already reached her fiftieth year; -she was of small stature, thin and deformed; her -sallow and meagre face was deeply furrowed by -passion as well as by age, and bore no trace of -former beauty. Her eyes were expressive of envy -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">101</span> -and malice and her brow was perpetually clouded, -even when her lips moved to smile. Her manner, -however, was cringing, servile and affected, and age -and ugliness had not diminished her craving for -admiration. Even in prison and under sentence of -death, her imagination was still occupied with the -pleasing recollections of her youth. One day when -her judge visited her in prison, she begged him -not to infer what she had been from what she was; -that she was “once beautiful, exceedingly beautiful.”</p> - -<p>Her life history antecedent to the events just recorded -has been constructed from trustworthy -sources and her own autobiography which fills eighteen -closely written folio sheets. Born in Nürnberg -in 1760, she had lost her parents before she -reached her fifth year. Her father had possessed -some property and until her nineteenth year she remained -under the charge of her guardian, who was -warmly attached to her and bestowed much care -upon her education. At the age of nineteen she -married, rather against her inclination, the notary -Zwanziger, for that was her real name. The loneliness -and dulness of her matrimonial life contrasted -very disagreeably with the gaieties of her guardian’s -house, and in the many absences of her husband, -who divided his time between business and the bottle, -she passed her time in reading sentimental novels -such as the “Sorrows of Werther,” “Pamela” and -“Emilia Galeotti.” Her husband, with her help, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">102</span> -soon ran through her small fortune, which was -wasted in extravagant entertaining and in keeping -up an establishment beyond their means. They -sank into wretched impecuniosity, with a family to -support and without even the consolation of common -esteem. She took to vicious methods and presently -her husband died, leaving his widow to follow the -career of an adventuress.</p> - -<p>During the years that intervened between the -death of her husband and the date on which she first -entered Glaser’s service, her life had been one long -course of unbridled misconduct. Absolutely devoid -of principle, she associated with others as vicious as -herself; she became a wanderer on the face of the -earth and for twenty years never found a permanent -resting place or a sincere friend. Fiercely resenting -the evil fortune that had constantly befallen her, -she chafed with bitter hatred against all mankind; -her heart hardened; all that was good in her nature -died out and she became a prey to the worst passions, -consumed always with uncontrollable yearning -to better her condition by defying all divine and -human laws. When and how the idea of poison -first dawned on her, her confessions did not explain, -but there is every reason to believe that it was before -she entered Glaser’s service. Determined as -she was to advance her own interests, poison seemed -to furnish her at once with the talisman she was in -search of; it would punish her enemies and remove -those who stood in her way. From the moment she -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">103</span> -met Glaser, she resolved to secure him as her husband. -That he was already married was immaterial, -for poison would be a speedy form of divorce. To -bring her victim within range of her power, she -schemed to effect the reconciliation so successfully -accomplished, and directly after Frau Glaser returned -home, Zwanziger began her operations. -Two successful doses were administered, of which -the last was effectual. While she was mixing it, -she confessed, she encouraged herself with the notion -that she was preparing for herself a comfortable -establishment in her old age. This prospect having -been defeated by her dismissal from Glaser’s service, -she entered that of Grohmann. Here she sought -to revenge herself upon such of her fellow servants -as she happened to dislike by mixing fly powder -with the beer,—enough to cause illness but not -death. While at Grohmann’s home she had also indulged -in matrimonial hopes; but all at once these -were defeated by his intended marriage with another. -She tried to break this engagement off, but -ineffectually, and Grohmann, provoked by her pertinacity, -decided to send her away. The wedding -day was fixed; nothing now remained for Zwanziger -but revenge, and Grohmann fell a victim to -poison.</p> - -<p>From his service Zwanziger passed into that -of Gebhard, whose wife shared the fate of Grohmann, -for no other reason, according to her own -account, than because that lady had treated her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">104</span> -harshly. Even this wretched apology was proved -false by the testimony of the other inmates of the -house. The true motive, as in the preceding cases, -was that she had formed designs upon Gebhard -similar to those which had failed in the case of -Glaser, and that the unfortunate lady stood in the -way. Her death was accomplished by poisoning two -jugs of beer from which Zwanziger from time to -time supplied her with drink. Even while confessing -that she had poisoned the beer, she persisted in -maintaining that she had no intention of destroying -her mistress; if she could have foreseen that such -a consequence would follow, she would rather have -died herself.</p> - -<p>During the remaining period from the death of -Gebhard’s wife to that of her quitting his service, -she admitted having frequently administered poisoned -wine, beer, coffee and other liquors to such -guests as she disliked or to her fellow servants when -any of them had the bad luck to fall under her displeasure. -The poisoning of the salt box she also -admitted; but with the strange and inveterate hypocrisy -which ran through all her confessions, she -maintained that the arsenic in the salt barrel must -have been put in by some other person.</p> - -<p>The fate of such a wretch could not, of course, be -doubtful. She was condemned to be beheaded, and -listened to the sentence apparently without emotion. -She told the judge that her death was a fortunate -thing for others, for she felt that she could not have -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">105</span> -discontinued poisoning had she lived. On the scaffold, -she bowed courteously to the judge and assistants, -walked calmly up to the block and received -the blow without shrinking. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV<br /> - -<span class="medium">THREE CELEBRATED CASES</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Karl Grosjean alias Grandisson—His residence in Heidelberg—Occupation -unknown—Suspicion aroused—Letters -seized by the postal authorities—Grosjean arrested in -Berlin and imprisoned—Found dead in his cell—His wife -cross-examined—Proved that he had perpetrated daring -post-cart robberies—Brigandage—Formation of bands of -robbers—Carefully planned attacks made on villages—Schinderhannes, -the famous brigand chief—Arrested and -brought to trial with his assistants, twenty of whom were -guillotined—The horrible murder of Dorothea-Blankenfeld -by her fellow travellers Antonini and his wife—Their -sentence and its execution.</p> - -<p>The chronic disorder which reigned in central -Europe during the nearly incessant warfare of the -Napoleonic period stimulated the activity of daring -and ingenious thieves. A successful depredator on -a larger scale who long escaped detection was a certain -Karl Grosjean, alias Grandisson, whose story -may be told as a remarkable instance of the immunity -enjoyed by his class.</p> - -<p>He first comes upon the scenes in the spring of -1804, when a superb travelling carriage arrived at -a small country town in the vicinity of Heidelberg. -Two strangers alighted from it to spend the night -at the inn. They were apparently worthy representatives -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</span> -of the class that would possess so magnificent -an equipage, one being a man of aristocratic -appearance, and the other his young and beautiful -wife. They were from Denmark, where the stranger -was said to be a merchant and reputed enormously -wealthy. He owned many shops somewhere, -and carried on an immense trade in iron, -flax and other articles. He had come to this little -town to buy vinegar, which was manufactured there -on a large scale by a chemist of the place. Eventually -the couple took up their residence in the neighbouring -city of Heidelberg, where they lived in a -charming house on the slope of the hill crowned by -the ruined castle and overlooking the beautiful valley -of the Neckar. Their residence at Heidelberg -was checkered by some unpleasant occurrences, -among others the theft of a large sum of money, -which was in due course recovered after a long -trial, but M. Grandisson was so much vexed by all -that had happened that he left the city and moved -first to Strasburg, then to Dijon and to Nancy. -They returned to Heidelberg in 1810. They lived -in a luxurious style, but Madame Grandisson devoted -herself principally to the education of her -children. She did not go out much, although she -paid and received visits. She was intimate with no -one and forbore to talk much of her husband’s -private affairs, except to allude at times to the many -interesting journeys he made.</p> - -<p>M. Grandisson was more sociable and accessible. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</span> -He did not absent himself from public places, and -not only liked to converse with other people, but -was addicted to boasting of his wealth and possessions. -This little weakness was not resented in so -amiable and obliging a man, for he was civility -itself to every one. One thing only seemed odd. -Grandisson was a merchant, but never spoke of his -business with other merchants; still less did he -make any mention of his real domicile or his origin. -When closely pressed in conversation, however, he -vaguely hinted that he was concerned in vast smuggling -transactions. This was not to his discredit -in those days of the Continental blockade introduced -by Napoleon against English trade. Again, it was -passing strange that a business man, engaged ostensibly -in extensive operations in all parts of Europe, -carried on no business correspondence. Moreover, -he did not obtain his funds by drawing bills -of exchange or receiving cash remittances; yet he -was perpetually travelling and must have spent much -money on the road. There seemed also to be something -peculiar connected with these journeys. He -talked a great deal about them beforehand, mentioning -his intention of going to Brussels, Paris or -Copenhagen, as the case might be, but he would -disappear silently to reappear as suddenly as he had -gone, and seldom let fall a word as to where he had -been. The local police at Heidelberg heard nothing -of these journeys, nor was it necessary, as -Grandisson had his passports from the government -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</span> -authorities and they were usually good for six -months at a time.</p> - -<p>For more than three years the Grandisson family -lived quietly in Heidelberg, respected and apparently -happy and contented. Contraband trade was -generally supposed to supply their chief wealth and -to be sufficient explanation for the secrecy observed -in regard to it. Another theory was held on this -subject, which it was thought well not to insist upon -in those days: Grandisson seemed to time his journeys -to conform to the constant movements of -troops in the many campaigns afoot; he occasionally -started and returned in company with French -officers, and it might well be thought that he was -one of the emissaries who swarmed in Germany -just then.</p> - -<p>Grandisson was actually on the move and absent -from Heidelberg when letters arrived from Frankfurt-on-the-Main -dated April 7th; one was addressed -to the governor of the town, the other to -the criminal judge, and their contents threw a new -and lurid light upon the mysterious stranger. The -Thurn and Taxis post-wagon had been robbed twice -within two years, between Eisenach and Frankfurt, -and so effectually that well secured cash boxes -packed away inside the vehicle had disappeared. -The first occasion was on October 13, 1812, when -all packets of money destined for Frankfurt were -purloined from the post-cart; and the second on -February 14, 1814, when a packet containing more -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</span> -than 4,947 florins was stolen. Suspicion fell upon -a certain passenger remembered by the conductor -and others, and who, as it turned out on investigation, -had always travelled and been registered under -different names. It was subsequently discovered -that this man, so generously endowed with aliases, -had on February 18th put up at the inn, the Sign -of the Anchor, in Eisenach, under the name of -Grandisson and there posted a packet of fifty gulden -addressed to himself at Heidelberg, which had there -been safely handed to Madame Grandisson. The -description of the suspicious passenger tallied exactly -with that of M. Grandisson so well known in -Heidelberg. Besides this, the conductor of the post-cart -from which the last theft had been made, insisted -that he had seen him in that town. The -governor of Heidelberg was so much impressed -with these reports that he would have proceeded to -arrest Grandisson at once, but the man was absent -at the time. The question was then mooted as to -the apprehension of Madame Grandisson, who was -generally respected as a modest, reputable lady who -lived exclusively for her children. She seemed -somewhat embarrassed when questioned by the -police and asked to explain her husband’s prolonged -absence, but evinced no desire to leave the town, and -no further steps were taken beyond keeping her -under observation. Unhappily for her, fresh revelations -were soon forthcoming in which she was -implicated. A letter from Madame Grandisson to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</span> -her husband, directed to what was then his real -address, “poste restante Würzburg,” was presently -intercepted in the chief post-office. In this letter -she enclosed another which had arrived for M. -Grandisson and had been opened by her. Her own -letter contained little more than references to the -other which was signed with the name “Louis -Fischer,” and had evidently occasioned her great -uneasiness. It was dated from Bornheim near -Frankfurt, March 10, 1814, and contained a quantity -of obscure and suspicious matter.</p> - -<p>It began by reminding its recipient that he was -passing under an assumed name, that he was really -Grosjean, not Grandisson; then referred to the -“working off” of certain Dutch ducats; proceeded -to complain that he had been robbed of his fourteen -thousand gulden by having soldiers quartered upon -him; and finished as follows: “All are consumed -but a few hundred gulden. I do not make demands -upon you as a beggar but on the current value of -what you know.... I sign an assumed name.... -Write to me poste restante.... If you do not -write, be assured, as certainly as that God will yet -judge my soul, I shall be compelled to make public -what I know.... This you would surely avoid -because of the dishonour and the loss of the consideration -you enjoy.... You are perfectly well -aware that I have kept silence for years ... but -yet I hold the damning proofs and shall use them -unless you accept my terms. Nevertheless, if you -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</span> -act fairly by me the proofs shall be destroyed and -the guilty deed with them.”</p> - -<p>This letter threw very serious aspersions on -Grandisson’s character. It hinted that his real name -was Grosjean and that he had at some time or other -committed a crime or a dishonourable action, either -in conjunction with the writer or with his knowledge, -the publication of which must ruin him, and -that he was consequently being blackmailed by his -correspondent. There was nothing in the letter, -however, to inculpate Madame Grandisson. On the -contrary, the anonymous writer mentioned her with -great respect, and the agitation of mind she displayed -in her appeal to her husband testified to her -innocence and showed that there was less reason -than ever to proceed against her. Efforts were still -made to tamper with her correspondence, but in -vain, for she was very wary and used the utmost -caution in posting her letters. At last, however, one -was intercepted and was thought compromising. -“Since you left thirteen days ago, I have no news -of you,” it ran. “Write me the number of the -house where I am to address my letters. Now attend -to me. How would it be were I to pack most -of my belongings and give them into the charge of -Herr Klein, and only take with me exactly what I -require, until I am certain where I am to live? I -do not think I could have anything in common with -your relations; I have too vivid a recollection of -their vulgarity and rapaciousness. It would be best -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</span> -for you to hire a lodging for me with decent, respectable -people, so that when I arrive I can be with -you; even for yourself it is not advisable that you -should lodge with your relatives. I will not stop -with them even for one night. Farewell.” This -letter certainly gave the impression that Madame -Grandisson was initiated partially, at least, into her -husband’s secrets, and as she was evidently now making -preparations for escaping from Heidelberg, she -was more closely watched than ever. Her behaviour -was unaltered as she was not aware that her letter -had been intercepted. The address on the outside -cover, moreover, to “Herr Prinz im Königstrasse, -Berlin,” gave a clue which facilitated proceedings -against Grandisson. This, however, was only on the -outside, for on the real letter itself the direction was -as follows: “Mlle. Caroline is requested to deliver -this letter to her brother Karl.” Thus it appeared -that Grandisson was now in Berlin and that he had -a sister there. He must now be sought for in that -capital, and a demand for his arrest was despatched -by the chief post office in Frankfurt to the head of -the police in Berlin.</p> - -<p>In the house of a merchant of the name of Prinz, -situated in the Königstrasse in Berlin, there lived -an unmarried woman called Caroline Grosjean, who -was in the service of the family and undoubtedly the -intended recipient of the above letter. She was in -truth the sister of the suspected criminal, and the -name of Grosjean corresponded with that mentioned -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</span> -in the Fischer letter. A detective was sent to question -her as to her brother’s whereabouts, and she -admitted that he was in Berlin but would say nothing -further until shown the letter, whereupon recognising -her sister-in-law’s handwriting, she offered -to conduct the evidently trustworthy messenger to -her brother. The detective, however, intimated that -when on his travels he had to stay within doors to -receive people on business, and requested her to send -her brother to his inn that same afternoon, which -she did. The man so accurately described by the -Frankfurt and Heidelberg authorities accordingly -appeared at the “Sign of the Crown.” He acted -the unconcerned gentleman even when the detective -said he had just come from Heidelberg charged -with greetings from his wife and assurances that all -was well. But when the officer of the law handed -him her letter, he seized it with evident uneasiness, -crumpled it up and thrust it into his pocket. The -detective then proposed to conduct him to some private -place where he might be inclined perhaps to -give a more satisfactory account of himself. On -reaching the door of the inn, Grosjean tried to escape, -but two police officials at once barred his way. -From that moment he became quite passive and -followed the police quietly to the office and thence -to the prison. When searched, two razors he had -secreted were found and taken from him. Suicide -was obviously his intention, and he was resolved to -carry it through. When visited in his cell next -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">115</span> -morning, it was found that he had made away with -himself. He lay in a cramped position, sitting -rather than hanging, strangled and dead, his handkerchief -having been tightly fastened round his -neck and secured in the jamb of the door. The -method he had employed testified to an extraordinary -exercise of will power.</p> - -<p>The chief criminal having thus disposed of himself, -to proceed to the discovery and arrest of his -accomplices became the next object of the authorities. -But those of Heidelberg were still loth to -arrest Madame Grandisson, and the judge himself -paid her a visit to inquire for her husband. She -had heard nothing yet of the suicide, and replied -that she was growing uneasy at his protracted absence. -She was next invited to visit the law courts -to make a formal deposition, and when further -questioned there, it was seen that her pretended ignorance -of her husband’s real character was assumed. -This led to her committal to the criminal -prison. Close examination into her own antecedents -followed. She stated that she came from Breslau, -where her family resided, and that after her -marriage with Grosjean, she had travelled with him -in distant countries, where he was engaged in extensive -commercial enterprises. For a long time -she little realised their true nature, but had learned -it by accident and had taxed him with his criminal -life. Gradually the facts came out and she made -open confession of all she knew. Yes, her husband -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">116</span> -was indeed a villain, although she knew nothing of -it till long after her marriage, when to her horror -she found that all the money on which they lived -so luxuriously was stolen, acquired by systematic -thefts from the post-wagons. Grosjean, when she -first made his acquaintance, had been a butler in -the service of a general officer, Von Dolfs by name. -After their marriage she spent a brief period of -happiness, which was shattered by Grosjean’s arrest -for having robbed his master of a large sum. At -that time she herself was brought up for examination, -and was asked if she was aware that he had -already served a term of imprisonment in a house -of correction on account of robberies. Then the -general sent for her and advised her to seek a separation, -but it seemed too cruel to desert him and she -was easily persuaded to join him in prison. On -their release, they decided to go to his parents in -Berlin, where he undertook to carry on his father’s -business, in which he continued to work honestly -for five or six years. Afterward they moved to -Hamburg and then to Copenhagen, where they suffered -many vicissitudes. Next they went to St. -Petersburg, and thence to Bayreuth; last of all they -settled in the neighbourhood of Heidelberg, and the -events followed as already described.</p> - -<p>At the judicial examination more incriminating -evidence came out. Upon being closely interrogated, -Madame Grosjean admitted having gone -from St. Petersburg, first to Emden, then to the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">117</span> -Hague and to Amsterdam. At the last named -places, Grosjean seems to have begun his systematic -business journeys in connection with the post-carts, -but she denied all participation or knowledge of -their aim and results. Only at Bayreuth, when he -bought the costly carriage, her conscience seemed -to have awakened. When she reproached him for -purchasing it he replied that it was none of her -business; that it was enough for her if he provided -for her; and that if she were not pleased she might -leave him and go where she chose. This partly -pacified, partly terrified her. She forbore to ask -him about the post-cart robberies, but suffered him -to follow his own road, without remark or complaint. -She had made a great mistake in her marriage, -she admitted, yet she was undoubtedly much -affected when the news of his death by suicide was -communicated to her.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile a series of laborious investigations -and far-reaching correspondence had been set on -foot to build up the criminal history of Grosjean. -It was fully established that his evil tendencies were -inborn and strongly developed; he had a passion -for stealing that amounted to mania. He had acted -for the most part alone and unaided, exhibiting rare -skill and meeting generally with extraordinary good -luck. He had carried out his robberies over a large -area, in various countries and at many times, greedy -to lay his hands on everything he came across. To -utilise his plunder in playing the great personage -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">118</span> -with much ostentation and display, was another trait -in him not uncommon with others of his class. He -was ambitious also to appear a refined and well -educated man in the cultured social surroundings -of the university town of Heidelberg. He loved to -forget that he was a common thief, and to assume -the superior airs of a well-bred gentleman. It was -the same in France, where he gained a reputation -for good breeding and perfect manners, inspiring -confidence and appreciation in all with whom he -was thrown.</p> - -<p>Little was known to a certainty of his early life. -He was born at Weilburg, where his father owned -a cloth factory, but the family moved subsequently -to Berlin. Karl accompanied his parents and was -apprenticed to the hairdresser’s craft. He soon left -the capital, and rarely returned to it after he had -assumed the part of a wealthy merchant. On the -third visit, he was arrested and it was then shown -that not only had he robbed General Dolfs, as already -described, but that when only 16 years of age -he had been sentenced to four years’ penal servitude -for theft. While a hairdresser in Berlin, he carried -out a large robbery in the house of the English envoy; -and at Hamburg, where he was afterward in -service, he stole three thousand marks from his -master, but he was not apprehended for either offence. -From that time very little information came -to hand concerning his larger and more audacious -undertakings, which he perpetrated chiefly in foreign -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">119</span> -countries. The chief post-office authorities at -Frankfurt-on-the-Main had on their register a long -list of post-cart robberies, covering the years from -1800-1811, all of which might no doubt be laid to -Grosjean’s charge. It was certainly proved that a -man answering to his description travelled under -eight or nine different aliases at various times. One -curious and unusual trait in a man accustomed to -carry out thefts on a very large scale, was his stooping -to steal groceries from his landlord, and also -heavy goods, articles of no value, but difficult to -move and likely to lead to his detection. His wife, -annoyed at these useless thefts and overburdened -with groceries and spices she could not use, would -ask him how she should get rid of them, upon which -he would tell her to sell them to the landlord. This -ironical suggestion to sell stolen goods to the victim -of the thefts was in its way amusing. Grosjean also -purloined tobacco, and once when travelling stole -his landlord’s gold repeater watch, which he wore -boldly and unconcernedly until his arrest in 1814. -He likewise abstracted the silver spoons at the inns -where he lodged, and stole stockings for his family -from shops, whether they wanted them or not. -Sixty-five pairs were found when his lodging was -searched, and they were claimed by a tradesman in -Frankfurt who was the author of the mysterious -letter signed, “Louis Fischer,” which had given the -Heidelberg legal authorities the first clue for Grosjean’s -prosecution. This man, after having dealings -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">120</span> -with Grosjean, who was a good customer and paid -ready money, suddenly began to suspect him of pilfering -in the shop and at last caught him in the act. -His bump of acquisitiveness was no doubt abnormally -developed.</p> - -<p>Insecurity of life and property was universal at -this time. The country was terrorised and laid -waste by brigandage. Bands were organised under -the most redoubtable chiefs, whose skill and boldness -in the prosecution of their evil business were -quite on a par with the most famous feats of great -bandits in other lands. Foremost among them were -such men as Pickard, who long devastated the Low -Countries, and not less noted was Schinderhannes, -otherwise John Buckler the younger. He had followed -the craft of his father, a flayer of dead animals, -and hence his sobriquet, <i>Schinderhannes</i> or -“Hans the skinner.” His operations covered a -wide area, extending from both banks of the upper -Rhine to the lower Meuse; from Mayence on the -one side as far as Dunkirk on the other; and again -to the eastward beyond the Weser to the Elbe. He -“worked” this country from 1793 to 1801, and -when at last justice overtook him and he was committed -to the prison of Mayence, sixty-seven associates, -who had followed him with unflagging devotion, -were arrested and brought to trial with him.</p> - -<p>The growth of brigandage was stimulated by the -prevailing distress of the territories so constantly -ravaged by war. Peaceable inhabitants were harried -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">121</span> -and harassed by the excesses of the troops. -Contributions in money and in kind were repeatedly -levied upon them; they lost their cattle and their -crops by military requisitions, and were heavily -taxed in money. Where the farmers and other employers -were nearly ruined, large numbers of labourers -were thrown out of work and were driven -into evil practices. Many took to thieving, and stole -everything they came across,—horses from their -stables and cattle from the fields. They cut off and -robbed stragglers from the armies on the march, -and pillaged the baggage wagons that went astray. -As guardians of the law became more active in pursuit, -offenders were driven to combine forces and -form associations for greater strength and more -concerted action. Receivers of the stolen goods -were established with secure hiding places and lines -of safe retreat. Leaders were also appointed to -direct operations, to ascertain the most likely victims -and plan attacks without incurring suspicion -or subsequent detection. In this way, outrages multiplied -and developed on a large scale far beyond -mere highway robbery.</p> - -<p>Great prudence and circumspection were employed -in the formation of a band. The members -were chosen with an eye to fitness for the work; -every effort was made to preserve their incognito; -they were forbidden to assemble in any considerable -number; not more than two or three men were -suffered to live in the same village. Each man’s -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">122</span> -address or change of address was known only to -the receivers of the district, through whom orders -were circulated from the supreme chief of the entire -association, the individual members of which lived -singly, dispersed through the villages and small -towns of an extensive territory. The brigands -themselves were strictly enjoined not to attract attention; -to keep disguises close at hand, to change -their abode frequently, and to be prepared to assume -quickly a different character. The aristocratic -German baron or the respectable Dutch merchant -drinking the waters at Aix-la-Chapelle or -Spa one week was transformed the next into the -leader of a band of miscreants lurking in a wood, -waiting to embark upon a bloodthirsty attack and -wholesale massacre.</p> - -<p>No important movement was undertaken unless -it had been recommended as feasible by one of the -numerous indicators or spies spread over the country. -These were mostly Jews and, strange to say, -they were not members of the band. They were -ever on the alert, and by insinuating themselves -into people’s homes, learned who were well-off and -where money and valuables were treasured. They -gained all necessary information as to the possible -opposition that would be offered by the residents, -and when all was prepared, the informer contracted -to help the brigand chief to make the coup on a -promise of receiving part, and a large part, of the -booty. The rôle played by these spies was the more -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">123</span> -detestable because of the certainty that the robbery -would be accompanied with brutal violence and -much cruelty. If the treasure was well concealed -or obstinately withheld by the owners, the most -barbarous tortures were inflicted on them, such as -those practised by the “chauffeurs” of central -France about this same time, who “warmed” or -toasted the feet of their victims before a blazing -fire until they confessed where their goods lay -hidden. These informers were generally receivers -also, ready to take over and dispose of the plunder.</p> - -<p>As soon as a stroke had been decided upon, word -was passed around to gather the band together. A -letter was addressed to each member, in which he -was summoned to meet the others at a particular -place and discuss “a matter of business.” Sometimes -the chief went in person and called upon every -member. When assembled, the project was considered -from every point of view; the difficulties -and dangers were formally examined; and a decision -was taken by vote as to whether it was practicable -or unsafe. If accepted in spite of serious -obstacles, several sub-chiefs were appointed to deal -with the different parts of the plan, such as the line -of approach, the actual execution and the means of -retreat. As a rule, the spring or autumn season was -preferred for an attempt, because of the long nights. -Winter was tabooed on account of the bad travelling -over dark and nearly impracticable roads, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">124</span> -the summer nights were too light. Moonlight -nights were carefully avoided, and also any time -when snow lay upon the ground. When the matter -eventually came into court, it was found that the -week-end was the time almost invariably chosen -for the operations of the band.</p> - -<p>To avoid the alarm that might be caused by the -united march of thirty or forty robbers in company, -they were ordered to repair to the rendezvous, -only two or three travelling together. Those who -could afford it rode or drove in vehicles, intended -for use afterward in removing part of the stolen -goods. Great pains were taken to prevent the men -from going astray in the dark when passing through -the dense forests. Guides went ahead and marked -the path by nailing scraps of white paper on tree or -post; at cross-roads the direction was shown by -a chalked line, or a great branch was broken off -from a tree and laid on the ground with the leafage -pointing out the road. Signals were also passed on -from one to another by imitating the hoot of an -owl; whistling was not permitted because it was -a low class practice certain to attract observation. -A halt was called at the rendezvous near the point -of attack, where the robbers rested; pistols were -examined, a pass word was chosen and a number -of candles and torches were distributed to be lighted -when the march was resumed, as it was, in perfect -silence; and all had their faces blackened to escape -recognition. Any one whom they met was seized, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">125</span> -tied, gagged and muzzled, and left to lie by the -roadside, so that he might give no alarm.</p> - -<p>The chief or captain now took the lead, followed -by a party carrying the <i>belier</i> or battering ram, a -solid beam ten or twelve feet long, and one foot -thick, which was sometimes a signpost and sometimes -a wooden cross from a churchyard. On entering -a village, some one who knew the road was -sent to barricade the church door and prevent access -to the belfry from which the tocsin might be -sounded. The night watchmen were captured and -put out of the way. Next, the doomed house was -surrounded and a sharp fire opened to keep every -one in-doors and give the idea that the assailants -were in great numbers. If the French had passed -recently through the country, loud shouts and oaths -were uttered in that language to convey a false impression. -After this, the principal door was beaten -in, and the captain entered boldly at the head of -his men, reserving the right to shoot down instantly -any who hesitated or hung back. The whole -house was then illuminated from roof-tree to cellar, -and the place was thoroughly ransacked. All the -inmates were bound and gagged, and rolled up in -blankets with bedding and mattresses piled on top -of them, until called upon to surrender their valuables -or give information as to where they were -concealed. This, as has been said, was generally -extorted after horrible tortures had been inflicted. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">126</span></p> - -<p>When the pillage ended, the party hurried away -to divide the booty. Any robber wounded and unable -to move off was despatched on the spot; the -greatest pains were taken to leave no one behind -who might, if caught, be made to confess. At the -sharing of the spoil, the captain received a double -or triple portion, in addition to anything precious -he had annexed at the first search. At the same -time, if an ordinary robber withheld any valuables, -his share was reduced one-half on detection. If -the informer who had started the whole affair did -not contrive to be present at the distribution, he was -likely to get little or nothing. The robbers had a -profound contempt for the creatures who followed -the despised trade of spy.</p> - -<p>A leading character among the many who became -famous as brigand chiefs, such as Finck, Black -Peter, Seibert and Zughetto, was the more notorious -Schinderhannes, the youngest, boldest and most -active robber of them all, who moved with great -rapidity over a wide country and spread terror -everywhere. He did not attempt to conceal himself, -but showed openly at fairs and gatherings, -risking capture recklessly; yet if ill-luck befell, no -prison could hold him. He was an adept in the -use of tools to aid escape, and unrivalled in his skill -in breaking chains, forcing locks and cutting -through solid walls.</p> - -<p>This notorious criminal was born in the village -of Muklen on the right bank of the Rhine. At an -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">127</span> -early age he was taught to steal sheep which he sold -to a butcher. Later he became servant to the hangman -of Barenbach, but being taken in the act of -robbery, he was thrown into the gaol at Kirn and -flogged. He subsequently escaped, however, and -joined the band of Red Finck, which committed -many highway robberies, chiefly upon Jews. He -was again captured and locked up in the prison of -Sarrebruck, from which he easily freed himself. -After these beginnings, Schinderhannes embarked -in the business on a larger scale, and having recruited -several desperate companions, committed -numberless crimes. He was a generous brigand -who succoured the poor while he made war upon the -rich, and he was credited with a strong desire to -abandon his evil ways if pardoned and permitted to -join a regiment in the field; but this was against -the law.</p> - -<p>He was finally arrested by the counsellor Fuchs, -grand-bailiff of the electorate of Treves, who caught -him on the high road near Wolfenhausen as he -stole out, alone, from a field of corn. He was -dressed as a sportsman, carried a gun and a long -whip, but could not produce a passport and was -forthwith arrested. After passing from place to -place, closely guarded and watched, he was lodged -at length in the prison of Mayence, where he was -in due course put upon his trial, was eventually convicted -and suffered the extreme penalty.</p> - -<p>The earlier operations of this formidable ruffian -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">128</span> -were limited to highway robbery, but Schinderhannes -soon adopted the practice of extortion by -letter, demanding large sums for immunity from -attack, and he issued safe conducts to all who paid -blackmail. He dominated the whole country. -Travellers did not dare to take the road. The news -of the forcible entry and pillage of houses and -farms spread like wildfire. For the most part, the -robberies were effected upon rich Jews and others -who possessed great stores of cash and valuables, -and the plunder was enormous. The brigands lived -royally and with ostentatious extravagance, appearing -at all village fêtes and giving rein to the wildest -self-indulgence.</p> - -<p>When captured at length, this successful miscreant -was subjected to a lengthy trial of eighteen -months, the records of which filled five volumes. -In the course of the trial it was proved that he had -been guilty of fifty-three serious crimes, with or -without the assistance of his sixty-seven associates, -who were arraigned at the same time, and were -headed by his father, the first John Buckler. Among -these associates were many women. The sentences -after conviction were various. Twenty-one were to -be guillotined, including Schinderhannes, who -asked with some apprehension whether he would -be broken on the wheel, but was told to his great -relief that this penalty had disappeared from the -code. The capital convicts were to be taken to the -scaffold clothed in red shirts, presumably to increase -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">129</span> -the ignominy. For the rest, various terms of imprisonment -were imposed, ranging from six to -twenty-four years in chains. Schinderhannes, having -heard his own fate unmoved, expressed his -gratitude to his judges for having spared the lives -of his father and wife. He was quite at ease, telling -the bystanders to stare as much as they pleased, -for he would be on view for only two more days. -The chaplain gave him the sacrament, and he accepted -the consolation of the Church with very -proper feeling. The convicts were taken to the place -of execution in five carts, Schinderhannes beguiling -the way with a full account of his misdeeds. -He mounted the scaffold with a brisk step and -closely examined the guillotine, asking whether it -worked as easily and promptly as had been asserted. -In his farewell speech, he admitted the justice of -his sentence, but protested that ten of his companions -were dying innocent men.</p> - -<p>The sharp vindication of the law in the case of -these brigands had a marked result in restoring -tranquillity and effectually checked the operations -of organised bands on a large scale. But the records -of the times show many isolated instances of atrocious -murders perpetrated on defenceless travellers. -A peculiarly horrible case was the doing to death -of the beautiful girl, Dorothea Blankenfeld, at the -post-house of Maitingen near Augsburg by her -travelling companions, who had accompanied her -for many stages, ever thirsting for her blood, but -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">130</span> -constantly foiled for want of opportunity until the -last night before arriving at their destination.</p> - -<p>The victim was a native of Friedland, who started -from Danzig in November, 1809, on her way to -Vienna, where she was to join her intended husband, -a war commissary in the French service. -She had reached Dresden, but halted there until -her friends could find a suitable escort for the rest -of the journey. She was young, barely twenty-four -years old, remarkably good looking, of gentle disposition -and spotless character. The opportunity -for which she awaited presented itself when two -French military postilions arrived in Dresden and -sought passports for Vienna. It was easy to add the -Fräulein Blankenfeld’s name in the route paper, and -she left Dresden with her escort, who had already -doomed her to destruction.</p> - -<p>The two postilions were really man and wife, -for one was a woman in disguise. They gave their -names as Antoine and Schulz, but they were really -the two Antoninis. The man was a native of southern -Italy, who as a boy had been captured by Barbary -pirates and released by a French warship. He -had been a drummer in a Corsican battalion, a -<i>laquais de place</i>, a sutler and lastly a French army -postilion. His criminal propensities were developed -early; he had been frequently imprisoned, -twice in Berlin and once in Mayence with his wife,—for -he had married a woman named Marschall -of Berlin,—and he had been constantly denounced -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">131</span> -as a thief and incendiary. At Erfurt he had broken -prison and effected the escape of his fellow-prisoners. -Theresa Antonini had been a wild, obstinate -and vicious girl, who after marriage became a partner -also in her husband’s evil deeds and shared his -imprisonment. The pair were on their way south -to Antonini’s native place in Messina, very short of -money, and they took with them Carl Marschall, -the woman’s brother, a boy barely fifteen years of -age.</p> - -<p>Dorothea Blankenfeld was a tempting bait to -their cupidity. She was fashionably dressed, her -trunk was full of linen and fine clothes, and she -really carried about two thousand thalers sewed in -her stays, a fact then unknown to her would-be -murderers.</p> - -<p>A scheme was soon broached by Antonini to his -wife to make away with the girl, and young Carl -Marschall was prevailed upon to join in the plot. -They waited only for a favourable opportunity to -effect their purpose, devising many plans to murder -her and conceal their crime. The whole journey -was occupied with abortive attempts. They selected -their quarters for the night with this idea, but some -accident interposed to save the threatened victim, -who was altogether unconscious of her impending -fate.</p> - -<p>At Hof a plan was devised of stifling her with -smoke in her bed, but the results seemed uncertain, -and it was not tried. At Berneck, between Hof and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">132</span> -Bayreuth, they lodged in a lonely inn at the foot of -a mountain covered with wood, and here the corpse -might be buried during the night. But Theresa -Antonini had discarded her postilion’s disguise, -and as two women had arrived, the departure of -only one the next morning must surely arouse suspicion. -The following night the notion of choking -the girl with the fumes of smoke was revived, but -was dismissed for the same reason, the doubtful result. -Death must be dealt in some other way if it -was to be risked at all. So they drugged her, took -her keys from under her pillow, and opened and -examined her trunks, finding more than enough to -seal her doom.</p> - -<p>They arrived next at Nürnberg, a likely place, -where many streams of water flowing through the -city might help to get rid of the body. But a sentry -happened to have his post just in front of the inn, -and this afforded protection to the threatened girl. -At this time Carl Marschall proposed to mix -pounded glass in her soup, but the scheme was rejected -by Antonini, who declared that he had often -swallowed broken glass for sport without ill effects. -At Roth, a suitable weapon was found in a loft, a -mattock with three iron prongs,—and a pool of -water for the concealment of the body was discovered -in a neighbouring field, so the deed was to be -perpetrated here, after administering another sleeping -draught. The mischance that a number of carriers -put up that night at the inn again shielded the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">133</span> -Fräulein. Insurmountable objections arose also at -Weissenberg and Donauwörth, and as they had now -reached the last stage but one, it seemed as if the -murder might never be committed.</p> - -<p>The last station was Maitingen near Augsburg, -where the girl was to leave the party, and here fresh -incitement was given to guilty greed by her incautious -admission that she carried a quantity of valuables -on her person. Somehow she must be disposed -of that night. The boy Carl was to be the -principal agent in the crime; it was thought that -his youth would save him from capital punishment, -an inevitable sentence for the others if convicted. -The lad showed no reluctance to the act, and only -hesitated lest he should not be strong enough to -complete it, but his sister said that Antonini would -help as soon as the first blow was struck, and she -further tempted him with the promise of a substantial -gift.</p> - -<p>Carl had discovered in the post-house a heavy -roller which he hid in Antonini’s bed-room. Then -he dug a hole in the yard, intended for the disposal -of the body. Antonini bought some candles, and on -the pretence of using a foot bath, much warm water -was prepared to cleanse the blood stains. At supper -Dorothea drank some brandy and water mixed with -laudanum, and was taken off to bed half stupefied. -About midnight the murderers viewed their intended -victim and found her asleep, but in a position -unfavourable for attack, as her face was turned -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">134</span> -to the wall. Now a change of plan was proposed,—to -pour molten lead into her ears and eyes,—but -on heating the fragments of a spoon over the -candle, it was seen that a drop which fell on the -sheet merely scorched it, which indicated that the -metal cooled too quickly to destroy life.</p> - -<p>Another visit was paid to the victim at four -o’clock, and now Carl was ordered to strike the first -blow, which fell with murderous effect; but the -poor girl was able to raise herself in bed and to -plead piteously for her life. A fierce struggle ensued; -repeated blows were rained upon her and -she sank upon the floor in the agony of death, while -Antonini tore at the money she still carried on her -person. As the wretched woman still breathed and -groaned audibly, Antonini savagely trampled and -jumped on her body until life was quite extinct. -When afterward examined, the body was found to -be grievously bruised and swollen, the collar bone -was broken, and there were nine wounds made by -a blunt instrument on the brow and other parts of -the head.</p> - -<p>The house was disturbed at first by the piercing -shrieks of the victim, and the postmaster listened at -her door but heard nothing more. It was noticed -the following morning that although the party was -to have started at five o’clock, they were not ready -to leave until nine. The attention of the postmaster, -who was looking out of the window, was attracted -by a curiously shaped bundle which the men dragged -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">135</span> -out of the house and flung into the carriage, something -like the carcass of a dog, or it might be of -a human being. Then the party entered the carriage -and drove away, but it was observed that -there was only one woman in the carriage instead -of the two who had arrived on the previous evening. -The rooms upstairs were now visited and the terrible -catastrophe was forthwith discovered. Walls, -floor and bed were drenched with blood and it was -plain that an atrocious murder had been committed. -Information was at once given to the authorities, -and the carriage was promptly pursued. It was -overtaken at the gates of Augsburg, and the culprits -were seized and lodged in gaol. The suspicious -looking bundle, wrapped up in a long blue -cloak, had been tied up behind the carriage, and -when examined it was found to contain the wounded -and much battered corpse of a young woman.</p> - -<p>In the course of the protracted criminal proceedings -which followed, the boy Carl Marschall was -the first to confess his guilt. The Antoninis were -obstinately reticent, but at last, after nineteen long -examinations, Theresa, when confronted with her -brother, also acknowledged her share in the deed. -Antonini was persistent in his denial and sought -continually to deceive the judge by a variety of -lying statements, but even he yielded at last and -made a disjointed but still self-incriminating confession. -Husband and wife were both convicted -and sentenced by the court at Nürnberg to death by -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</span> -the sword. Their boy accomplice, Carl Marschall, -in consideration of his youth, was condemned to -ten years’ imprisonment at hard labour. Antonini -escaped the punishment he so well deserved by dying -in prison; but his wife was not so fortunate -and suffered the penalty of death upon the scaffold, -hardened and unrepentant to the last.</p> - -<p>Perhaps no more brutal murder than this committed -by the Antoninis has ever been recorded, -though at that time, when the activities of the brigand -and highway robber were not entirely suppressed, -doubtless many atrocities were perpetrated, -the true stories of which have remained forever in -obscurity. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V<br /> - -<span class="medium">CLEVER IMPOSTORS AND SWINDLERS</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">James Thalreuter or the “False Prince”—A notorious -swindler—His early life and education—Adopted by the -Stromwalters—Pledges their credit and robs their safe—Forges -letter from a grand-duke—Squanders money thus -obtained in wild dissipation—Makes full confession of his -frauds—Sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment—“The -Golden Princess,” Henrietta Wilke—Her luxurious mode -of living and generosity to the poor—Curiosity as to her -origin—Loans borrowed on false pretences—She is arrested—Startling -revelations brought to light at her trial—Sentenced -to twelve years’ penal servitude—“Prince -Lahovary” or George Manolescu—Arrested in Paris at -the age of nineteen charged with thirty-seven thefts—His -criminal career—Campaign in America under the assumed -title of “Prince Lahovary”—Imprisoned for personating -the Russian general Kuropatkin—Leonhard Bollert, nicknamed -the “attorney general”—A notorious criminal-adventurer -who served many terms in different prisons.</p> - -<p>The criminal records of Germany contain some -rather remarkable instances of swindling and imposture. -One of the most curious was that of James -Thalreuter, commonly called the “False Prince.” -He was the illegitimate son of Lieutenant-Colonel -von Rescher and Barbara Thalreuter, the daughter -of an exciseman. He was born at Landshut in 1809 -and was acknowledged by his father. His mother -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</span> -died the same year and he was taken charge of by -Baron von Stromwalter, an intimate friend of his -father. The boy James was accepted in the house -as a son of the family on equal terms with the -Stromwalter children, and the baroness grew extravagantly -fond of him. He was a clever, lively -lad, full of mischievous ways, and very early he -exhibited a fertile and promising genius for lying. -The baroness exercised absolute sway in the house, -for the family fortune and property was entirely -hers. The baron was a mere cypher, a weak and -foolish old man, who had no other means than his -pension from a civil post.</p> - -<p>The lad had been sent to school and was supposed -to have gained a good education, but, as a matter -of fact, he had learned very little. He wrote poorly -and spelled abominably, but he had made good -progress at arithmetic, and before he was sixteen -possessed a surprising knowledge of financial and -commercial affairs. A strongly marked trait was -his power of inventing the most varied, ingenious -and complicated lies, perfect in their smallest details -and worked up with masterly skill. This seemingly -inexhaustible talent was aided by a singularly comprehensive -and accurate memory. Whenever he -returned home from school, he quickly established -an extraordinary influence over his fond foster-mother; -he felt neither affection nor respect for her, -but only esteemed her as the person able to minister -to his selfish desires. The baroness, on her part, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</span> -did everything she could to please him, lavished -money upon him freely, and kept nothing secret -from him, not even the safe containing her jewels -and valuables to which he had always free access. -It was testified afterward that he did what he liked -with the baroness, sometimes by fair, but more often -by foul means. As for the poor old baron, he was -treated with supreme contempt, was often addressed -in insulting terms before others, and once Thalreuter -actually struck him.</p> - -<p>The young villain made the most of his situation -and took advantage of the old lady’s excessive fondness -to pledge her credit and run heavily into debt. -He plundered her right and left, carried away many -valuable things from the house, and from time to -time stole large sums from her bureau, the keys of -which he could always obtain. The baroness -caught him at last and proceeded to reprimand her -foster-son severely, but he easily persuaded her to -forgive him, and she went no further than to take -better care of her keys. The success which he had -so far achieved now inspired him with an ingenious -plan for defrauding his foster-parents on a large -scale.</p> - -<p>In the early part of the year 1825 he began to let -fall mysterious hints that it was altogether a mistake -to suppose that he had been born in a humble -station; that, on the contrary, he was really the son -of a royal personage, the Duke of B., who, having -lost one son by poison, had secretly entrusted this -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</span> -second son to Colonel von Reseller,—a special favourite,—who -was to pass for his father and bring -him up, preserving the most inviolable secrecy. Incredible -as it may appear, the Stromwalters were -gulled by this manifestly fraudulent story. They -had known the young Thalreuter from his youth, -had seen and possessed the certificate of his birth, -and were fully aware of all the circumstances attending -it. Yet they were easily imposed upon and -dazzled by the grandeur of this tremendous fiction, -backed up by the production of letters from the -grand-duke, which in themselves were plain evidence -of the fraud. Possibly Thalreuter had inherited his -indifferent calligraphy from his illustrious parent, for -the twenty letters purporting to come from his royal -highness were illegible scrawls, poor in composition -and wretched in style; but this very circumstance -supplied the impostor with an excuse for retaining -them and reading them aloud. They were couched -in terms of deep gratitude for the foster-parents’ -care, and a large return in cash and honour was -promised as a reward for their services. The -grand-duke did not limit himself to empty promises; -he sent through Thalreuter a costly present -of six strings of fine pearls of great value, very -acceptable to the Stromwalters, who, thanks to the -extravagance of their foster-son, the pretended -prince, were much pinched for money. The pearls -were pledged for a fictitious value, Thalreuter declaring -that his grand-ducal father would be greatly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</span> -offended if he heard they had been submitted to -formal examination. The impostor studiously suppressed -the fact that he had bought the pearls at -two shillings per string at a toy shop with money -which he had stolen. He had obtained a pair of -sham earrings at the same shop. Any story was -good enough to fool the simpleton Stromwalters; -he exhibited the miniature one day of an officer in -uniform, blazing with orders, as that of the grand-duke, -and on another day showed them sketches of -the estates that were to be bestowed upon the worthy -couple. Again, he pretended that his highness -had called in state in a carriage and four to pay a -ceremonious visit when they were absent; and another -time claimed that the royal chamberlain had -invited the baron to share a bottle with him at the -Swan Inn, but was called away by urgent business -before the baron arrived.</p> - -<p>This shameless deception profited Thalreuter -greatly. As a prince in disguise, he was treated -with much indulgence and liberally supplied with -the means of extravagance. He now invented a -fresh lie, that of a proposed match between the son, -Lieutenant von Stromwalter, and the heiress of a -rich and noble family, the Von Wallers, and the -whole intrigue was carried forward even as far as -betrothal without bringing the parties together, -secrecy being essential to the very last, as Thalreuter -explained to the old people. But he produced letters—of -his own manufacture—from the grand-duke -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</span> -and various people of rank at court, all of them -congratulating the Stromwalters on the approaching -most desirable marriage. The ultimate aim of -the fraud was at last shown when Thalreuter forged -a letter calling upon the baroness to pay a sum of -10,000 florins into the military fund as a guarantee -that her son was able to support a wife. The generous -grand-duke had offered to advance a large -part of this money, but at least 2,700 florins must -come from the Stromwalters, and they actually -handed the cash to Thalreuter, who rapidly squandered -it in dissipation of the most reckless kind.</p> - -<p>Were it not that all the facts in this marvellous -imposture are vouched for by the legal proceedings -afterward instituted, it would be difficult to credit -the amazing credulity, amounting to imbecility, displayed -by the Stromwalters. Thalreuter played his -game with extraordinary boldness, and continually -traded on the name of the son in support of his preposterous -fictions. He invented the story of a seditious -plot, in which the lieutenant was embroiled -and for which he was arrested, only to extract a -sum of one thousand florins for obtaining his release -from prison.</p> - -<p>The next fraud was a trumped-up tale that the -lieutenant was in serious pecuniary difficulties and -that, unless cleared, the marriage must be broken -off; the result was a further advance by the baroness, -who sold off a quantity of her furniture to obtain -cash. Then it appeared that the lieutenant was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">143</span> -involved in a dishonourable intrigue and could only -be extricated by paying blackmail; he must make -presents to his fiancée and the jeweller’s bill must -be settled; a house for the young couple must be -furnished, and hence the abstraction of many articles -from the home of the old Stromwalters, all of -which were pawned by Thalreuter.</p> - -<p>Strange to say, relations were never opened up -with the Von Wallers; stranger still, no direct -communications were opened with the son. And it -would seem perfectly incredible that his parents did -not write to him on the subject of his coming marriage, -of his arrest, or of his embarrassments and -necessary expenditure. They did write, as a matter -of fact, but Thalreuter intercepted all the letters and -continued his thefts and embezzlements unchecked -and undiscovered. He made a clean sweep of -everything; emptied the house, dissipated the -property, obtained the baroness’s signature to bills -and drafts by false pretences, and ruined her utterly.</p> - -<p>The large sums thus shamelessly obtained by -Thalreuter were thrown absolutely away. He entertained -his acquaintances, mostly of the lowest -classes,—peasants and domestic servants,—in the -most sumptuous manner at different inns and taverns. -Not only were the most costly wines poured -out like water at the table, but they were cast into -adjacent ponds and dashed against the carriage -wheels; the most delicate viands were thrown out -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">144</span> -of the window for boys to scramble for; splendid -fireworks were set off to amuse the guests, among -whom he distributed all kinds of expensive presents -with the greatest profusion. One witness even -stated that on one occasion he moistened the wheels -of the carriage he had hired with eau de Cologne. -A toyman, Stang by name, who was the constant -companion of Thalreuter and partaker of his extravagant -pleasures, sold him, in one year, goods to -the amount of 6,700 florins, among which was eau -de Cologne worth 50 florins. Stang, on first witnessing -the boy’s extravagance, thought it his duty -to report it to Baroness von Stromwalter, but was -told that the expenditure of her James would not -appear surprising whenever the secret of his birth -and rank should be revealed; that at present she -could only say that he was the son of very great -parents and would have more property than he -could possibly spend. The poor toyman was, of -course, overjoyed at the thought of having secured -the friendship and custom of a prince in disguise, -and no longer felt any hesitation in accepting Thalreuter’s -presents and joining his parties, and from -that time forward they became almost daily companions.</p> - -<p>Thalreuter’s behaviour did not escape the notice -of the authorities, but when they applied to his -foster-parents, they were put off by the same mysterious -hints of his noble birth. But fate at last -fell heavily upon the young impostor. When -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">145</span> -called upon to pay a long-standing account for -coach hire, Thalreuter produced a cheque purporting -to be drawn by a certain Dr. Schroll. The -signature was repudiated as a forgery, and the -young man was arrested. The baroness still stood -by him and was ready to answer for it until the -scales fell from her eyes at the swindler’s astonishing -confessions. Thalreuter now recounted at -length the repeated deceits and frauds he had practised -upon his foster-parents, the extent of which -could hardly be estimated, but there was little doubt -that he had extorted by his dishonest processes a -sum between 6,000 and 8,000 florins. He implicated -the unfortunate Stang in these nefarious actions, -and other well-do-do and respectable persons. -Many of the charges brought proved to be utterly -false, and it appeared that this consummate young -rogue had acted chiefly alone. It was clearly made -out that he had had no assistance in effecting the -ruin of the too credulous Stromwalters, and had -relied upon his own wit and the extreme weakness -and simplicity of the old people.</p> - -<p>Thalreuter, in consideration of his youth, was -sentenced to only eight years’ imprisonment at hard -labour and a corporal punishment of twenty-five -lashes on admission to prison. He only survived to -complete two years of his sentence and died in 1828 -at the bridewell in Munich.</p> - -<p>Not many years after the coming and going of -the false prince, Thalreuter, at Munich, another fictitious -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">146</span> -aristocrat flashed across the horizon of Berlin -society, springing suddenly into notoriety and attracting -universal attention. She was generally -known as the “Golden Princess,” but no one knew -certainly whom she was or whence she came. She -appeared about 1835, when she adopted a sumptuous -style of living which dazzled every one and -made her the universal topic of conversation. She -occupied a luxuriously furnished villa in the Thiergarten, -kept a liveried man servant, a coachman, a -cook, a maid and also a lady companion, and habitually -drove about Berlin in a beautifully equipped -carriage. She frequented the most expensive shops, -where she made large purchases, to the intense satisfaction -of the tradesmen, who considered the -“Golden Princess” their best customer, particularly -as she was quite above haggling and bargaining. -She was generous to a fault; the poor besieged her -door, and her deeds of charity were many. She -often travelled, and her journeys to London and -Brussels were much discussed; she visited German -baths and would post to Carlsbad with four horses. -From all these places she brought back splendid -presents which she lavished upon her acquaintances, -although they were not always cordially accepted, -for her social position during the earlier part of her -career by no means corresponded with her general -magnificence. She did not frequent fashionable -circles, nor did she receive much company at home.</p> - -<p>A woman of this kind could not escape gossiping -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">147</span> -criticism. Many reports were current of her quality -and antecedents. One story was that she was betrothed -to a Brazilian, Count Villamor, who was -supposed to have fallen in love with her abroad and -was now providing the means for her to live in -Berlin and to travel, so that she might fit herself -for the high position of his wife. Others said that -she was engaged to marry a Hamburg senator. -German counts, and even princes, were also suggested -as the future husbands of this interesting -girl. The consensus of opinion, however, was in -favour of the Brazilian, and her very ample means -gave some colour to this assumption. She was an -attractive woman, although not strikingly beautiful; -she had good features and fascinating manners, -and it was natural that this wealthy foreign -count should fall in love with her. To call her an -adventuress was unjustifiable.</p> - -<p>This Henrietta Wilke, for such was her modest -name, was no stranger in reality, nor was she of -distinguished parentage. She was born of humble -people who died when she was a child, and she had -been befriended by some wealthy folk who gave her -an education above her station, so that when, at -their death, she was obliged to go into domestic -service, she was treated more as a friend than a -servant. She began as a nurse-maid and then became -companion to an elderly maiden lady of Charlottenburg -named Niemann, who played a large part -in her subsequent history. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">148</span></p> - -<p>Henrietta Wilke had borne a good character as -a respectable, unpretending girl, and there was no -reason whatever to suspect her of frauds and malpractices -for the purpose of acquiring wealth. The -police could urge nothing against her, even if the -sources of her wealth were obscure. She did not -thrust herself into the society of well-to-do people -to cheat and impose upon them. On the contrary, -she consorted with a lower class and behaved with -great propriety; her reputation was good; she paid -her way honourably, was extremely charitable and -never seemed ashamed of her poor relations. Still, -there were those who smiled sarcastically and hinted -that some strange truths would yet be disclosed -about this enigmatic personage.</p> - -<p>Among those who trusted her implicitly was the -proprietor of a large furniture establishment in Berlin, -Schroder by name, from whom she had made -large purchases, always paying for them in cash. -One day he made so bold as to ask her if she would -lend him a few thousand thalers to increase his -business, as she seemed to have a large capital at -her command. She replied that she had not attained -her majority—she was twenty-three years old, but -the age of majority in Germany was twenty-four -years. She would otherwise gladly give him the -sum herself, she said, but in the meantime she promised -to try to procure it from a friend of hers who -had the control of her own fortune. The following -day she informed Schroder that her old friend -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">149</span> -Fräulein Niemann, of Charlottenburg, was quite -prepared to lend him 5,000 thalers at four per cent., -on the security of his shop. The money, however, -was invested in debentures, and it could not be released -until the repayment of 500 thalers which had -been borrowed on them. If Schroder would advance -that sum, the whole business might be settled -at once.</p> - -<p>Schroder, after making inquiries and hearing -nothing but satisfactory reports about Fräulein -Niemann, went to Charlottenburg and, in the presence -of Henrietta Wilke, gave her the 500 thalers -to secure the 5,000 thalers which were to be shortly -handed over. But on the following day Fräulein -Wilke came to him again and said that the debentures -could only be released by the payment of 1,000 -thalers; to compensate him she offered to raise the -loan to 8,000 thalers. Schroder, after some hesitation, -agreed to pay the further 500 thalers; but he -first sought further information as to Fräulein Niemann’s -solvency, taking her promise in writing to -lend him on June 28th, 1836, a capital of 8,000 -thalers and to repay him his loan of 1,000 thalers.</p> - -<p>Instead of the money, however, Henrietta Wilke -came to him again and announced that Fräulein -Niemann meant to make his fortune. She would -lend him 20,000 thalers instead of 8,000 thalers, but -to release so large an amount of debentures she required -a further sum of 500 thalers. Schroder at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">150</span> -first demurred, but, after paying the two ladies another -visit, he relented. He paid the third 500 -thalers and for this was to receive on February 10th -the whole sum of twenty thousand thalers. The -10th of February passed, but the money was not -forthcoming. Instead, a message came to say that -8,000 thalers at least should be paid on the following -Monday. Fräulein Wilke appeared on the Monday -without the money, indeed, but with the news -that as her friend’s banker had not made the promised -payment, she would borrow the sum from another -friend. Schroder believed her, and his confidence -was such that he gave her 100 thalers more, -which she still required to draw out the necessary -debentures. He received a receipt from Fräulein -Niemann, and February 13th was fixed as the day -of payment. But on the day when this agreement -was made, Schroder heard that other persons had -received from Fräulein Wilke some of the bank-notes -he had given to her or Fräulein Niemann for -the release of the debentures. Indeed, he learned -that Fräulein Wilke had bought two horses with -one of his 300 thaler notes.</p> - -<p>He rushed to Charlottenburg and found Henrietta -and her companion at Fräulein Niemann’s. A -violent scene took place, but a reconciliation followed, -and Schroder allowed himself to be persuaded -to wait until February 27th. When on that -day the money was again not forthcoming, he very -naturally grew uneasy and applied to the police. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">151</span> -Herr Gerlach, at that time the head of the force, -found no cause for prosecuting Henrietta Wilke or -the blameless Fräulein Niemann, and although the -celebrated police magistrate Duncker did not agree, -no steps were taken to arrest them. Schroder now -decided to sue Fräulein Niemann. A compromise, -however, was reached. He then limited his demands -to the repayment of the 1,600 thalers and to -the loan of a small capital of 8,000 thalers, both of -which were conceded. To disarm his suspicion, -Fräulein Wilke required of Fräulein Niemann that -she should at least show him the money he was to -receive. The old lady accordingly took out of her -cabinet a sealed packet with the superscription -“10,000 thalers in Pomeranian debentures.” -Schroder asked that it should be given over to him -at once, but Fräulein Wilke, always the spokeswoman -for Fräulein Niemann, explained that this -was impossible on account of family circumstances, -and that he could not have the debentures until -March 30th. The day came but not the money; -Fräulein Wilke and her companion Fräulein Alfrede -called upon him and continued to allege complicated -family affairs as the cause of the delay. -To reassure him, however, and to disarm suspicion, -she handed over to him, in Fräulein Niemann’s -name, the sealed packet with the 10,000 thalers in -debentures, but with the injunction not to open it -until April 5th, otherwise, no further payments -would be made; then to convert the debentures into -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">152</span> -cash, keep 1,600 thalers for himself, take 8,000 -thalers as a loan, and return the rest to Fräulein -Niemann. All parties now seemed satisfied.</p> - -<p>On the date fixed, Schroder went to a notary’s -office under police instruction and broke the seals, -when, in the place of the 10,000 thalers in debentures, -they found nothing in the envelope but several -sheets of blank paper. A fraud had evidently -been committed which pointed to other irregularities. -It would be tedious to describe in detail the -ingenious deceptions practised for years past by -Henrietta Wilke on Fräulein Niemann, whose god-daughter -she was, and upon whom she had continually -imposed by pretending that she was the protégé -of great personages, more especially the princess -Raziwill, who had secured the good offices of -the king himself, William III, on her behalf. The -Fräulein Niemann was deluded into making large -advances, ostensibly to help the princess in her necessities -and ultimately the king, but which really -were impounded feloniously by Wilke. The king -was also supposed to be mixed up in the backing -of Schroder’s furniture business, and the packet -containing the sham debentures was represented to -have been really prepared by royal hands. This -farrago of nonsense failed to satisfy Schroder, who -now gave information to the police and the “Golden -Princess” had reached the end of her career. -She was taken into custody and subjected to judicial -examination. When before the judge, all her powers -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">153</span> -of intrigue seemed to abandon her. She made -a full confession and admitted everything. What -was the motive which led so young a girl to commit -such gigantic frauds, was asked. The criminal herself -gives the simplest explanation of this in her own -statement:</p> - -<p>“In first practising my frauds on Niemann, I -was actuated by a distaste for service as a means of -support. It proved so easy to procure money from -her that I continued doing so. At first I thought -that she was very rich and would not be much -damaged if I drew upon her superfluity. When, -however, she was obliged to raise money on her -house, I saw that she had nothing more, but then -it was too late for me to turn back.” When asked -if she had never considered the danger of detection, -she replied with complete unconcern that she had -entertained no such fears. She had spent everything -she had received from Fraulein Niemann and -others to gratify her desire to live like a fine lady, -and had retained nothing but the few articles found -in her possession at the time of her arrest. In this -simple statement the whole explanation of her way -of life was contained. All the witnesses who had -known her previously testified to her being a quiet, -good-tempered person and that she was well conducted -from a moral point of view was certain. -Her relatives confirmed all this, but stated that they -had always considered the education given her to -be above her condition, and had thought it encouraged -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">154</span> -her in her frivolity and her desire to play the -lady of quality. All this tallies with the whole story -of her life which was based upon the desire for -luxury and show.</p> - -<p>Opportunity creates thieves and also begets beings -of her sort, addicted to speculative transactions. -They begin in a small way and good luck spurs -them on to greater enterprises. Like her imagination, -her talent for intrigue grew apace. From the -humble position of a nurse-maid, she aspired to raise -herself to that of a lady companion. She only pretended -to act as the favoured agent of a king, after -having posed as the pet of a princess and the betrothed -of several counts, her early desire to be a -school mistress having been cast aside as unworthy -of her soaring ambition.</p> - -<p>While in prison, she composed a letter to the king, -supposed to be written by Fräulein Niemann, in -which this lady is made to implore his pardon for -her protégé, and begs him to open the prison doors. -To this she added some lines addressed to Fräulein -Alfrede, Wilke’s former companion, directing her -to induce Fräulein Niemann to copy it in her own -hand; and it was then to be delivered by the companion -to a trustworthy person who would see that -it was given to the king. The contents of this -epistle were divulged by another prisoner. It produced -no results, of course, but bears witness to -Henrietta Wilke’s courage and adroitness in continuing -to weave her intrigues within the prison -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">155</span> -walls, and shows how long she must have held the -old lady a captive in a net of lies.</p> - -<p>The first verdict was pronounced on May 21, -1836. According to Prussian law, the fraud committed -could only be atoned for by the reimbursement -of double the sum misappropriated, and if the -criminal were without means, a corresponding term -of penal servitude would be inflicted. This duplicated -fine was computed by the judge at 42,450 -thalers, and he desired that on account of the self-evident -impecuniosity of the girl Wilke, and of the -allegation brought forward of aggravated circumstances -connected with her malpractices, a sentence -of twelve years’ penal servitude be pronounced.</p> - -<p>Confined at first in Spandau and afterward in -Brandenburg, the prisoner’s conduct seems to have -been uniformly good. She occupied herself with -embroideries, which were said to be very skilfully -executed. A petition for her pardon was sent in -some years ago, but was rejected, as there was no -reason for letting out so dangerous a prisoner before -her term had expired. Even when the period -for release arrived, she was not allowed her freedom -until the administrator of the institution had -satisfied himself that she had really been improved -by the punishment endured, was capable of earning -her livelihood honestly, and that her liberation -would not endanger the public safety.</p> - -<p>A case of the pretentious impostor of recent date, -imprisoned in various German prisons, is that of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">156</span> -George Manolescu, whose memoirs have appeared -in the form of an autobiography. So varied were -the experiences of this thorough-paced scoundrel, -so cleverly did he carry out his gigantic depredations -and his numerous frauds and thefts great and -small, almost always without any violence, that his -story has all the elements of romance. Manolescu -was highly gifted by nature. Endowed with a -handsome person, he appeared to have an affectionate -disposition, spoke several languages with ease -and fluency, and his singular charm of manner made -him at home in the most fastidious society. Exhibiting -an utter disregard of the commonest principles -of right and wrong, he devoted his talents and -his marvellous ingenuity to criminal malpractices.</p> - -<p>George Manolescu was born on May 20th, 1871, -in the town of Ploesci in Roumania. His father -was a captain of cavalry, who, owing to his implacable -and haughty character, was constantly being -shifted from one garrison to another; his -mother, a great beauty, died when he was two years -old, and the care of his early childhood was confided -to his grandmother, whom he caused endless trouble. -Later on he was transferred from school to school, -for his passionate love of perpetual change and his -undisciplined nature prevented him from settling -down to work anywhere. This longing for travels -and adventures was, indeed, deep seated and unconquerable, -so that at last his father sought to give it -a natural vent by sending him to an academy for -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">157</span> -naval cadets. At first his conduct was good, but -soon his intolerance of control asserted itself and -led him to insubordination. On his return to the -academy after a vacation, he misconducted himself -and was punished with close confinement in a small -cell under the roof. He managed, however, to -break open the door, climb out on the roof and let -himself down into the street by means of the nearest -telegraph post. He started at once for the harbour -of Galatz, and with only one franc, 50 centimes -for his whole fortune, stowed himself away -on a steamer bound for Constantinople. The captain -had him put on shore at that port. Half dead -with fatigue and hunger, he obtained a portion of -<i>pilaf</i> from the first vendor of that delicacy whom -he met in the streets of the Turkish capital, and -after satisfying his appetite, in lieu of payment he -flung the empty dish at the man’s head and took -to his heels. He ran up to Pera and entered the -public garden, where an entertainment was in progress -at a theatre of varieties. Here he met a Turkish -officer who noticed him and with whom he had -some conversation. Seeing the corner of a pocket -book protruding from that worthy’s half-open coat, -the boy with lightning speed possessed himself of -it unobserved, and also picked the officer’s pocket -of a cigarette case encrusted with diamonds. He -then escaped with his booty. The pocket book contained -20 pounds sterling; with this sum he set up -a sort of bazaar by filling a large basket with various -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">158</span> -articles for sale, and, assisted by a young Italian -he casually met, cried his wares all over the town. -This first venture was not successful, as he made -no profit and the assistant ran away with the whole -stock in trade, including the basket.</p> - -<p>Thus living from hand to mouth, he decided to -turn his back on Constantinople, where he felt the -eyes of the police were upon him. Being penniless, -he applied to the Roumanian legation to send him -home, which they consented to do. On landing at -Galatz, as he was entirely without money, he went -into the nearest café, annexed the first overcoat he -saw, and pawned it for a few francs. This was not -enough money to pay his journey to Bucharest -where his family now lived, so he sought other -means to replenish his exchequer. Loving, as he -did, everything pertaining to the sea, he visited the -various foreign ships lying in the harbour and inspected -all parts, always stealing as he went any -valuables he could find in the cabins of the captain -and chief engineer. Presently Galatz became too -hot for him, and he found it expedient to proceed -to Bucharest, where he made but a short stay.</p> - -<p>Paris, the dream of every youthful <i>vaurien</i>, -strongly attracted him. In the meantime he started -on his travels once more, and again reached Constantinople, -from whence he travelled on to Athens, -defraying his expenses by clever thefts. One fine -day, however, he found himself in the Grecian capital -without funds and once more applied to the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">159</span> -Roumanian legation to be repatriated. This request -being refused, he drew his revolver, put it to his -breast, pulled the trigger and fell down senseless. -He was removed to a hospital, and although the -ball could not be extracted, he did not die, as the -surgeon expected. While he lay there, he attracted -much sympathy and received several gracious visits -from Queen Olga of Denmark, who was at that -time in Athens. Her kindness so touched him the -first time she came that he burst into tears. She -caused him to be removed to the best room in the -hospital, defrayed his expenses, and when he recovered -ordered him to appear at the Greek court. -Subsequently she provided the means for his journey -home where, as before, he remained but a -short time.</p> - -<p>In July, 1888, his love of adventure again drew -him away and eventually he managed to reach -Paris, where he established himself in the Latin -Quarter. His family agreed to make him a small -monthly allowance, provided he should adopt some -reputable means of livelihood. But the attempt was -half-hearted, and as he soon found himself straitened -in his means, he eked them out by thefts committed -at the Bon Marché, Louvre and other great -department stores. His tricks and fraudulent devices -were ingenious and varied and may be passed -over. He soon aimed at higher game and began -stealing unset precious stones from jewellers’ shops, -by which he realised plunder to the value of about -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">160</span> -5,000 francs monthly. He hired a beautiful villa -in the rue François I, lived in luxury, kept race -horses and was well received by members of fashionable -society, in whose exclusive homes he was -made welcome as the supposed son of a rich father, -and where he gambled on an enormous scale, often -losing large sums. One fine day, however, fate -overtook him and he was arrested for thirty-seven -thefts to the aggregate value of 540,000 francs. -He was thus dashed from the height of prosperity -into an abyss of misfortune, and in 1890, when still -barely nineteen years of age, he was sentenced to -four years’ imprisonment. After his release, he was -again sent home to Bucharest, where as usual he -remained only a short time.</p> - -<p>He now visited various countries, including Japan -and the United States. In Chicago, where many -bankers are of German extraction, he was invited -everywhere, partly because his German was so perfect -and also because he adopted the title of Duke -of Otranti and so made an impression by his imaginary -high rank. Rich marriages were proposed to -him, but the parents of a beautiful girl whom he -desired to make his wife discredited the proofs he -offered of his wealth and exalted rank. He continued -his thefts and was twice imprisoned during -this period of his career. But as we are chiefly concerned -with his German experiences, we shall take -up his life again at the time of his marriage to a -German countess of an ancient Catholic family -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">161</span> -whom he met travelling in Switzerland. He managed -to procure the consent of the girl’s mother, -but the rest of the family were averse to the match. -The young people were genuinely in love, and this -marvellous adventurer never ceased to love his wife -and was a tender, though not very faithful husband -while they remained together. There were so many -difficulties to be overcome and so much to be concealed -that the marriage seemed hardly possible. -But Manolescu procured his papers from Roumania -and the couple were married by the bishop of -Geneva, the Roumanian vice-consul being present, -though the bridegroom, to add to other complications, -belonged to the Greek Church. He travelled -a great deal with his wife, and in 1899 visited some -of her aristocratic relations at their fine country -schloss, where he was warmly received. Later on -the young couple settled in a lovely villa on the -Lake of Constance, where their only child, a girl, -was born.</p> - -<p>Of course Manolescu was soon short of money, -and he decided to start for Cairo to try to procure -for himself a position there as hotel manager. The -parting between husband and wife, although they -supposed it would only be temporary, was most -pathetic. They never lived together again. He -never reached his destination, for when out of reach -of his wife’s good influence, his thieving proclivities -again overmastered him, and at Lucerne, one of his -stopping places, he entered the rooms of a married -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</span> -couple staying at his hotel and stole most of the -contents of the lady’s jewel case which he found in -the first trunk he opened. In the husband’s trunk -he also found valuable securities which he appropriated, -and with this rich booty he escaped to -Zurich. At the Hotel Stephanie there, he robbed -the bed-room of an American gentleman, making off -with bank-notes and French securities to the -amount of 70,000 francs. Shortly after this coup -he was arrested at Frankfurt and taken to a police -station. A brief description given in his own words -of some of his experiences there may be of interest.</p> - -<p>“At the prison I was given in charge of the inspector. -This man, wishing at once to assert his -authority, ordered me in a brutal tone to strip where -I stood, on a stone floor in a cold corridor where -there was a terrible draught from the open windows. -I submitted, knowing this measure to be -usual at most prisons, though it does not take place -elsewhere in a corridor, but in rooms specially arranged -for this purpose; also prisoners are generally -allowed to keep on their under-linen and shoes. -I, however, had to divest myself of everything except -my shoes. My garments were carefully -searched one by one. During this time the inspector -stood in front of me with an evil smile on his face, -swaying himself from side to side. I begged him -civilly to allow me to keep on my shirt, whereupon -he replied that I was well protected from cold by -my shoes. Beside myself with rage, I took them -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</span> -and flung them at his head. He threw himself upon -me and tried to strike me with his bunch of keys, -but I seized his wrist and twisted it, forcing him to -drop them. Two warders now appeared at his call, -and he ordered me to put on my clothes. To these -irons were to be added, but I resisted, and a fight -took place in which I came off the victor. The attempt -to put me into irons was given up, and I was -moved up into a small but airy cell, where I was -securely locked up. Later, however, the chief inspector -came to see me; he spoke to me kindly and -begged me to behave quietly and he would see that -I was not maltreated in any way.”</p> - -<p>Manolescu’s attempt at escape, his simulation of -madness, and the interviews with his wife, who -came to Frankfurt that she might see him, need not -be detailed at length. It is enough to say that he -was extradited to Switzerland, tried and sentenced -to only six months’ hard labour. Having regard -to the strictness of the Swiss laws, this was a mild -sentence, but Manolescu was not considered by the -authorities to be in his right mind.</p> - -<p>In September of 1900, after his release, he crossed -once more to America, where he carried out a large -robbery successfully, and returning to Paris, again -lived on the very crest of the wave, frequenting the -same fashionable circles and attributing his long -absence from France to family affairs. He now -assumed the title of Prince Lahovary, and had a -neat prince’s coronet printed on his visiting cards. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</span> -He posed as a bachelor, looked about for a wife, -and proposed to a young American widow whom -he met at Boulogne, where she was staying with -her father and brother. She evinced some inclination -to accept him and some of her relatives favoured -the “prince’s” suit. At the end of three -weeks’ courtship they parted, agreeing to meet later -on in Berlin. Lahovary, as we must now call him, -returned temporarily to Paris, where he literally -wallowed in luxury. The large sums he spent he -managed to provide for the time being by play, for -he was a most inveterate gambler, although not -usually lucky, as he calculated that he had lost altogether -1,800,000 francs at cards during his career. -In November he arrived, as agreed, in Berlin, -accompanied by a secretary and valet, and made his -entry into the proud German capital as “Prince -Lahovary,” a great personage by whom all Europe -was presently to be dazzled and who was to be the -subject of endless talk. He established himself with -his suite at the Kaiserhof, still falsely pretending -to be unmarried, and continued his courtship of the -young widow. But his resources soon melted, and -he was forced to undertake a fresh robbery on a -large scale, which led to his undoing. On the -evening of this theft he left Berlin for Dresden, -where he sold some of the jewelry he had stolen -to a court jeweller for 12,000 marks, and then returned -to Berlin to take a temporary leave of his -American friends, explaining to them that important -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</span> -affairs called him to Genoa. The father of -the young widow proposed that as he and his son -and daughter were shortly to sail for America from -that port, they should all meet there, and they arranged -a rendezvous for January 10, 1901. Now -occurred a dramatic little incident in the life of this -strange man worth recording.</p> - -<p>On January 1, 1901, he left Berlin and went to -the place where his wife lived with her child. He -wanted to see them once more before proceeding -to Genoa to sail from thence to the new world, although -he had fully determined to marry the other -woman, if possible, and settle down to a properly -regulated life in America. He reached the town -on January 2nd, at 9 o’clock in the morning, hired -a carriage and drove to a shop to buy toys for his -child and presents for his wife. He then drove to -the villa where his wife lived and stopped at the -gate, which he rang five or six times. No one -answered or came to open the gate for him. His -wife lived on the ground floor and from the window -she could see any one who came without being seen. -When she recognised her husband, she would not -open the door, having promised her aunt never to -resume relations with him. He was not to be gainsaid, -however, and continued to pull the bell unceasingly. -At last the outer door was unlocked and -his wife came out as far as the garden gate, but -this she did not open. With a trembling voice she -asked him what he desired of her. He could hardly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</span> -speak from emotion, and held out to her his presents, -which she refused, saying she did not know -with whose money he had bought them. He implored -her to let him in to see their child, but she -firmly declined. Then he fell into a passion and -threatened to return with a representative of the -law to help him claim his paternal rights. To prevent -a scandal, she promised to show him the child -from the window. At last he agreed to this compromise; -she returned to the house and presently -appeared at the window with the child in her arms. -The little child looked at her father with uncomprehending -eyes; he stared at his daughter for several -minutes, then turned, hurriedly drove away and -never beheld his wife or child again.</p> - -<p>On reaching Genoa shortly afterward, he was arrested, -as the police authorities in Berlin had discovered -his theft, and he was sent back there and -detained in the well-known Moabit prison. He was -placed in a cell where he remained for nearly a year, -until May 30, 1901. The examining magistrate -was a humane and just man and the lawyer whom -Manolescu retained for his own defence was a celebrated -barrister. He had no hesitation in confessing -his crimes. As doubts of his sanity existed, the -medical reports from the Swiss prison, expressing -uncertainty as to his mental state, were examined -by the doctor of Moabit. Although the identity of -the medical officer was suppressed, Manolescu -guessed it by intuition and simulated madness so -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</span> -cleverly that he was sent to the infirmary in connection -with Moabit, where he was kept under observation -for six weeks. He was then taken back to -the prison in December, 1901, armed with a certificate -drawn up by specialists, stating him to be -completely deranged, though this was doubted by the -crown solicitor-general. At last, on May 28, 1902, -he was brought before the criminal court, where he -had some difficulty in maintaining his pretence of -madness. The solicitor-general pressed for a conviction -as an impostor, but a verdict of insanity was -pronounced; he was acquitted as irresponsible, and -transferred to the lunatic asylum at Herzburg.</p> - -<p>Fourteen months later he escaped. He attacked -and pinioned his warder, took forcible possession of -his keys, locked him into his own cell, and then -quietly left the institution by climbing over the garden -wall. With the help of a lady, a member of the -Berlin aristocracy, who was a friend of his, he was -able to cross the Prussian frontier and to enter Austrian -territory. As the papers, however, were full -of his exploits, he was arrested at Innsbruck some -time later and taken to Vienna, where he still -feigned madness. The Austrian doctors supported -the views of their Prussian colleagues, and he was -acquitted also by the Viennese court of justice. -Following this acquittal, Manolescu was sent to -Bucharest, where he went determined to reform -and to earn his bread honestly. He could find no -employment until a publisher suggested he should -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</span> -write his memoirs in the form of an autobiography, -from which this summary of his career has been -taken. By this occupation he supported himself for -a time. As he could find no other means of making -his livelihood, he decided to emigrate to America, -where he declared every industrious man could find -work. He ends his autobiography with these -words: “I do not bear my countrymen any grudge. -I only wish that the unfortunate prejudices of the -egoistic Roumanian form of civilisation which prevented -them from holding out a hand to a repentant -sinner may soon be removed. Thus ends the autobiography -of George Manolescu, alias Prince Lahovary.”</p> - -<p>We fear his career after leaving Bucharest was -not all it should have been, as the following paragraph -appeared in January, 1906, in the <i>Daily Express</i>.</p> - -<p>“George Manolescu, the celebrated swindler, has -lately escaped from the prison of Sumenstein in -Germany by feigning madness and pretending to be -General Kuropatkin.”</p> - -<p>Another impostor, Leonhard Bollert, has stated -that he was born in 1821. His father served as -sergeant-major in the fifth <i>chevau-legers</i> regiment, -and soon after the birth of the boy left the army, -married the boy’s mother and settled with his family -in his own birthplace, a small town in lower -Franconia, where he gained his livelihood as a provision -merchant. The boy, who was greatly gifted, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">169</span> -was apprenticed to a shoemaker at Würzburg, -where he learned the trade thoroughly. After -serving six years in the same regiment as his father, -he went to foreign parts, incidentally embarking -upon a life of criminal adventure which lasted nearly -forty years. While in the service of one of his employers, -he was sentenced, for embezzlement, to a -term in prison, which he served in Würzburg, a -town which seems to have been at that period a -high school for criminals. He then successively -progressed, with longer or shorter intervals between -the terms, through the prisons of Plassenburg, Kaisheim, -Lichtenau, Diez in Nassau, the house of correction -in Mainz and the Hessian penal institution, -Marienschloss. By his aptitude and his thorough -knowledge of shoemaking, he everywhere earned -for himself recognition and good results. How he -employed his time when at large could not be definitely -established. At one time he served a Hungarian -count, with whom he made long journeys. -It must have been then that he acquired his refined -manners and his aristocratic bearing. Why he left -his employer at the end of six months is not clear. -Probably some of his master’s coin found its way -into his own purse. Bollert used to relate to a small -and select circle of friends the more startling incidents -of his career with great pride,—such as his -appearance at Wiesbaden as an officer and bogus -baron. He also served in the papal army for a -short time until it was defeated and dissolved. He -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">170</span> -was not indifferent to the fair sex and, as a handsome -man, claimed to have had many successes.</p> - -<p>During his last period of liberty in 1870, Bollert -followed the profession of burglary and swindling -on a large scale. The scene of his activity extended -from Munich to the Rhine. He was clever at disguises -and used a variety of costumes, wearing false -beards of different hues; he possessed the complete -uniform of a Bavarian railway guard, in which he -once got as far as Bingen without a ticket. He plied -his nefarious trade in Frankfurt, Würzburg, Heidelberg, -Darmstadt, Nürnberg and Augsberg. At -hotels he managed by means of false keys to enter -the rooms of people who were absent, and often -carried away all the articles of value he could lay -hands on. In Frankfurt he was once arrested, but -succeeded in breaking out of the prison. In Würzburg -he was again caught and here the Court of the -Assizes sentenced him to thirteen years’ penal servitude.</p> - -<p>No one would have taken Bollert for a dangerous -and bold burglar. In spite of his fifty-one years, he -presented a handsome appearance, had a great -charm of manner and looked well even in a convict’s -dress. His expression was gentle, his address was -civil and conciliating, but not in the least cringing; -his bearing toward the officials was never too submissive, -but always polite. Ladies, whose feet he -measured in his capacity of chief shoemaker, were -never tired of describing the elegant manner in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">171</span> -which he bowed, and they took a great interest in -the history of this attractive convict. He was entrusted -with the purchase of all the leather required -by the board of management of the prison, and not -only acquitted himself of this task to their entire -satisfaction, but also cut out the most perfect shoes -the officials’ wives had ever worn. He was a Catholic -and soon became an acolyte, serving the mass -with a fervour never before manifested by a convict -in prison. In his intercourse with the other -prisoners he was always reserved, and he was and -remained the “gentleman”—they always spoke of -him as “Herr” Bollert. He never descended to -frauds or low tricks, he never betrayed any one; but -openly expressed his contempt for the behaviour of -many of his companions in misfortune, without their -daring to resent it. If he was offered a glass of -wine or beer in the house of one of the officials, he -never mentioned the circumstance. How was it that -a man capable of thus altering his conduct, one may -say his whole character, for a series of years, fell -back into the old vicious course of action, upon being -freed from restraint?</p> - -<p>Bollert completed his thirteen years in prison, -grew somewhat paler and older, but preserved his -erect, graceful carriage. His end was never definitely -known; no information reached the prison -after his last release. Before his departure, the -chaplain presented him with an old great-coat which -he had repaired and remade, and he wore it with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">172</span> -such a grand air that an acquaintance of the chief -superintendent who had accompanied Bollert to the -railway station, asked, “Was not that the attorney-general?” -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">173</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI<br /> - -<span class="medium">TYPICAL MURDERERS</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Andrew Bichel, the German “Jack the ripper,” murders many -women for their clothes—John Paul Forster murders a -corn-chandler in Nürnberg and his maid-servant—Mysterious -circumstances cleared up by clever inferences—Circumstantial -evidence conclusive—Sentenced to perpetual -imprisonment in chains—Rauschmaier, the murderer -of a poor charwoman, detected by his brass finger ring—Sentenced -to death and decapitated—The murder of -August von Kotzebue, the German playwright, by Karl -Sand, to avenge the poet’s ridicule of liberal ideas—Wide -sympathy expressed for the murderer and strange scene at -the scaffold.</p> - -<p>A chapter may be devoted to some of the especially -remarkable murders recorded in German -criminal annals, which go to prove that the natives -of northern regions, while outwardly cold-blooded -and phlegmatic, will yield readily to the passions -of greed, lust and thirst for revenge. The case of -Riembauer, the abominably licentious priest, who -murdered the victims he seduced, and who long bore -the highest reputation for his piety and persuasive -eloquence, rivals any crime of its class in any country. -Germany has also had her “Jack the ripper,” -in Andrew Bichel, who destroyed poor peasant -women for the pettiest plunder. Murders have been -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">174</span> -as mysterious and difficult of detection as that of -Baumler and his maid-servant at Nürnberg, and -conversely, as marvellously discovered as by the telltale -brass ring inadvertently dropped by the murderer -Rauschmaier when dismembering his victim’s -corpse. The murder of the poet Von Kotzebue by -the student Karl Sand was a crime of exaggerated -sentimentalism which attracted more sympathy than -it deserved. Quite within our own times the killing -of an infant boy at Xanten unchained racial animosities -and excited extraordinary interest.</p> - -<p>Let us consider first the case of Andrew Bichel, -a Bavarian who lived at Regendorf at the beginning -of the nineteenth century. He was to all outward -seeming well-behaved and reputable, a married man -with several children and generally esteemed for his -piety. But secretly he was a petty thief who robbed -his neighbours’ gardens and stole hay from his -master’s loft. His nature was inordinately covetous -and he was an abject coward, whose crimes were -aimed always at the helpless who could make no -defence. No suspicion was aroused against Bichel -for years. Girls went to Regendorf and were never -heard of again. One, Barbara Reisinger, disappeared -in 1807 and another, Catherine Seidel, the -year after. In both cases no report was made to -the police until a long time had elapsed, and a first -clue to the disappearance of the Seidel girl was obtained -by her sister, who found a tailor making up -a waistcoat from a piece of dimity which she recognised -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">175</span> -as having formed part of a petticoat worn by -Catherine when she was last seen. The waistcoat -was for a certain Andrew Bichel, who lived in the -town and who at that time followed the profession -of fortune-teller.</p> - -<p>Catherine Seidel had been attracted by his promises -to show her her fortune in a glass. She was -to come to him in her best clothes, the best she had, -and with three changes, for this was part of the -performance. She went as directed and was never -heard of again. Bichel, when asked, declared she -had eloped with a man whom she met at his house. -Now that suspicion was aroused against him, his -house in Regendorf was searched and a chest full -of women’s clothes was found in his room. Among -them were many garments identified as belonging -to the missing Catherine Seidel. One of her handkerchiefs, -moreover, was taken out of his pocket -when he was apprehended. Still there was no direct -proof of murder. The disappearance of Seidel was -undoubted, so also was that of Reisinger, and the -presumption of foul play was strong. Some crime -had been committed, but whether abduction, manslaughter, -or murder was still a hidden mystery. -Repeated searchings of Bichel’s house were fruitless; -no dead bodies were found, no stains of blood, -no traces of violence.</p> - -<p>The dog belonging to a police sergeant first ran -the crime to ground. He pointed so constantly to -a wood shed in the yard and when called off so persistently -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">176</span> -returned to the same spot, that the officer -determined to explore the shed thoroughly. In one -corner lay a great heap of straw and litter, and on -digging deep below this they turned up a quantity -of human bones. A foot deeper more remains were -found and near at hand, underneath a pile of logs -by a chalk pit, a human head was unearthed. Not -far off was a second body, which, like the first, had -been cut into two pieces. One was believed to be the -corpse of Barbara Reisinger; the other was actually -identified, through a pair of pinchbeck earrings, as -that of Catherine Seidel.</p> - -<p>Bichel made full confession of these two particular -crimes. The Reisinger girl he had killed when -she came seeking a situation as maid-servant. He -was tempted by her clothes. To murder her he had -recourse to his trade of fortune-telling, saying he -would show her in a magic mirror her future fate, -and producing a board and a small magnifying -glass, he placed them on a table in front of her. -She must not touch these sacred objects; her eyes -must be bandaged and her hands tied behind her -back. No sooner had she consented than he stabbed -her in the neck, and after completing the hideous -crime, appropriated her paltry possessions.</p> - -<p>A complicated and for a time mysterious murder -committed at Nürnberg in 1820 may be inserted -here, as it throws some light upon the prison system -of those days. A rich corn-chandler named -Baumler was violently put to death in his own house -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">177</span> -in the Königstrasse late one evening, and with him -his maid-servant, Anna Schütz, who lived with him -alone. It was noticed that his shop remained closed -one morning in September much later than five -o’clock, his usual hour for beginning business. -With the sanction of the police, some of his neighbours -entered the house through the first floor windows -by means of a ladder. They came upon a -scene of wild disorder; drawers and chests had been -broken open and ransacked with all the appearances -of a robbery. Descending to the ground floor, the -corpse of the maid-servant was discovered in a -corner close to the street door, and soon the body -of Baumler was found lying dead in the parlour by -the stove.</p> - -<p>There was little doubt that the master had been -killed before the maid. She had been last seen alive -the night before by the baker near-by, whose shop -she had visited to purchase a couple of halfpenny -rolls, and in answer to a question she had said there -were still some customers drinking in Baumler’s -shop. Corn-chandlers had the right of retailing -brandy and the place was used as a tavern. The -murderer was almost certainly one of those drinking -in the shop, and the last to leave. The maid -must have been attacked as soon as she returned, -for the newly purchased rolls were picked up on -the floor where she had evidently dropped them in -her fright. She had apparently been driven into -the corner of the shop and struck down. Baumler -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">178</span> -must have been killed first, for he would certainly -have come to the maid’s rescue when she gave a -first cry of alarm. His body was found near the -overturned stool on which he sat of an evening -smoking his pipe, which lay under him with several -small coins fallen out of his pocket when rifled by -the murderer. The drawers and receptacles of the -shop had been thoroughly ransacked and a large -amount of specie had been removed, although a -repeater watch and other valuables were overlooked.</p> - -<p>The murderer had evidently acted with much circumspection. -The entrance to the shop during -working hours was by a glass door which was unhinged -at night and a solid street door substituted, -usually about eleven o’clock. The change had been -made three-quarters of an hour earlier than usual, -and the place had been closed, no doubt to prevent -premature discovery of the bloody drama. All was -dark and quiet by half past ten, although the miscreant -was still inside, seeking his plunder, washing -off the bloodstains and changing his clothes. He -had taken possession of several of Baumler’s garments, -and this imprudence, so frequently shown by -murderers, contributed to his detection.</p> - -<p>Suspicion soon fell upon a stranger who had -visited the shop at an early hour in the evening and -had remained there alone after nine o’clock, when -the other guests had left. All agreed in their description -of him as a man of about thirty, dark, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">179</span> -black haired and with a black beard, who wore a -dark great-coat and a high beaver hat; he described -himself as a hop merchant and sat with a glass of -red clove brandy before him, his eyes fixed on the -ground, saying that he was waiting for a friend. -He was easily identified as a certain Paul Forster -lately discharged from prison, whose father was a -needy day labourer with vicious daughters. The -son Paul lived with a woman named Preiss, in -whose house he was arrested, together with the -woman, and a substantial sum in cash was found on -the premises. Next day Forster was recognised by -the waiter at an inn as the man who had entrusted -an overcoat of dark gray cloth to his keeping. The -coat when produced was seen to be soaked in blood. -Forster himself was wearing another, a blue overcoat, -which soon proved to have belonged to Baumler.</p> - -<p>On reaching Nürnberg, both prisoners were confronted -with the bodies of the two murdered persons. -Forster viewed them with great unconcern, -but the woman Preiss was visibly shocked. Forster’s -movements on the night of the crime were -traced, and he was shown to have visited his father’s -house just after the murder, also it was proved that -his sister had given him an axe some time before -to take into the town to be ground, and this was -found in his house lying behind the stove wrapped -in a wet rag, and visibly stained with blood.</p> - -<p>The circumstantial evidence against Forster was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">180</span> -conclusive. The blood-stained great-coat, the possession -of Baumler’s property and clothes, and his -presence at the scene of the crime were significant -facts. The accused felt that all this surely tended -to convict him, but he thought out a line of defence -in the quiet of his prison cell. He sought to throw -the blame upon others. He invented two persons, -relatives of the murdered Baumler, who, he said, invited -him, Forster, to go with them to Nürnberg -where they promised him work, and from them he -got, as a gift, the incriminating clothes. This fictitious -story could not be sustained. The two relations -did not exist and they had had no dealing, as -pretended, with Forster. The whole defence was a -failure, but not the less did the accused persist in -his denials of guilt and fight strenuously with the -examining judge. He was questioned on thirteen -separate occasions and replied to thirteen hundred -questions, after being confronted with innumerable -victims. No confession could be wrung from him, -and without it no sentence of capital punishment -was admissible in the Bavarian courts. He held -out obstinately to the last, under a well assumed -cloak of calmness, gentleness and piety, as if submitting -passively to a fate he did not deserve. He -must have seen toward the end of his trial that the -truth could not be overcome by his fables and cunning -evasions, but he remained unmoved and, as -his reward, escaped with his life.</p> - -<p>The sentence passed upon him was perpetual imprisonment -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">181</span> -in chains and it was endured in the fortress -of Lichtenau in Hesse-Cassel. His behaviour -in gaol was in keeping with his dogged, unemotional -character. He bore his heavy punishment in impenetrable -silence for years. His unbending obstinacy -of demeanour was partly due to his callous, -apathetic temperament, his unyielding power of -physical endurance and his exalted personal pride. -He liked to think that by stolid endurance he was -proving his heroism. He boasted of his unbroken -steadfastness of purpose, “Believe me,” he told a -fellow prisoner, “I shall never confess; I shall resist -all persuasion to do so until my last dying -breath. I never gave way all my life in anything -I undertook. I hug my chains.” He did so, literally, -treating them as a badge of honour, a tribute -to his constancy, and set himself in his leisure hours -to polish them till they shone like silver. He delighted -in the manifest admiration of his fellows, -and at one time conversed with them freely, giving -picturesque descriptions of his adventurous career -and enlarging with evident pleasure on the details -of his principal crime. He was often sullen and -insubordinate and would do no work; no punishment -would compel him or break his spirit; when -they flogged him, he offered his back to the lash -with the utmost indifference, taking the strokes -without moving a muscle or uttering a sound, -calmly protesting that they might do what they liked -with his body, his spirit was unconquerable. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">182</span></p> - -<p>Forster’s countenance was vulgar and heavy, his -face was long, with an unusual development of chin -in contrast with a narrow forehead; this gave a -harsh revolting animal expression to his fixed and -unvarying features, in which the large prominent -eyes alone showed signs of baleful activity.</p> - -<p>In one of the remote quarters of the town of -Augsberg, a charwoman of the name of Anna Holzmann -lived in a shoemaker’s house. She was -rather more than fifty years of age and, on account -of her poverty, was in the habit of receiving relief -from charitable institutions. It was thought by -some, however, that she was not really in poor circumstances. -She had good clothes and other possessions, -for which she was envied. She evidently -had more beds and furniture than she required for -her own use, for she was able to take in two men -as lodgers, who paid her rent and occupied a room -next to her own. It was generally rumoured, moreover, -that Mother Holzmann, although receiving -alms, had put by quite a considerable sum and had -a pot full of money saved.</p> - -<p>On Good Friday, 1821, which fell on April 20th, -Mother Holzmann was seen for the last time. -From that day she disappeared and left no trace. -Her two lodgers, after awaiting her return for -several days in vain, vacated their quarters. One, -called George Rauschmaier, was the first to go. His -companion, who bore the name of Josef Steiner, -waited rather longer, and then he, too, took his -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">183</span> -departure. Believing the absent woman Holzmann -would presently return, they had notified the fact of -her disappearance only to the proprietor of her -house who lived in the next street. This man took -over all the keys which his tenant had left behind, -but, seeing nothing particularly remarkable in the -circumstance of the woman’s disappearance, he forbore -to report it to the police until May 17th. The -police immediately notified a magistrate, who caused -Anna Holzmann’s nearest relatives, her brother and -sister-in-law, to be questioned. The brother shared -the prevailing impression that she had probably -committed suicide. It was the general belief that -she was a usurer who lent out money at high interest, -and it was thought she had probably been defrauded -of a large sum, and that when she found she -could not pay her rent, she had no doubt drowned -herself.</p> - -<p>The seals which had been placed upon her property -were now broken and an inventory made of -her possessions. The brother and sister-in-law testified -that the best articles were missing, and the -pot of money which she was supposed to keep by -her was not unearthed, nor any other hidden treasures. -In all this there was nothing to arouse any -suspicion of foul play, except a dreadful odour pervading -the room, which greatly incommoded the -persons engaged in drawing up the inventory. It -was argued that a closer examination of the premises -ought to be made, but for lack of any suspicious -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">184</span> -evidence pointing to a crime having been committed, -the further search was postponed. Nothing occurred -until early in the new year, when it so happened -that one day in January a laundress and her -son wanted to dry linen in the attic of the house -which Holzmann had occupied. In this attic, as -was indeed the case throughout the wretched tenement, -brooms and dustpans had never played a great -part, and dust, old straw and other rubbish covered -the floor and all the corners. Having kicked away -some of the refuse with their feet, the two workers -came upon something solid, which on closer inspection -they discovered to be the thigh, leg and foot -of a human body. Mother and son at once became -convinced that these were the remains of the missing -woman, and they hastened to acquaint the legal -authorities with the facts of their ghastly discovery. -A deputation from the courts of justice immediately -proceeded to the spot and found, among the straw -and refuse in the corner of the garret, a naked left -thigh with the leg and part of a foot attached. -About six paces further on, inserted between the -chimney and the roof, was a human trunk without -head, arms or legs. On closer search, an old petticoat -with a bodice and a red neckerchief were disclosed, -the whole thickly coated with blood. These -garments were immediately identified by the persons -living in the tenement as having been worn -by the woman Holzmann.</p> - -<p>The search was now pressed forward still more -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">185</span> -energetically, and under the floor, concealed by one -of the boards and in close proximity to the chimney, -a right arm was found. The rotten boards in -the small room Holzmann’s lodgers had occupied -were now further loosened and broken up, and a -large bundle was uncovered. When the blood-drenched -petticoat, which formed its outer covering, -was unwrapped, there came to light a compressed -right thigh with the leg and part of the -foot, and separately enclosed in an old linen shirt, -a left arm bent together at the elbow joint. All -these limbs, as well as the trunk, were shrivelled -like smoked meat and much distorted from long -pressure. The process of decomposition had not -set in, owing to the draught of air or from some -other unknown causes. Now, with the idea of restoring -them to their natural shape, the limbs were -soaked in water for some days, then enveloped in -cloths damped with spirits and stretched out as -much as possible to prepare them for the autopsy, -at which it was easily proved that all these members -must have belonged to the same woman’s body. -The deceased, moreover, must have had small -bones and have been well shaped. The arms and -thighs had been adroitly extracted from their sockets, -and neither on the trunk nor the limbs was there -a trace of any injury capable of having caused death. -If therefore a wound had been inflicted, fatal to -life, it must have struck that portion of the body -which was missing, and in spite of all research could -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">186</span> -not be brought to light, namely, the head of the -victim. But even without the head, the dismembered -limbs were identified as having belonged to -the vanished Anna Holzmann. This there was -abundant evidence to show.</p> - -<p>A sure clue was presently found with regard to -the head. Near the house inhabited by the deceased, -a canal passed, receiving its water from the Lech; -there were several of these water courses and they -flowed through Augsberg with strong currents. -The overseer of a factory, situated on the bank of -this canal, had found, as far back as the Whitsuntide -of the previous year, a human skull in the -water, which might have come from a charnel -house. He had examined it, had showed it to his -brother, and then had thrown it back into the water -to avoid any troublesome investigations. The skull -was small, entirely stripped of flesh and only two -or three teeth remained in the jaw. This head corresponded -with that of Anna Holzmann as described -by her relations. Obviously, if she had been -murdered and dismembered, the easiest way of disposing -of the head was to fling it into the canal at -night time. As the water from the canal flowed -back into the Lech, it would be swiftly carried away.</p> - -<p>Another possibly important clue had been obtained -when the corpse was laid out for the postmortem. -The doctor, in trying to straighten out -the left arm, had seen a brass finger ring drop to -the floor from the inner bend of the elbow. This -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">187</span> -ring had not belonged to Mother Holzmann. No -doubt it was the property of the murderer and, in -the excitement of carrying on the dismembering -process, it must have slipped off his finger unknown -to him. The arm of the dead woman had caught -and detained it. Here was conclusive evidence at -first hand. But to whom did the ring belong? No -one could say. Suspicion at once fell on the former -lodgers of Anna Holzmann. They were the last -persons who admitted having seen her and they had -remained in the house without giving notice of her -disappearance. Besides, who but they could have -accomplished the dismemberment of the corpse, for -which time and freedom from interruption were -essential? Again, it was in the room occupied by -them that a portion of the body had been disinterred. -Rauschmaier had plainly prevaricated; he -had stated on oath before the court of justice that -his landlady had gone away on Good Friday with -another woman, leaving him the keys of the lodging; -yet this statement was, according to the clear -evidence adduced, a distinct lie. It also developed -that on the Saturday after Good Friday, Rauschmaier -had, with the help of his sweetheart, carried -off a part of Holzmann’s property and sold or -pawned the articles. This was deemed sufficient -ground for his arrest.</p> - -<p>Rauschmaier had not left Augsberg and his -lodging was well known. When apprehended, he -behaved with a mixture of calm indifference and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">188</span> -seemingly absolute ingenuousness. He denied all -knowledge of any crime committed on the woman -Holzmann and again declared that she had gone -away on Good Friday with another woman whom -he did not know, leaving her keys in his charge. -When taken to the cemetery and shown the corpse -with its dismembered limbs pieced together, he exhibited -no emotion and declared that he did not -recognise the body. After being detained till the -end of January, he begged to be brought before a -magistrate and requested to be set at liberty. On -the following day, however, he admitted that he had -allowed himself to be tempted to take possession of -some of his landlady’s belongings during her absence. -Yes, he was the thief. He also confessed that -his sweetheart had removed the stolen goods with -his knowledge and consent. With this frank avowal, -all hope of further elucidation seemed at an end. -There was nothing against him but that he had -been the last to see the murdered woman; that he -had omitted to report her disappearance; that he -had excellent opportunities for murdering and dismembering -her and that he was clearly a thief. But -there were no witnesses to prove him worse.</p> - -<p>The judge felt convinced of Rauschmaier’s guilt. -Another circumstance told against him. Among -his effects there was a paper of a kind well known -to the police. It was printed at Cologne, was ornamented -at the top with pictures of saints and purported -to be a charter of absolution from all sins -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">189</span> -and crimes however heinous, and it was claimed -that it had been written by “Jesus Christ and sent -down to earth by the angel Michael.” These worthless -documents were often palmed off on the superstitious -in those days.</p> - -<p>The examining judge now proceeded with circumspection. -Instead of making more searching investigations -into the murder, he dropped it entirely -and, pretending to be occupied only with the theft, -questioned the culprit solely in regard to this. The -woman Holzmann’s clothes were spread out before -Rauschmaier, and he was inveigled into recognising -all of them. But various little trinkets had been included, -which had been found in his room and -about the ownership of which some doubt existed. -Among them were two earrings, two gold hoops -and the brass ring already mentioned, which the -corpse had tightly pressed in her left arm. The -judge now seemed on the point of closing the examination, -as though he took it as a matter of -course that Rauschmaier, who had admitted so -much, would not hesitate to confess that he had also -stolen these trifling pieces of jewelry as well. -“No,” the accused exclaimed, suddenly protesting -against the supposed injustice, “these are mine, my -own property.” The judge strongly urged him to -make no mis-statements but to stick to the truth. -Nevertheless Rauschmaier continued to assert with -great violence that the earrings, the hoops and the -brass ring really belonged to him. He declared that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">190</span> -he had always been in the habit of wearing the -ring, and, as the judge still shook his head, Rauschmaier -drew the ring on to show that it fitted the -little finger of his right hand. It did so, but very -loosely, and it could be twisted about from one -side to the other. This betrayed him. He was -further interrogated, and the judge laid much stress -upon the suspicious circumstance, whereupon -Rauschmaier broke down utterly and made full confession -of his guilt.</p> - -<p>He had been an idler from his childhood and, -after serving in the Franco-Russian war, he deserted -and was often an inmate of the house of -correction at Augsberg. When free, he had supported -himself in various ways in that city till he -became a lodger in the house of the ill-fated woman -Holzmann, whom he had resolved to kill on finding -that she had so many valuable things and was supposed -to possess much money. He was long undecided -as to the method of doing the deed, but at -last chose strangling as the easiest form of death -and because it could be carried out without noise -or leaving traces of blood; and he had heard doctors -say that a strangled and suffocated corpse -yielded little blood when dismembered. His opportunity -came on the morning of Good Friday, when -all the people in the house were at church and the -lodger, Steiner, had gone out. Silence reigned in the -tenement; he was alone in the upper story with the -woman Holzmann. He stepped into her room and, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">191</span> -without a word of warning, seized his victim around -the throat with both hands and pressed his thumbs -against her wind-pipe for the space of four or five -minutes until he had murdered her outright. Then, -when certain of the fact, he threw the corpse down -and hastened to ransack her chest, which he found -practically empty. Instead of a great treasure, he -came upon only eight kreutzers and two pennies, and -nothing more was brought to light after further -minute search. He had strangled her for a few -coppers.</p> - -<p>Concealment was now imperative. After a quarter -of an hour the corpse was cold, and he dragged -it out through the door into the garret adjoining. -He then proceeded to the ghastly work of dismemberment, -and acquitted himself of the horrible task -with the greatest adroitness, thanks to the knowledge -he had acquired when campaigning, from -watching the Russian surgeons at the same work. -His labours occupied only a quarter of an hour. -His plan for disposing of the limbs has already -been described. Rauschmaier was condemned to -be beheaded, but the additional sentence that he -should previously stand in the pillory was remitted.</p> - -<p>Besides Rauschmaier, his sweetheart and the -other lodger, Josef Steiner, had been involved as -suspects in the cross-examination. The woman’s -guilt consisted only in her having assisted in selling -the stolen goods, and she came off with a trifling -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">192</span> -punishment. Steiner’s connection with the principal -crime was looked upon in a different light and was -more complicated. This man caused much perplexity -to the judge. In point of education and intelligence -he was far inferior to his late room-mate. -He could not be sworn because, although thirty-four -years of age, he could not be brought to understand -the nature and meaning of an oath. The judge -declared that Steiner was on the borderland of insanity -and on the lowest level of intelligence. -When interrogated, he at first denied any knowledge -of the crime, but later he practically became a -witness for the prosecution and his evidence helped -materially to secure conviction. Steiner himself -was acquitted.</p> - -<p>At Mannheim, on March 23, 1819, August von -Kotzebue, the eminent German playwright, author -of the famous play <i>The Stranger</i>, was stabbed -to death by a hitherto unknown student named -Karl Ludwig Sand. It was a murder of sentiment, -not passion, and inflicted with cold-blooded calmness, -to vindicate the liberal tendencies of the age -exhibited by the so-called “Burschenshaft” movement, -which Kotzebue had unsparingly ridiculed -and satirised by his writings. Immense sympathy -for the criminal was evoked in Germany; the heinous -deed was approved by even the right-thinking, -phlegmatic Germans, and tender-hearted women -wept in pity for the assassin. His last resting place -was decked with flowers, and he was esteemed a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">193</span> -martyr to the cause of romanticism, while no one -regretted the great dramatic poet.</p> - -<p>As a youth, Sand suffered much from depression -of spirits and pronounced melancholia. He was a -patriot even to fanaticism, and showed it in his -fierce hatred of the Napoleon who had enslaved his -country. He could not bring himself to attend a -review of French troops by Napoleon, lest he -should attack him and so risk his own life. After -the return from Elba, he entered the Bavarian service -and narrowly escaped being present at the battle -of Waterloo. At the end of the war he matriculated -at the university of Erlangen and became affiliated -with the “universal German students’ association,” -the Burschenshaft, to which he vowed the most enthusiastic -devotion. “It became,” says a biographer, -“his one and all, his state, his church, his -beloved.”</p> - -<p>This guild did not develop very rapidly. But its -leading members selected a meeting place situated -on a hill in the vicinity of Erlangen. Here, after -smoothing the ground and piling up stones to serve -as seats, the students held a consecration feast at -which punch and beer were freely indulged in. -Hot discussions, followed by reconciliation, interrupted -the proceedings. Dancing was indulged in -around a fire, under the rays of the moon which -shone through the pine trees, until the tired and -probably somewhat intoxicated students, including -Sand, lay down in different parts of the ground to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">194</span> -sleep off their excitement. From Erlangen Sand -moved to Jena, where he was a much less prominent -student, and his life was uneventful, but when he -left after eighteen months’ residence there, it was -for Mannheim with daggers in his breast and a -matured purpose of slaying Kotzebue. He had -satisfied himself, after much inward conflict, that -by killing the satirist he would be rendering a supreme -service to the Fatherland. He was now possessed -with a passion for notoriety. At Erlangen -he had championed a good cause; at Jena his activity -had perforce ceased, and the desire to do some -remarkable deed had grown upon him. Constantly -hungering for an opportunity to make himself celebrated, -he resolved at least he would become a -martyr if he could not be a hero.</p> - -<p>No obvious reason existed for his attack upon -Kotzebue. The poet had many foibles and failings, -it is true, but he had done nothing to deserve to be -struck down by the dagger of a fanatic in the cause -of virtue, liberty and the Fatherland. He had indeed -ridiculed the outburst of German national feeling -which was now being developed, and thereby -gave great offence to the youthful enthusiasts. He -was employed as a correspondent by the Russian -government, to report upon German conditions, -literary, artistic and intellectual. Men of ability -were often chosen in a like capacity by the Russian -and other governments, and their calling was regarded -as a perfectly honourable one. Kotzebue, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">195</span> -however, wrote of Germany in a malevolent spirit. -His vanity had been wounded by the public burning -of his “History of the Germans,” and this, no -doubt, inspired the bitter sarcasm with which he -attacked the German character, though his strictures -were taken much too seriously by the Germans of -that day.</p> - -<p>Before Sand left Jena for Mannheim, he had a -long dagger fashioned out of a French cutlass of -which he made the model himself. This was the -dagger which actually penetrated Kotzebue’s breast. -Sand called it his “little sword.” On arrival, he -engaged a guide to take him to the house where -Kotzebue lived. The poet was not at home. Sand -gave his name as Heinrichs from Mitau to the -maid, and she appointed a time between five and six -o’clock in the afternoon for him to call again. Soon -after five o’clock he stood once more in front of -Kotzebue’s door. The servant, who admitted him -at once, went up-stairs to announce him and then -called to him to follow, and after some further preliminaries -ushered him into the family sitting room. -Kotzebue presently entered from a door on the left. -Turning toward him, Sand bowed, of course facing -the door by which Kotzebue had come into the -room, and said that he wished to call upon him on -his way through Mannheim. “You are from -Mitau?” Kotzebue inquired as he stepped forward. -Whereupon Sand drew out his dagger, until then -concealed in his left sleeve, and exclaiming, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">196</span> -“Traitor to the Fatherland!” stabbed him repeatedly -in the left side. As Sand turned to escape, he -paused to notice a little child who had run into the -room during the progress of the murderous attack. -It was Alexander von Kotzebue, the four-year-old -son of the victim, who apparently had watched the -proceedings from the open door. The boy shrieked -and the murderer, who had been stupidly staring at -him, was recalled to what was happening. But for -this incident Sand would probably have escaped. -A man-servant and Kotzebue’s daughter now -rushed in and raised the wounded man, who still -retained sufficient strength to walk into the adjoining -room with their assistance. Then he sank -down near the door and died in his daughter’s -arms.</p> - -<p>The house was in an uproar and for a moment -Sand found himself alone. He fled downstairs but -was interrupted; loud cries of “Catch the murderer, -hold him fast!” pursued him, and being held -at bay, he stabbed himself in the breast with his -dagger. When the patrol appeared, he was carried -on a stretcher to the hospital. For some hours -after his arrival there he appeared to be sinking, but -toward evening he revived sufficiently to be subjected -to some form of examination. When questioned -as to whether he had murdered Kotzebue, he -raised his head, opened his eyes to their fullest extent -and nodded emphatically. Then he asked for -paper and wrote what follows:—“August von -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">197</span> -Kotzebue is the corrupter of our youth, the defamer -of our nation and a Russian spy.” On being told -that he was to be removed from the hospital to the -prison, he shed tears, but soon controlled himself, -ashamed, as he said, of showing such unmanly emotion. -In gaol he was treated considerately and allowed -a room to himself, being always strictly -watched and allowed no communication with the -outside world.</p> - -<p>On May 5, 1820, the Supreme Court of the -Grand-Duchy of Baden passed sentence on him in -these terms: “That the accused Karl Ludwig Sand -is convicted, on his own confession, of the wilful -murder of the Russian counsellor of state, Von -Kotzebue; therefore, as a just punishment to himself -and as a deterrent example to others, he is to -be executed with a sword,” etc., etc.</p> - -<p>May 20th, the Saturday before Whitsuntide, was -the day fixed for the execution. The place selected -was a meadow just outside the Heidelberg gate. -The scaffold erected there was from five to six feet -high. In spite of precautions, the news of the approaching -event spread far and wide so that crowds -poured into Mannheim. The students’ association -had agreed to mourn in silence at home. Most of -the students, therefore, came to the fatal spot only -when the bloody spectacle was over. Measures -were taken to avoid disturbances by strengthening -the prison guard, surrounding the scaffold with a -force of infantry, using a detachment of cavalry to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">198</span> -escort the procession from the prison, and providing -a detachment of artillery under arms to call upon if -necessary. Those of the educated inhabitants of -Mannheim who felt sympathy for Sand did not -show themselves outside their houses. Nevertheless, -the streets were thronged, but in spite of this -everything passed off quietly. When the scaffold -was completed, the executioner appeared with his -assistants. Widemann, the executioner, wore a -beaver overcoat under which he concealed his -sword, but the assistants were dressed in black. -They are reported to have eaten their breakfasts -and smoked their pipes on the scaffold. In the -covered courtyard of the prison Sand was lifted -into a low open chaise, which was bought for the -purpose, as no vehicle could be borrowed or hired -in Mannheim for such an occasion. Looking -around, he silently bowed his head to the prisoners -whose weeping faces appeared behind their grated -windows. It is said that during the course of the -trial they were careful when being led past his window -to hold up their chains so that the rattle might -not annoy him. When the door of the yard was -opened and the assembled crowd perceived the condemned -man, loud sobs were heard in every direction. -Upon perceiving this Sand begged the governor -of the prison to call upon him by name should -he manifest any sign of weakness. The place of -execution was hardly eight hundred feet from the -prison. The procession moved slowly. Two warders -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">199</span> -with crape bands round their hats walked on -either side of the chaise. Another carriage followed, -in which were town officials. The bells -were not tolled. Only individual voices saying, -“Farewell, Sand,” interrupted the pervading silence.</p> - -<p>Rain had recently fallen, and the air was cold. -Sand was too weak to remain sitting upright. -He sat half leaning back, supported by the governor’s -arm. His face was drawn with suffering, -his forehead open and unclouded. His features -were interesting without being handsome; every -trace of youth had left them. He wore a dark green -overcoat, white linen trousers and laced boots, and -his head was uncovered. Hardly was the execution -over than all present surged up to the scaffold. The -fresh blood was wiped up with cloths; the block -was thrown to the ground and broken up; the -pieces were divided among the crowd, and those -who could not obtain possession of one of these, cut -splinters of wood from the scaffolding. According -to other accounts, a landed proprietor of the neighbourhood -bought the block, or beheading chair, -from the executioner and erected it on his estate. -Single hairs are said to have been bidden for, but -the headsman protested against the accusation of -having sold anything at all. The body and head -were promptly deposited in a coffin which was immediately -nailed down. After it had been taken -back to the prison under military escort and its contents -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">200</span> -examined by the governor so that he might -assure himself of the identity of the corpse, it was -removed to the Lutheran cemetery where Kotzebue’s -remains were also interred. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">201</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII<br /> - -<span class="medium">THE STORY OF A VAGRANT</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">The biography of a German tramp—Miserable and neglected -childhood—Becomes a professional beggar and thief—Committed -to an industrial school—Joins a fraternity of -beggars and becomes very expert—Meets with varied luck -on the road—Arrested and punished—Gives some account -of German prisons—Perpetrates a robbery on a large scale -at Mannheim—Is caught with part of the stolen property -in his possession and sentenced to penal servitude.</p> - -<p>Germany has suffered grievously in recent years -from the growth of vagrancy. The highroads are -infested with tramps, and the prisons are perpetually -full. Every good citizen is keenly desirous of reducing -these scourges of society, but the progress -of reform is slow. It is a difficult problem, but the -first step toward solving it is to acquire a more accurate -knowledge of the true spirit and character of -these wrong-doers. One of the most unregenerate -and irreclaimable has revealed the whole story of -his life and transgressions, and some quotations -from the account may throw light on the difficulties -of the problem confronting the prison reformer.</p> - -<p>“My name is Joseph Kürper and I was born at -H. in the Palatinate on June 14, 1849. I was an -illegitimate child and I spent my early years with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">202</span> -my mother. When I was four years old, she went -to service and I, thrown on my own resources, was -forced to beg for broken victuals from door to door. -Sometimes I was driven away with hard words or -the dogs were set on me. I cannot remember ever -having owned a pair of shoes, and as a child I had -no bed to sleep in. I suffered all kinds of hardships. -When the time came for me to go to school, -my troubles increased. As I was dressed in evil -smelling rags and tatters, I was kept apart, treated -like a leper and an outcast, and if I played truant -I was cruelly beaten. Nevertheless, I managed to -evade instruction almost entirely and did not learn -much more than the alphabet. My life was that of -a poor waif forsaken by God and man.</p> - -<p>“At first I bore no ill-will to the well-to-do, and -I had no quarrel with those who had treated me so -harshly. Gradually, however, I realised my grievance -against society and began to wage war on it -by acts of pilfering, the first of which I committed -in the house of a small farmer where my mother -was in service. Tormented by hunger, I got in -through a window and stole a loaf of bread and a -few kreutzers. This was my first theft and it had -bad results for me, for, when taxed with it, I confessed -and was cruelly flogged by the farmer. Out -of revenge I killed one of his fowls every day. -Presently my mother again gave birth to an illegitimate -child, a girl, and when the little thing was -just able to toddle, she sent us out to beg in company, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">203</span> -preferring this mode of support to that of -working herself. We were beaten if we returned -empty-handed to our hovel, so I became an expert -thief in order to avoid the stick. My mother applauded -me and my success was my ruin.</p> - -<p>“At last, in the continued practice of stealing, I -committed a theft that brought me for the first time -within reach of the law. In the spring of 1860, -when in my eleventh year, I laid hands on a watch -in an empty house in the village of Kottweiler. I -broke it up into its different component parts, which -I sold separately to the children of our own village -for pieces of bread. Though the watch was missed, -I was not suspected and, growing bolder still, I soon -after audaciously possessed myself of another watch -hanging in a bake-house. This time I was caught -red-handed, severely flogged, and then taken before -the magistrate at Kusel. He put me through a -cross-examination and I confessed everything. On -my return home the village authorities vented their -rage against me by beating me black and blue, and -my little sister having let out the secret that I was -also the thief of the watch at Kottweiler, I was -again arrested and taken back by a police official -to the magistrate at Kusel, who, on account of my -youth, only sentenced me to two years’ detention at -the industrial school at Speier. I was allowed to -go home with my mother before being sent there, -and when the police came to convey me, I ran away -and managed to get over the Prussian frontier to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">204</span> -St. Wedel. Here I first begged and then worked -for a small farmer in the neighbourhood. After a -time I ran away again, taking with me the watch -of this brutal man who had maltreated me. I now -tried to live by carrying luggage at the railway station -of the town. Here I found several opportunities -for committing daring thefts and finally absconded, -after helping myself to some money from -the till of the refreshment room. After again intermittently -working and stealing, I tried to set up as -a highway robber, but without success, and was -soon arrested by a police official who had a warrant -out against me, and actually handed over to the -authorities of the industrial school at Speier.</p> - -<p>“Had this institution been the best in the world, -I should not have felt at my ease in it, as I was -like a young wild-cat or a bird of prey shut up -behind iron bars. About one hundred Catholic -children were confined there, all of them vicious -and corrupt. Those who were unversed in criminal -ways soon learned from the others. The majority, -among whom I count myself, left the school worse -than they entered. The system of education was -perfectly worthless; we were constantly beaten and, -being badly fed, we lost no opportunity of stealing -broken victuals. I must acknowledge that I learned -a great deal at school in regard to my trade, that -of a shoemaker. But I had not been long in the -place before I contrived to escape and reach the -town of Lautern. Here I was taken into the house -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">205</span> -of a worthy tradesman, to whom I told my real -name and origin; but I concealed the fact that I had -run away from Speier. He became fond of me, -and I noticed that he now and then put my honesty -to the test, which induced me to resist every temptation -bravely. As he was childless and wanted to -train me up as a tradesman, a happy future might -have been in store for me, had not fate decreed -otherwise.</p> - -<p>“One Sunday my master proposed taking me to -see my mother, and we started on our drive. I was -so afraid that the authorities of the village would -send me back to Speier that when we halted somewhere -to dine, and my master had dropped asleep, -I ran away. I wandered about homeless for a time -until at Kaiserslautern I was caught and returned -to Speier. There I soon became aware that nothing -good awaited me, and my fears were realised, for -I was deprived of my supper the first night and on -going to bed was cruelly flogged with a knout until -the blood streamed down my back. But, though -specially watched, I again escaped to Kaiserslautern, -where I was employed by an upholsterer who taught -me a great deal. Once more I was discovered and -sent back to Speier, where I was a second time welcomed -with the knout. I now made no further -efforts to escape and for the rest of my time possessed -my soul in patience. The days passed monotonously, -the only variation being that sometimes -I was flogged more than usual. We rose early, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">206</span> -dressed, washed, prayed and did our school tasks, -breakfasted on thin soup, in which there was never -a scrap of fat, and worked in the various shops until -eleven o’clock, when we dined. After that meal -came gymnastic exercises and drill. Then school -or working at our trades alternately occupied the -time until supper at seven, and we went to bed at -half past eight. Sundays were more entertaining. -In the afternoon, after service, we went to walk outside -the town. On these expeditions we stole what -we could in the way of edibles and took our booty -to bed with us to eat it during the week, though, of -course, we were flogged if our thefts were discovered, -which, however, did not deter us from -further efforts at pilfering in the institution itself. -When the two weary years were over, I had grown -into a tall, likely lad. I possessed a fair amount of -schooling and I believed myself to be qualified to -take a place as assistant to a shoemaker, being expert -at my trade. I had received no religious impressions; -principles I had none. I only longed for -freedom and to enjoy life.</p> - -<p>“My dreams of golden liberty were not to be -fulfilled as yet. On being dismissed from the -school, I was provided with two suits of clothes -and sent to Lautern, where I had to present myself -to a certain Herr Meuth, the president of a reformatory -society. He placed me with a shoemaker. I -had hoped I should be paid wages but, when claiming -them with the other journeymen, I was told I -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">207</span> -should get what I deserved, and my master proceeded -to take down a dog-whip from a peg where -it hung and flogged me unmercifully. On the following -Sunday he informed me that I was only an -apprentice and should have to serve him in that -capacity two years longer and could not escape it. -At the end of that time he offered to keep me and -pay me regular wages, but I refused, as he had so -often abused and maltreated me. He gave me my -indenture, which was, at the same time, a certificate -of good conduct. I packed my possessions and -wandered out into the world.</p> - -<p>“As happy as a king, I started on my journey to -Mannheim. I carried a satchel on my back and my -road lay through the Rhine district where the trees -were in full bloom. Arriving at my destination, I -found occupation with a shoemaker who, however, -declared that my work was not of a very high character -and paid me only one gulden a week, with insufficient -food. In everything outside of my trade I -was left to my own devices and consequently, being -of an undisciplined nature, I led anything but a decent -life. Looking back to these days, I recognise -how very much better it would be if every apprentice, -at the outset of his wage-earning life, were -forced to belong to a guild, so that he would be protected -by a strict corporation of this sort and obliged -to obey its laws. In those days I thought otherwise, -but now that I am under prison rule I regret the -license I was allowed then. I remained a year at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">208</span> -Mannheim but, as my master refused to raise my -wages, I departed one fine day and walked to -Karlsruhe, passing through Bruchsal and Heidelberg -on my way.</p> - -<p>“In Karlsruhe I likewise had the good fortune -to find occupation without undue delay. The court -shoemaker, Heim, took me into his house and gave -me good wages and, as I did piece work, I sometimes -earned from 12 to 15 guldens a week. On -Sundays I used to dress myself in fashionable -clothes, on which I spent my pay, and walk out with -a glass in my eye and a cigar in my mouth, hoping -to be taken for something far superior to a shoemaker’s -assistant. I was a good-looking lad, and -on a fine Sunday in summer I walked into a beer -garden, where I made the acquaintance of a pretty -young lady who was sitting at a table with a party -of respectable people. I represented myself as the -son of a rich man from Munich and said that my -name was Junker, that I held a position in Karlsruhe -as a confectioner and lodged in the house of -the shoemaker Heim. The girl and her family believed -my statements, and I was received with kindness -as a visitor at their house. Of course, courtship -in the guise of a rich man costs money, and -I was soon obliged to pawn my watch. A Sunday -came round on which I was unable to call on my -sweetheart; I had to sit on my stool and draw my -cobbler’s thread through shoeleather. My lady-love -came to inquire for me, and saw me in my working -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">209</span> -garb. She turned and left the house, but I followed -her and tried to excuse myself, whereupon she took -out her purse and, pressing it into my hands, said, -‘Keep it and amend your ways. I do not quarrel -with you for being a cobbler, but I am grieved that -you should have deceived me.’ I returned to my -room terribly ashamed and wrathful. I determined -not to remain a moment longer in the town, so I -paid my debts with the contents of my purse and -took my departure. It was lucky for the respectable -and decent girl that she discovered my swindling -practices before it was too late.”</p> - -<p>After this the tramp wandered to and fro, from -Baden to Offenburg, leading a precarious existence, -working as a shoemaker when he could find employment -and living royally when he had the funds, -but begging for food and half-starved when out of -luck. At last he reached Darmstadt where he -joined an organisation of professional vagrants. -Their headquarters were at a low tavern where -false passports and “legitimation” papers were -manufactured to help in confusing the police as to -the true antecedents of this semi-criminal fraternity. -He continues: “The day after my arrival at the inn, -my new colleagues joined me at breakfast and a -plan of campaign was fixed upon. I was to take -off my shirt and leave it at the inn, wind a cloth -around my neck and button up my coat to meet it; -thus attired, I was to start out, accompanied by one -of the vagrants dubbed in familiar parlance ‘the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">210</span> -Baron.’ He was to point out to me the most likely -houses for our purpose. I was to enter the first -of these and beg for a shirt, and having obtained it, -repeat the process at other houses. Thus by evening -we should have collected from twenty to -thirty shirts, which we were then to sell. By pursuing -this line of business we should have money -in abundance and live at our ease. This is a fair -picture of the mode of existence of large numbers -of journeymen lads in Germany, the children of -respectable parents who go to perdition, body and -soul. My first attempt turned out most successfully -as the Baron had foretold, and I became very -expert in my new calling. We worked as follows: -The Baron pointed out a house where I might hope -to obtain something in the way of a gift and indicated -a place where he would wait for me to rejoin -him. When the servant answered the door, I gave -him the envelope containing my false ‘legitimation,’ -and a begging letter describing my miserable -condition, and asked him to take it to his mistress. -He soon returned with my papers and a thaler, explaining -that this was the best the lady could do -for me. Flushed with victory, I ran to find the -Baron, who slipped my papers into another envelope. -He always carried a supply of envelopes -to replace those that had to be torn open. We next -went to the house of the Bavarian envoy, where I -received a gulden and a good shirt. We continued -our successful round until the evening, when we -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">211</span> -returned to the inn with our rich booty. Here every -article was inspected, sorted, valued, and later, -when the other habitués came in, the parlour was -turned into an auction room. Among the buyers -was a policeman and, as he had first choice, he -selected the best of my shirts, some of which were -quite new, for himself. Other purchasers followed, -and at the end of the evening we had disposed of -all our goods. Our ready money amounted to a -good round sum and was divided into three portions. -I had made more in this one day than I had -ever been able to earn in a week.</p> - -<p>“Our plans for the following day came to -nought. I was arrested about four o’clock in the -morning by four police officials who penetrated into -my room, pinioned me when I offered resistance, -and took me off to the police ward No. 2 on the -charge of theft. Here I was interrogated as to -what I had done with the articles I had stolen on -the previous day. I denied indignantly that I had -stolen anything at all, but I was next conducted -across the market place to a jeweller’s shop and -identified by the owner as the rascal whom he -suspected. I was quite puzzled at the unwarranted -accusation against me, although I remembered having -been in the shop on the previous day. From -the police ward I was carried to the prison and -locked up in a cell, where I remained for three -whole days, until interrogated, and, as the jeweller -persisted in his accusation, I was detained for eight -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">212</span> -days longer. Finally the jeweller, Scarth by name, -appeared, full of apologies, and admitted that the -knife he had believed to have been stolen had been -found. The end of this incident was that Scarth -compensated me handsomely for my long and unjust -imprisonment. The next morning I packed -my satchel and started for Frankfurt. I walked -from Darmstadt to Frankfurt, and only remember -that on my way I stopped at a farmhouse where, -as I found no one about, I annexed a ham. Toward -evening I reached the end of my journey and betook -myself at once to a well-known ‘inn father’—for -so we called our landlords—in the Judengasse. -It is needless to state that a real vagrant -has a perfect knowledge of all the disreputable -haunts and low public houses of the whole German -Empire. Next day I went direct to Baron Rothschild’s -house, as he was the Bavarian consul, where -I rang the bell, and, on being admitted to his presence, -was told to produce my papers. I received -two thalers and a free pass to the next place for -which I said I was bound. This was all entered -on my ‘legitimation,’ which was also impressed -with an official seal, so that it became absolutely -useless to me. As I now thoroughly understood -the manufacture of these false documents, however, -I made myself another one the same evening, entering -myself as the sculptor Burkel from Messau and -under this name and designation I spent ten months -at Frankfurt without doing a stroke of work. I -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">213</span> -made out a plan of the town and pursued my trade -of begging from wealthy families in the principal -streets, with great success. It is true that I was -arrested several times, and put under lock and key -for a few days now and then. Though warned to -leave the place or to find work, I did neither, but -ran the chance of being caught and identified.</p> - -<p>“There are many well managed inns all over Germany, -where respectable working men whose trade -keeps them moving about can be comfortably -lodged, and I will give a brief description of one -of these hostelries called ‘The Homestead,’ situated -on one of the banks of the Main, where I spent -a night during my stay at Frankfurt, drawn there -by curiosity. With my satchel packed and the air -of being a newly arrived traveller, I sat down at -a table and called for a glass of beer and a dram -of spirits. The landlord inquired if I knew where -I was, and said that though any decent traveller -might remain at the ‘Homestead’ for three days -if his means were sufficient, it was no place for -drunkards and brawlers; that brandy was not sold -and beer only in limited quantities. He then, having -asked who and what I was, and being told that -I was a sculptor out of work, said that I might stay -three days if I liked. I was eager to know in what -way this inn differed from those I had hitherto -frequented, and resolved to remain until the next -day in any case. About 8 o’clock in the evening -the ‘father’ came in again and announced that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">214</span> -supper was ready. Most of the artisans, of whom -some forty were present, ordered some sort of -meal. I asked for soup, potatoes and a sausage. -I was not a little surprised when the landlord objected -to our beginning to eat until he had said -grace. Cards and dice were not allowed, nor -cursing, singing or whistling. The only authorised -games were dominoes, draughts and chess, and they -might not be played for money. At 8 o’clock the -bed tickets had been distributed; they cost 18, 12 -or 6 kreutzers according to the sort of accommodation -required. Each man had a separate bed, -which is not usually the case in the low class inns. -I took a 12 kreutzer ticket. My expenses were so -far small, as only three glasses of beer were allowed -per head. I noted down all these details most carefully, -for I had never before been in a house of this -description, having hitherto always avoided any -place where there might be any allusion to God. -At ten the father of the inn appeared and offered -up a short prayer. Then we retired for the night. -The beds were clean and so were all the rooms, and -everything was very cheap. At half past seven in -the morning we had to be up.</p> - -<p>“My experiences in this inn made a deep impression -upon me but I confess I did not enjoy being -there; I preferred the haunts where I met loose -characters, and I enjoyed ribald songs and dissolute -companions. Consequently I left the Homestead as -soon as I could and betook myself to the Sign of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">215</span> -Stadt Ludwigsburg, where ne’er-do-weels congregate. -Here I was initiated by a friend into the art -of inveigling countrymen, small farmers and the -like, to play cards. Our first attempt was made on -a man who had just sold his produce in the town -and been paid for it. We plied him with liquor and -let him win for a while; then we relieved him of his -ready money.</p> - -<p>“Soon after this I was arrested as a disorderly -tramp and sentenced to a short imprisonment with -an injunction to find work on pain of being expelled -from the town. The yearly fair was being held at -Frankfurt, and I obtained employment on my release -with the proprietor of a menagerie. My business -was to attract people to his show, but I soon -left him, as the public refused to pay for the sight -of the sorry and starved wild beasts he exhibited. -Next I hired myself out to the manager of a puppet -show where I developed a great aptitude in the art -of manipulating the puppets. When the fair was -over, I had got together quite a considerable sum -of money and I resolved to leave Frankfurt and go -on to Stuttgart.</p> - -<p>“Stuttgart is a happy hunting ground for those -of my sort. It contains many ‘pietists,’—a sect -made up of good and charitable souls who give -freely. I remained there four weeks and did a wonderful -business. I now figured in my papers as a -compositor and on the strength of these documents -even appeared before the Bavarian consul. I had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">216</span> -collected a fine store of clothes and a lot of money -when one day, toward the end of the fourth week -of my stay, I was arrested in the Königstrasse by -a man in civilian dress who told me to follow him. -There was something in his looks which so impressed -me that I dared not resist. I was condemned -by the police actuary to fourteen days’ imprisonment -and then to be banished from the town. -I was taken to the Stuttgart prison where the governor -received me with harsh words; he was a -Swabian and the Swabians are ruder than any other -Germans; in other respects I had nothing to complain -of.</p> - -<p>“Several of my colleagues were sitting or lying -about in a large room where we were detained, and -at first they did not notice me. At last an old boy, -who had evidently been through many vicissitudes, -addressed me, and after some conversation, promised -to wake me next morning to communicate -something of importance. At three o’clock he -poked me gently in the side and then led me to a -corner of the room; there he told me that he was -interested in me and wished to contribute to my -success in the future, and that though he knew I -was a member of the guilds, still I did not understand -what most appealed to the public. At the -present time, the war being just over, soldiers -played first fiddle. He possessed an iron cross and -a genuine ‘legitimation’ as the owner of it. This -would suit me excellently, as it came from a Bavarian. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">217</span> -He was old and had no more use for it and -would sell it to me for three thalers. I was overjoyed -at this offer which promised me large receipts, -and I gladly paid the old man the three -thalers.</p> - -<p>“On my release I resolved to try my luck at -Baden-Baden. I began by purchasing a newly -published illustrated description of the French war, -which I studied carefully, and tried to form an idea -of those regions where I intended to lay the scene -of my deeds of heroism. I bought a list of the -visitors at this fashionable resort and selected my -victims. I decided to present myself in person to -German families of position, but to foreigners of -distinction I would appeal in writing. At the end of -two days I had purchased all the outfit I required -from a dealer of old clothes, and on the third day I -started out fully equipped. I had strapped my left -arm to my naked body; the empty sleeve was pinned -to my coat; on my breast I proudly wore the iron -cross; in the pocket of my blouse I carried my ‘legitimation,’ -and I had given my small moustache a -martial twist. I began with a German baron, into -whose presence I was admitted and who looked at -me approvingly. ‘Ah,’ he exclaimed, when he had -read my papers, ‘one of our “Blue Devils;” you -Bavarians must have given the French gentlemen -a rare dressing.’ ‘We showed them,’ I replied, ‘that -a Frenchman cannot wage war with Germans, Herr -Baron.’ I then told him, in answer to his further -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">218</span> -inquiries, what regiment I had served in, etc., and -that I had lost my arm at the storming of the Fort -Ivry. He said he would gladly assist a brave soldier -who had bled for his country, and gave me two -gold pieces. This gift filled me with joy and confidence.</p> - -<p>“At a country house where the family of a Prussian -count were spending the summer, I was likewise -admitted. The ladies were drinking their -coffee on the veranda. ‘Look, mamma,’ exclaimed -the daughter, ‘there comes a “knight of the iron -cross,” like Papa. And the poor man has suffered -the loss of an arm in battle.’ The young lady -seemed to me rather over-enthusiastic, but that was -all the better for my purpose, and I satisfied her -curiosity with accounts of my prowess and deeds -of daring and described how, when my heroism had -resulted in my arm being shattered by a cannon ball -during the storming of the village of Bazeilles, it -had afterwards been sawed off in the hospital. I -also told her in answer to her eager questions as to -whether I was in want, that I had an aged mother -to support and wished to buy a hand-organ. She -gave me all the money in her cash box, and when -I returned to my lodging I found a large parcel of -clothes which she had directed a servant to leave -for me. All my other visits were more or less -profitable, and the foreign visitors whom I addressed -by letter, two Russian princes, the Duchess of -Hamilton and the Princess of Monaco, each sent -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">219</span> -me a handsome present in cash. Owing to the insufficiency -of the police, I was able to carry on my -frauds unmolested until I had almost exhausted the -fashionable world at Baden-Baden. One morning -whilst I was absent a police official called at my -lodgings. Hearing of this on my return, I hastily -packed my spoils and took train for Karlsruhe.</p> - -<p>“The account of my criminal career would be -incomplete without some mention of prisons. They -play a larger part in the life of the budding convict -than many people realise, and contribute materially -to his development. While the state turns its chief -attention to the larger gaols, the smaller prisons are -often sadly neglected. If these were better administered, -fewer large houses of correction would be -required. Here the vagrants tarry, shaping their -plans; here one thief learns from another various -artifices and tricks; here young offenders are won -over to the criminal life. The principal evils of these -small prisons undoubtedly are the promiscuous congregating -together of all offenders and the absence -of occupation. It is not surprising, therefore, that -the time is passed in idle talk, and that the man who -can relate the largest number of rascally tricks he -has played should be the hero of the company. -Many an inexperienced lad listens to these anecdotes -and acquires a taste for the life of a sharper. -When to all this is added a brutal superintendent, -open to bribery, then the prison becomes a real -training school for criminals. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">220</span></p> - -<p>“Once in a prison at Baumholder I was locked -up in company with a robber and murderer who had -broken out of a Prussian gaol, and, on the road by -which he was escaping, had killed a poor labourer -for the sake of stealing his clothes and his small -store of money. One evening this sinister individual -sat brooding, his eyes glowing weirdly. -Suddenly he said, ‘Hark you; when the warder -comes round to-morrow he must be pulled in here; -you shall hold him and I will cut his throat.’ I -declined to be an accomplice in murder, and then -he threatened me and looked at me so strangely -that cold shivers ran down my back and I trembled -like an aspen leaf. He saw my terror evidently and -relented, for he offered me his brandy bottle and -agreed to drop his murderous intentions if I would -join with him in an attempt to escape that very -night. This I was quite willing to do, but our -essay came to nothing. We moved the stove and -dug a hole in the floor beneath, but we presently -came upon a beam with which we were not able -to cope, and we were obliged to fill up the aperture -with rags and bread and to move the stove back -over it to escape detection.”</p> - -<p>An account of a robbery perpetrated by Kürper -on a larger scale, and its sequel, may be told in conclusion -of this criminal’s career.</p> - -<p>“On July 4th, in the year 1873, I was crossing -the market place at Mannheim, when I met an old -comrade of mine from the industrial school at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">221</span> -Speier. We greeted each other warmly and exchanged -our experiences, which ran in a similar -groove only in that he had been more unfortunate -than myself, having already served two rather long -terms in prison. We decided to enter into a temporary -partnership, and this was the beginning of -the end. He had a theft in view promising rich -spoils, for which he required an accomplice, and -that part he wished me to perform. Nothing loth, -I agreed, and we arranged a plan of campaign. He -related to me that a well-to-do man he knew of -lived on the first floor of a house which was surrounded -by a high wall, and in an unfrequented -street, and kept his possessions in a heavy leather -trunk. He went out every evening from nine until -twelve o’clock, so that during his absence the coast -was clear. We were to convey the trunk to the -castle garden, carry it over the bridge which -crosses the Rhine, and at Ludwigshafen break it -open, bury it and take its contents to K., where my -ally knew how to dispose of them.</p> - -<p>“I liked the idea of the job, and we agreed to go -to work that same evening. Accordingly just before -ten o’clock we started. On reaching the street -in question my heart began to beat furiously and -I felt a presentiment that ruin was at hand, but it -was too late to turn back. My colleague assured -himself that the owner of the trunk was away, according -to his usual custom, and engaged in playing -cards. The street was quiet, and we scaled the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">222</span> -wall around the house and entered the room where -the heavy box stood. We dragged it out and succeeded -in carrying it to the castle garden over the -bridge already alluded to, bearing our burden slowly -and securely in this region where the police is well -represented. We passed through Ludwigshafen and -reached a field where there is a fish-pond.</p> - -<p>“Here we opened the trunk, which we found -packed full to bursting, emptied it and buried it so -successfully that the police were afterward four -weeks in finding it, in spite of accurate indications. -That same night we marched, laden with our spoils, -to Rheingönnheim, from whence we travelled to K., -where in a few hours, thanks to my companion’s -admirable business talents, we disposed of all we -had to sell at remunerative prices. Drunk with -victory, we could not rest satisfied and determined -to attempt another <i>coup de main</i>. By broad daylight -we proceeded to enter the room of a tradesman -and rifle it of all its contents. We sold everything -we had stolen except one waistcoat. This was -the cause of our undoing. My comrade carried the -garment in question, being half drunk, to a commissionaire -in the open market-place. The police -were already on our traces. Two members of the -force came round the corner and immediately took -us both in charge. We were now imprisoned, previous -to being tried, and when subjected to a severe -cross-examination, of course took refuge in subterfuge -and lies. As we were parted, however, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">223</span> -separately interrogated, we soon made contradictory -statements. My companion then decided to make -a partial confession, but endeavoured at the same -time to incriminate me as the ringleader in the affair. -When I realised his infamy, I, on my part, -did not hesitate to keep back the truth in regard -to him. On December 24, 1873, we were taken, -securely hand-cuffed, to the Court of the Assizes in -Zweibrücken, where we were condemned to three -years’ penal servitude. We entered a petition -against this sentence, but it was thrown out. On -February 5, 1874, the dark door of the gaol of -Kaiserslautern closed upon me with a clanking -sound.” -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">224</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII<br /> - -<span class="medium">SOME REMARKABLE PRISONERS</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Extracts from the experiences of a Bavarian prison chaplain—Life -history of a notorious criminal, Joseph Schenk—Early -crimes—Kaiserslautern, “The Crescent Moon” -prison—Schenk becomes known as the “Prison King”—Punishment -has no effect on him—Frequent escapes—Passes -through the prisons of Würzburg, Munich, -Bayreuth—Würger, the usurer—Plies his trade when -committed to gaol—Anecdotes of his rapacity—The tax -collector who becomes his prey—Anna Pfeiffer, a rare -example of a female hypocrite—Two recent crimes—The -boy murdered in Xanten—A Jewish butcher accused—Trial -causes an immense sensation—Gigantic sum -stolen from Rothschild’s bank by chief cashier—Eventually -arrested in Egypt—The causes of the cashier’s crime.</p> - -<p>Some other interesting types of German criminals -are described by a Bavarian prison chaplain, the -Rev. Otto Fleischmann, who spent a quarter of a -century in earnest labours among the inmates of -a great penal institution. Some of his descriptions -and experiences will be of interest and give us at -the same time the life histories of notorious criminals. -Let us begin with one Joseph Schenk, a -curious example of the old-time convict, one of a -class now rarely to be met with in the modern -prison. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">225</span></p> - -<p>Joseph Schenk was born in Berlin in 1798. His -mother was a canteen woman in a Prussian regiment. -His father, whose name he never learned, -was no doubt a soldier and a man of coarse, brutal -disposition, many of whose worst traits had been -clearly transmitted to his son. Joseph Schenk, -from his earliest days, exhibited a cruel nature; -his temper was ungovernable, his delinquencies incessant; -he was given to acts of brutal violence, -and to the last he was of an inhuman character. He -passed much of his old age in the prison hospital, -where his greatest treat as a patient was permission -to attend at a post mortem and be present at the -dissection of a corpse. It was horrible to see him -gloating over the hideous details as he watched the -autopsy.</p> - -<p>Schenk’s mother, when she left the regiment, -went to her native place, Oberlustadt, where her -son served his apprenticeship to a weaver and was -then drawn by conscription into a regiment of -Bavarian light horse. He never talked much of -those days (we are still quoting from the chaplain), -but it is certain that when the restraints of strict -discipline were loosened and he was discharged, he -rapidly fell into evil courses and developed into an -accomplished miscreant. He went home to Oberlustadt -and became the terror of the neighbourhood -as the author of repeated dastardly crimes. In -1824 Schenk was put upon his trial to answer for -the commission of three heinous offences perpetrated -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">226</span> -in rapid succession. A large concourse of -people attended the trial at the Assizes. He was -charged with rape, street robbery and murder, and -his sentence was death, but was commuted by the -soft-hearted king, Maximilian I, into lifelong imprisonment -in chains.</p> - -<p>At that time the great central prison of Kaiserslautern, -the so called “Crescent Moon,” was still -in process of construction, and the reprieved convict -was lodged in the gaol of Zweibrücken. There -he quickly developed into a prison notoriety; he -became a terror to his officers from his bold and -cunning tricks, and the admiration of his fellow-convicts. -He was known as the “prison king,” -whom no walls, however high or thick, could hold, -and who was endowed with such strength that he -could carry with ease a leg chain and bullet weighing -28 pounds. He soon acquired the deepest insight -into prison ways and was unceasingly insubordinate -and the constant contriver of disturbance. -He scoffed at all authority, sought perpetually to -attain freedom and was for ever setting all rules and -regulations at defiance. When the Kaiserslautern -prison was finished he was transferred there to ensure -his safe custody, but was still the same reckless, -irreconcilable creature. In chapel services, which -male and female prisoners attended in common, he -attracted the attention of the women and started -many intrigues by passing letters and presents to -them. When the spirit moved him, he would burst -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">227</span> -out into loud roars of laughter or mock the officiating -clergyman in the middle of the service. He -was continually engaged in tampering with officers -and guards, bribing them to carry on a clandestine -traffic with “outside” and persuading them to -supply him with food and prohibited articles. He -was a power among his fellow-prisoners, who -yielded ready obedience to his caprices and carried -out his orders punctiliously. When searched, contraband -articles were frequently found in his possession; -weapons for assault and tools to be of -assistance in his many projected escapes. Punishment, -blows and close confinement in a dark cell, -he endured with a stoical resignation which earned -him the glory of martyrdom. With the higher -authorities he comported himself cunningly, adapting -himself to their individual peculiarities; he -could in turn be cringingly civil, or audaciously -impudent, and more than one letter of complaint -against them he concocted and contrived to have -secretly forwarded to Munich.</p> - -<p>After making several attempts to escape on his -own account, he formed a conspiracy with a number -of daring convicts, the object of which was to -obtain freedom by armed force. The plot was carried -out on October 18, 1827, but proved disastrously -unsuccessful. The conspirators, who were -unable to effect the murder of some of the warders -as contemplated, were completely overpowered. A -special court met in the following year to sit in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">228</span> -judgment on the would-be perpetrators of this foul -attempt, and on June 9, 1828, Schenk, as well as -two of his associates, was condemned to death for -the second time, the execution to be carried out in -the market place at Kaiserslautern. King Ludwig, -the reigning monarch, was no more in favour of -capital punishment than his predecessor, and -Schenk’s sentence was again commuted to life-long -imprisonment in chains.</p> - -<p>His peregrinations now began, for he was transferred -from one prison of Bavaria to another, until -he had made acquaintance with nearly all. In each -his conduct was so outrageous that the managing -board always declined to keep him beyond a certain -time, deeming him a constant menace to good order. -He invariably obtained so great an influence in -whatever prison he was held that the officials were -in despair. On January 22, 1829, Schenk left -Kaiserslautern, laden with chains and escorted by -three of the most trustworthy police officials, and -arrived at the prison in Würzburg on February 1st; -he remained there until September 30, 1833. Here -every thought was centred on means of escaping. -He tried violence, and all kinds of clever schemes -and devices, and in spite of being flogged and receiving -other punishments, he persevered in his daring -ventures until the authorities of the Würzburg -prison declared that the prison was not sufficiently -secure to retain him in durance. He was now transferred -to Munich, where an interesting group of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">229</span> -most dangerous malefactors of Bavaria had been -collected and were placed under the supervision of -a strict and competent prison administrator. In -Munich Schenk underwent a series of the most -severe punishments that could be inflicted. The -governor stated it as his opinion that Schenk was -the most dangerous criminal of his kind and of his -century. He added that never during the six and -thirty years of his official life had he met with such -a combination of astute cunning, incomparable audacity -and hypocritical deceit.</p> - -<p>Schenk remained at Munich until the year 1842, -when the minister Abel succeeded in establishing -the plan he had conceived of placing the Bavarian -prisons on a denominational basis. This might -have answered fairly well had the convicts not been -allowed to alter their religion while in prison. As -it was, whoever had had enough of one institution -and desired a change, simply declared himself converted -to another belief, and was then transferred -to the fresh gaol where its professors were collected. -The convicts could change their creed as -often as they liked, but Schenk repudiated such -weakness of character, and pretended to set great -store by his Protestantism. He could not, however, -remain at Munich because it was a Catholic prison, -and at the beginning of the year 1842 he was removed -to St. George at Bayreuth. In this institution -he reached the pinnacle of his evil fame and influence. -The administrator charged with its management -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">230</span> -in the years 1848-1849 must have been a -young and diffident man, for Schenk intimidated -him to such an extent that the prisoner became the -actual master of the gaol. Seldom or never, perhaps, -has a convict occupied such a position in a -prison as Schenk did during his palmy days at -Bayreuth. To curry favour with him he was often -invited to drink coffee with the governor in the -office and while they drank it the governor discussed -with him prison problems and the proper -treatment of prisoners. It must have been a strange -sight to witness the convict in his chains on a sofa -and the director doing the honours. Of course a -peremptory stop was put to such a scandal. The -timid governor was superseded by a more severe -disciplinarian and Schenk was grievously annoyed. -He stirred up a fierce opposition to the new man, -whom he represented as a ruthless despot, and -filled his fellow-convicts with apprehension as to -the future that lay before them. They determined, -therefore, to greet this functionary with a striking -proof of their bad humour and distrust. Accordingly, -when the new administrator entered the -building on February 9, 1850, a general insurrection -broke out among the prisoners, which was only -quelled with great difficulty by armed force. -Schenk’s reign was now over. The new governor -soon knew that he had been the ringleader and took -measures to subdue his troublesome charge. Instead -of coffee, he received hard blows, and in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">231</span> -place of the sofa he was provided with a wooden -couch.</p> - -<p>Yet Schenk contrived secretly that a letter full of -complaints of the new director, whom he described -as a bloodhound hungry for the life of a peaceful, -inoffensive man, meaning himself, should reach the -authorities at Munich. The director accused was -not slow to explain the true facts; the lying denouncer -met with his deserts and was soundly -flogged. He was still untamed, however, and -fought on stubbornly until his iron constitution -began to give way. As his health declined and he -felt that death was approaching, he became for a -time singularly amenable. At last, in 1860, he -was finally transferred to Plassenburg prison, -which he entered for the first time. His old audacious -and rebellious spirit reasserted itself, and he -succeeded in breaking out of prison with several -companions. They were all promptly recaptured by -the peasants in the first village they reached, and -laid by the heels like wild beasts escaped from their -cages. When once more in durance, Schenk devoted -himself to the writing of petitions for milder -treatment, and he was granted a few small privileges, -such as the lightening of his chains. In 1863 -he was taken back to Kaiserslautern after an absence -of thirty-four years. Although feeble and -broken in health, he still enjoyed a great influence -over the other prisoners, and, when he chose, could -still incite them to mutiny and rebellion. In January, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">232</span> -1864, a violent outbreak occurred at Kaiserslautern -in which he did not figure personally but -which he had no doubt brought about.</p> - -<p>It was at this period of his career that Herr -Fleischmann became acquainted with him and -writes: “Schenk’s every thought was now centred -in obtaining a pardon. I often heard him exclaim, -‘I would gladly die, if I could but enjoy freedom -for a single day.’” His passionate appeals were -nearly bearing fruit when the inhabitants of Oberlustadt -protested, and, still remembering his parting -threats on leaving the town, hastily sent in a petition -against the liberation of so dangerous a man. -With his hopes thus dashed to the ground forever, -a last spark of energy revived and he made a final -attempt to escape from the hospital, which miscarried, -and in the end his release was only compassed -by death. For forty-seven years he had maintained -a ceaseless conflict with law and authority.</p> - -<p>Herr Fleischmann gives a graphic presentment -of this remarkable criminal, whom he first met in -the hospital toward the end of his life. “My interlocutor -was an old man in the seventies. I shall -never forget his appearance, for I never beheld a -more hideous or repulsive countenance. He was of -medium height, strongly built, and dragged one leg -slightly, like all those who have worn chains and -balls for years. His head was covered with thin -gray hair always carefully brushed. One side of -his face was completely distorted from the effects -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">233</span> -of a stroke of paralysis. Half the mouth and one -wrinkled cheek hung down flabbily; one bloodshot -eye stared dimly from its socket, but the other, on -the contrary, was light gray and quite alive, with -a look of extreme cunning. He was a man of great -natural intelligence, unusually gifted, and he had -improved himself by much reading; he expressed -himself well, possessed a keen knowledge of human -nature and often succeeded in deceiving the prison -officials by his masterly power of dissimulation.”</p> - -<p>We have to thank our reverend author for one -or two more types of German prisoners. He speaks -of one, Würger by name, who was of Jewish extraction, -but a Christian according to the testimony -of his baptismal certificate, although there was little -to prove his real religion in the records of his life. -As to the outer man, he was short of stature and -very broad-shouldered; he had an enormous head -with bushy, prominent eyebrows and teeth large -and pointed like the fangs of a wild beast. His -eyes were gray and cold but acute in their expression. -The first time the chaplain visited him in his -cell he was sitting on the edge of a big chest filled -with papers and literally in hysterics. No other -word could adequately describe the passionate outburst -of rage and despair to which he was giving -vent. When asked the cause of his distress, he asserted -with renewed wails that he was a ruined -man. The facts came out gradually. His wife had -sent the huge chest to him, because not even the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">234</span> -most astute man of business in her vicinity to whom -she had applied could disentangle the mass of promissory -notes and dubious deeds which it contained. -She had also written that no one admitted indebtedness -to him, and indeed, several of his debtors had -already run off. She said he must put the papers -in order himself and send the chest to some agent -with instructions to act for him. The box was full -of documents, and represented the ruin and wretchedness -of the impecunious victims of his remorseless -usury.</p> - -<p>The chaplain had little sympathy with his whining -regrets and strongly urged him to commit the -contents of the box to the flames, but this advice -WÜrger received with horror. It would bring his -family to penury, he declared; he had done no one -any harm but had rather been a public benefactor, -honest and straightforward in all his dealings, and -he had been ill-rewarded for his efforts to benefit -his fellow creatures. The tears streamed from the -eyes of this friend of humanity as he uttered this -lying statement.</p> - -<p>Two anecdotes told by the writer will give some -idea of the character of this rapacious creature. His -wife, who belonged to a good family, had once instituted -divorce proceedings against him. Her -lawyer insisted before the court that Würger was -essentially a bad, vicious person, but that his client -had been quite unaware of his evil tendencies before -her marriage. Würger’s lawyer then took up the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">235</span> -parable and exclaimed,—“What, the plaintiff pretends -ignorance of what sort of man my client is! -Why, it is notorious that in the whole of Pfalz there -is no worse fellow than Würger. And you worshipful -judges,” he added, “you certainly cannot -assume that Würger’s wife was the only person who -did not know anything about it.” The wife’s petition -was dismissed and Würger, on hearing the -result of the proceedings, rubbed his hands, smirked -with glee and clapped his lawyer on the back, saying, -“That was a lucky hit of yours, calling me the -worst fellow in Pfalz; you deserve great credit for -the conduct of my case.”</p> - -<p>When Würger was in prison awaiting trial, a -fraudulent tax-collector, whom an auditor had -caught embezzling public money, occupied the same -cell as the usurer. The collector was a man of fair -character but afflicted with a consuming thirst and -fit for nothing until he had swallowed many pints -of beer. He brought into prison with him a certain -sum in cash, a silver watch and chain and a gold -ring. Here was Würger’s opportunity. He saw -his companion’s funds gradually diminish by his -terrible thirst, and when they were exhausted, proposed -to buy his fellow-prisoner’s silver chain, and -offered a ludicrously low price for it. Bargaining -and haggling went on for some time but without -result, although the usurer strove hard and backed -up his offer by constantly calculating how many -pints of beer the suggested price would buy. Every -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">236</span> -time Würger mentioned the word “beer” the other -would sigh deeply until the temptation conquered -him, and finally the chain passed into Würger’s -hands. The price of the chain was consumed in -drink and the silver watch was the next to go. The -last struggle was for the gold wedding ring. The -poor collector was quite determined not to part with -it; he inwardly took a solemn oath to conquer himself -and not to sacrifice this last precious treasure. -Würger did not utter a word for some days nor -seem to notice the tortures of his mate. Finally, -however, he appeared softened by the moans and -groans of his companion who grew more and more -thirsty, and offered to help him, but only at the -cost of the ring. The tax-collector fell on his knees -and begged the tyrant to lend him the money only -and let him but pawn the ring; but Würger drove -him to distraction by ordering a pint of beer which -he slowly consumed before the drunkard. Again -and again he tempted and played upon the appetite -of the unfortunate man until at last the collector, -half mad, tore the ring from his finger and threw -it at the feet of the usurer, who smilingly slipped it -into his pocket.</p> - -<p>In prison Würger’s behaviour was cringing and -artful. At the exercises in chapel he would sit with -his head bowed, evidently cogitating over his impending -lawsuits and thinking of his gold. His -fellow-prisoners treated him with contempt, and -revelled in the knowledge that this rich fiend, who -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">237</span> -had cheated many a poor man out of his last farthing, -was now one of themselves; and on Sunday -especially they would cast up his misdeeds against -him and hold him up to ridicule. Toward the end -of his term he went to the chaplain and bought a -Bible. This reckless extravagance seemed odd, but -it became known that the chaplain bought his Bibles -at a reduced rate, and the usurer had calculated that -he could sell at a profit.</p> - -<p>“A clergyman’s task,” says Herr Fleischmann, -“is far more difficult in a prison for women than -in one for men. In the latter he has to deal with -coarseness, brutality and moral degradation, but in -the former he meets with many despicable traits: -unlimited cunning, spitefulness, love of revenge, deceit -and artifice. The man often reveals himself -as he is, while the woman, on the contrary, having -lost caste, desires to conceal her abject condition -and, with rare exceptions, assumes some part foreign -to her real nature which she plays cleverly -throughout. I was often obliged in spite of myself -to compare the man’s gaol to a menagerie, the -woman’s to a theatre or stage.</p> - -<p>“I was twenty-six years of age when I started -on my official career of activity in K. On making -my first rounds through the cells on the female side, -I found one woman sitting with her head on the -table weeping bitterly. She gave no sign that she -had noticed my entrance, but when I wished her -‘Good morning,’ she slowly lifted her head and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">238</span> -transfixed me with an uncomprehending gaze from -soft, tear-dimmed brown eyes. She was apparently -about fifty years of age and retained traces of great -beauty.</p> - -<p>“‘I am your new pastor’ I said. What is your -name?’ Then she passed her hand across her forehead -as if to dispel an evil dream and, rising from -her seat with a great show of good feeling, begged -me to excuse her seeming rudeness, but in truth -she had been absorbed in the contemplation of her -past life. She claimed to be unfeignedly grateful for -my visit and as she spoke she seized my hand and -would have kissed it had I not drawn it away. I -asked her name. ‘Ursula Pfeiffer, reverend sir,’ -she replied. ‘Very well,’ I said, ‘I will look into -your record and the next time I come we will discuss -your past.’ But she continued, ‘Let me confess -at once; I am the greatest sinner in the whole -prison, but thank heaven, I have at last found peace -within these walls.’</p> - -<p>“On the prison registers this woman’s record ran -thus: ‘Anna Ursula Pfeiffer, born at Zirndorf, -near Nürnberg, in 1813, sentenced for repeated -thefts to four years’ penal servitude. Was, from -1838 to 1863, punished forty-one times for leading -a vicious life, vagrancy and theft.’ During my next -few visits, her behaviour was characterised by reserve, -which led me to think she had realised that -she must not lay on her colours too thick. After the -lapse of some weeks, she told me her history simply, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">239</span> -without flourishes, and I recognised from her manner -of relating that I had before me a woman of -uncommon mental gifts.</p> - -<p>“Her parents had been poor people, earning an -honest livelihood, who brought up their children -respectably. They thought a great deal of their -Ursula, who always took a high place in school. -Her intelligence and her beauty, however, were to -prove her curse. She went into domestic service -with a rich Jewish family, where the son of the -house seduced her and, when the consequences of -the intrigue could no longer be concealed, she was -dismissed ignominiously. She moved to Nürnberg, -where she took to disreputable ways, and she always -had plenty of money until her beauty began to wane. -Then she gradually sank lower and lower in the -social scale, and finally became addicted to thieving, -which landed her continually in prison.</p> - -<p>“I observed my penitent closely, but saw no -reason to doubt or mistrust her. I now and then -made use of a text on Sunday to inveigh against -hypocrisy, but she continued to play the part of the -crushed and contrite Magdalen and asked permission -to take down my sermon on her slate. To this -I could not, of course, object. I would sometimes -look at the slate and compare it with my manuscript -and seldom found a word wrong. What -might not this woman have become had she been -born in a higher sphere? When her term of solitary -confinement had expired, she requested that it -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">240</span> -might be extended over her full time, and remained -for two years longer in her cell. By and by she -became a prison nurse, and not only tended the sick -with kindness and devotion but also with uncommon -skill. Her conduct was exemplary to the last, and -when she finally departed, it was with many protestations -of gratitude and the most heartfelt assurances -of reform.</p> - -<p>“Yet a few months later, Ursula Pfeiffer’s papers -were asked for by some other penal institution. -She had soon fallen back into evil ways, and was -sentenced to a fresh imprisonment. I was convinced -that my first impression of her as a hypocrite -and a dissembler was absolutely correct.”</p> - -<p>The Reverend Otto Fleischmann’s experience will -be borne out by hundreds of other God-fearing, -philanthropic ministers who have devoted themselves -to the care and possible regeneration of -criminals.</p> - -<p>Two sensational crimes committed in our own -day, and which made a great stir in Germany, were -much commented on in the journals of the time. -One was the murder of a boy of five years old at -Xanten in Prussian Rhineland. The trial took place -at the provincial court of justice at Kleve, and the -hall used was part of the ancient castle of the dukes -of Kleve, around which the legend of the “Knights -of the Swan” (Lohengrin) still lingers. The case -excited widespread interest. The man accused was -a Jew and the fiercest passions caused by religious -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">241</span> -hatred were engendered. Excesses were committed -in the town; the case became a subject of heated -dispute in the popular assemblies, and more than -once occupied the attention of the Prussian Chamber -of Deputies.</p> - -<p>On June 29, 1891, soon after six o’clock, a servant -maid, Dora Moll, found the body of a boy, -Johann Hegemann, with his throat cut, in a barn -where fruit was stored, belonging to a town councilman -named Kupper. The boy was the son of the -carpenter and coffin-maker of the place. At noon on -the same day the child, a fine and healthy boy, had -been seen playing near the barn. The wound was -a clean one and there seemed to be no doubt that -a murder had been committed, but there appeared -to be no motive for it. Soon, however, suspicion -fell upon Adolf Buschoff, a butcher and also the -superintendent of the Jewish congregation. Several -persons testified to the boy having been attracted -by Buschoff’s wife and daughter to the butcher’s -shop, situated close by the Kupper barn, on the eve -of the crime. Other causes for suspicion were suggested, -with the immediate result that Buschoff’s -property was laid waste by his enraged fellow-citizens -and “Murderer’s house” was written on his -abode. Many shops belonging to Jews were also -sacked; indignation was intensified by a report that -the boy had been done to death by a knife such as -is used by Jewish butchers, and that murder had -been committed because the Jews require Christian -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">242</span> -blood for their Passover feast. The excitement of -the Christian population grew to such a pitch that -the Jewish community of Xanten begged, in their -own defence, that a special detective might be employed -to follow up the crime. The result of this -inquiry was the arrest of Buschoff, with his wife -and daughter, and their committal to the prison at -Kleve, from which they were at last released on -December 23rd.</p> - -<p>Anti-Semitism, however, constantly rankled and -inflamed public opinion; the case was re-opened, -and Buschoff, who had settled at Cologne, was again -arrested on the plea that further suspicion had -arisen. His wife and daughter escaped, although -a warrant had been issued against them as being -also privy to the crime. Hitherto Buschoff had been -looked upon as a popular and harmless citizen, but -now feeling ran high against him and it was generally -believed that the charge of deliberate murder -would be fully proved.</p> - -<p>The court was crowded to suffocation; many -ladies looked down upon the crowd in the place set -apart for them. A hum was heard like that in a -theatre before the curtain rises, followed by a painful -silence when the prisoner entered and took his -place behind the barrier. Buschoff was a man of -fifty, strongly built and of medium height. He sat -with downcast eyes, his hands trembling; his colour -was so ruddy that, but for the signs of inward agitation -expressed in his face, it would not have been -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">243</span> -easy to suppose that he had spent a long time in -prison awaiting trial. The case lasted ten days -and many witnesses were called, but no evidence -was adduced incriminating Buschoff, who, when interrogated, -steadfastly denied his guilt. A professor -of Semitic lore and an expert in interpreting -the Talmud, was asked if murders in the cause of -ritual were anywhere justified in the Talmud. This -he denied, and other witnesses testified that Buschoff -belonged to the order of priests commonly called -Levites, who are not allowed to approach a corpse -except those of their parents or brethren. On the -sixth day, a bag belonging to Buschoff, apparently -blood-stained, was examined, but it could not be -proved to be human blood. On the seventh day, -the chief interest was centred in the evidence of the -provincial judge, Brixius, who had examined -Buschoff at the time of his first arrest. The result -was, upon the whole, favourable to the accused, as -Brixius considered many of the statements which -had been made by witnesses the result of heated -fancy and unbridled imagination dictated by hatred -of the Jews. On the last day of the trial, Frau -Buschoff, who had not as yet been called, had to -appear. The accused wept bitterly at the sight of -his wife. She corroborated the testimony which -had been given by her husband and daughter.</p> - -<p>The jury was then asked to decide whether “the -accused Adolf Buschoff were guilty of having deliberately -murdered Johann Hegemann in Xanten -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">244</span> -on the 29th June, 1891.” A speech for the defence -then followed, which lasted two hours, and in the -afternoon a second counsel spoke for the prisoner, -setting forth the innocence of the accused and appealing -to the jury to acquit him. Then followed -the judge’s summing up, which was absolutely fair -and impartial. He called attention to the fact that -the population of Germany was divided between -friends and foes of the Jews. “Before the court -of justice, however,” he said, “all men are equal. -A judge’s task is not to inquire to what religion an -accused belongs; he must have no partisan feeling.” -The jury was absent for only half an hour, and returned -with the verdict of “not guilty,” which was -received with storms of applause. So ended a trial -which produced an immense sensation, not only in -the Rhine provinces but to the furthest confines of -Germany, and was followed with strained and -feverish attention.</p> - -<p>Another great crime is of about the same date, -but of a very different character,—the theft and -misappropriation of gigantic sums by the chief -cashier, Rudolf Jaeger, of the Rothschild banking-house -at Frankfurt-on-the-Main. The story will be -best understood by an extract from the indictment -on which he was eventually charged. It stated that -on Good Friday, April 15, 1892, the chief cashier -of the banking-house of M. A. Rothschild and Sons -disappeared, but was not missed until April 20th by -reason of intervening holidays, both Christian and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">245</span> -Jewish. The suspicion of his flight was confirmed -by two letters from him posted at Darmstadt. One -was to a Frau Hoch, who sent it to the Rothschild -house; the other was addressed to Baron Rothschild’s -private secretary, Herr Kirch. In both letters -Jaeger stated that he had been guilty of embezzlement -and that he meant to take his own life. -In the letter to Kirch he carried the comedy to the -extent of sealing his letter with black, using a black-edged -envelope and placing a memorial cross under -his signature. He confessed that he had lost 1,700,000 -marks by unlucky speculations on the bourse -with money entrusted to him in the course of business -by others, including the bank. The money was -gone, he declared briefly, and he meant to expiate -his deed by death, hoping for mercy from God alone.</p> - -<p>Rudolf Jaeger first entered the Rothschild house -as assistant to his father, then chief cashier, and on -his father’s death he succeeded to the position. His -salary was 4,500 marks; besides this, he received -other payments for keeping the private accounts of -the Barons Wilhelm and Mayer Karl Rothschild, -as well as the New Year’s bonus, and such other -extras, so that his circumstances were easy. He -married in 1877. His first wrongdoing was when -he embarked upon an egg-trading business in partnership -with one Heusel, who subsequently entered -the dock by his side. Heusel was always in financial -straits, insatiable in his demands for money, and -although Jaeger had advanced the sum of 102,000 -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">246</span> -marks, he clamoured incessantly for more, and to -satisfy him Jaeger made his first fatal dip into the -Rothschild safe, which was in his keeping. For -a long time he managed his depredations most skilfully, -and his methods of throwing dust into the -eyes of the clerks under him by manipulating the -books of the bank were extremely clever. Even -when a revision of the books took place, after he -had gone so far as to falsify them, his dishonesty -was not suspected. However, he only narrowly escaped. -He felt he was on the verge of being discovered -and began his preparations for flight, in -company with Josephine Klez, with whom he had -been intimate for some time.</p> - -<p>The fugitives went first to Hamburg and thence -to Marseilles, where they embarked for Egypt. -Having arrived there, they considered themselves -safe and went about freely and openly, frequenting -different hotels. Jaeger bought many valuable -jewels for Klez in Alexandria and Cairo. The -police in pursuit were soon upon their track and -on May 10th both were arrested by the German -consul, with the assistance of the Egyptian authorities, -at Ramleh in the Hotel Miramare, and their -goods were seized. Both carried revolvers. Jaeger -attempted to draw his, but was prevented. At first, -both endeavoured to deny their identity, but in the -end they gave their real names. Jaeger maintained, -when brought before the consul, that he had lost -the greater part of the embezzled sum on the bourses, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">247</span> -but the examination of his luggage proved this to -be false, and a sum of 489,779 marks was found -among his effects. Part of it consisted in thousand -mark notes, which Klez had sewn into a pin-cushion. -She had two purses, a black and a red one; in the -first was English, French and Egyptian money, and -the second contained German bank bills and marks -in gold. On a second search, one hundred notes -of a thousand marks each were extracted from a -pillow. Among the papers seized, the most important -was Jaeger’s note book, for pasted under its -cover was a slip of paper with abbreviated figures -not very difficult to decipher, and with a complete -account of the embezzled sum and of the persons -in whose hands the money had been deposited; so, -thanks to the discovery of this memorandum, the -greater portion of the sums left in Frankfurt was -discovered.</p> - -<p>When Jaeger and Klez arrived in Germany, they -were committed to the Frankfurt prison, where a -number of their accomplices were already lodged. -Jaeger, when arraigned, pleaded guilty on every -count. The woman Klez admitted her complicity -in the flight, but denied that she was concerned in -the frauds or had accepted anything but jewelry -from Jaeger. The trial was brief and judgment -was soon given. Jaeger was condemned to ten -years’ imprisonment and, over and above this, to -five years’ deprivation of his civic rights, “because -he was so lost to all sense of decency as to leave -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">248</span> -his family and elope with a shameless woman.” -Klez was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, -Heusel to six years, and others concerned to short -terms. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">249</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX<br /> - -<span class="medium">SILVIO PELLICO AT SPIELBERG</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Spielberg for many centuries Imperial State prison—Its -situation—Originally the castle of the ruling lords of -Moravia—Silvio Pellico imprisoned there—Also Franz -von der Trenck—Pellico’s relations with the Carbonari—His -imprisonment in the Santa Margherita and the Piombi—Sentence -of death commuted to fifteen years in Spielberg—Administration -of this prison—His fellow sufferers—The -gaoler, Schiller—Prison diet—Strict discipline enforced—Pellico -is released at the end of ten years.</p> - -<p>Spielberg, in Austria, served for several centuries -as an imperial state prison to which many notable -political and other offenders were committed. -It stands on the top of an isolated hill, the -Spielberg, 185 feet above the city of Brünn, the -capital of Moravia and headquarters of the governor -of the two provinces of Moravia and Silesia. -The castle was originally the fortified residence of -the ruling lords of Moravia and a formidable -stronghold. It was the place of durance for that -other baron Von der Trenck, Franz, the Colonel -of Pandours or Austrian irregular cavalry, whose -terrible excesses disgraced the Seven Years’ War. -His unscrupulous and daring conduct gained him -life-long incarceration in Spielberg which he ended -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">250</span> -by suicide. The fortress was besieged and captured -by the French just before the famous battle -of Austerlitz, which was fought in the neighbourhood. -Its fortifications were never fully restored, -but a portion of the enclosure was rebuilt and the -place was again used as a place of durance, where -some three hundred prisoners were constantly -lodged. These were criminals largely, with a -sprinkling of persons of higher and more respectable -station who had become obnoxious to the Austrian -government.</p> - -<p>The lengthy sentence of imprisonment which -Silvio Pellico endured at Spielberg was the penalty -imposed upon him as an Italian subject who dared -to conspire against the Austrian domination. The -rich provinces of northern Italy had been apportioned -to the emperor of Austria in the scramble -for territory at the fall of Napoleon. The Italians -fiercely resented the intolerable yoke of the arbitrary -foreigners, and strove hard to shake it off, -but in vain, for nearly fifty years. Secret societies -pledged to resistance multiplied and flourished, defying -all efforts to extinguish them. The most -actively dangerous was that of the Carbonari, born -at Naples of the hatred of the Bourbon rule and -which aimed at securing general freedom for one -united Italy. Its influence spread rapidly throughout -the country and in the north helped forward -the abortive uprisings, which were sharply repressed -by the Austrian troops. Plots were constantly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">251</span> -rife in Lombardy against the oppressive -rule in force and centred in Carbonarism which -the government unceasingly pursued. Silvio Pellico -was drawn almost innocently into association -with the society and suffered severely for it.</p> - -<p>Silvio Pellico was born in 1788 and spent a great -part of his youth at Pinerolo, a place of captivity -of the mysterious “Man with the Iron Mask.” -His health was delicate; he was a student consumed -with literary aspirations and intense political -fervour, and he presently moved to Milan, where he -began to write for the stage. A famous actress -inspired him with the idea of his play, <i>Francesca -da Rimini</i>, which eventually achieved such a brilliant -success. Pellico was welcomed at Milan by -the best literary society and made the acquaintance -of many distinguished writers, native-born and -foreign—Monti, Foscolo and Manzoni, Madame -de Stael, Schlegel and Lords Byron and Brougham -among them. The author of “Childe Harold” paid -him the compliment of translating “Francesca” -into English verse.</p> - -<p>About this time Silvio Pellico accepted the post -of tutor to the sons of Count Porro, a prominent -leader of the agitation against Austria, and whose -dream it was to give an independent crown to Lombardy. -Count Porro approached the Emperor Joseph -pleading the rights of his country, and but -narrowly escaped arrest. He saw that overt resistance -was impossible, but never ceased to conspire -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">252</span> -and encourage the desire for freedom in -his fellow-countrymen. He opened schools for the -purpose and founded a newspaper, the <i>Conciliatore</i>, -to which many talented writers contributed, including -Pellico. It was a brilliant, though brief, -epoch of literary splendour, and the new journal -was supported by the most notable thinkers and -eloquent publicists, whose productions were constantly -mutilated by the censorship. In the end, -the <i>Conciliatore</i> was suppressed.</p> - -<p>Silvio Pellico, soon after his entry into Count -Porro’s household, was invited to affiliate himself -with the Carbonari but hesitated to join, having -no accurate knowledge of the aims and intentions -of the society. He was moved, however, to inquire -further and very incautiously wrote through the -post to a friend, asking what obligations he would -have to assume and the form of oath he must take,—all -of which he was willing to accept if his conscience -would permit him. There was no inviolability -for private correspondence under Austrian -rule, and Silvio Pellico’s letter was intercepted and -passed into the hands of Count Bubna, the governor -of Milan, who was already well informed of the -conspiracy brewing. He was, however, a humane -official and did not wish to proceed to extreme measures, -but quietly warned the most active leaders to -disappear, telling them that “a trip to the country” -might benefit them just then. Many took the hint -and left the city, among them Count Porro, who -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">253</span> -escaped on the very day that the police meant to -make a descent on his house. Confalonieri, one of -the chiefs, was not so fortunate. He declined to -run away until the <i>sbirri</i> were at his door and then -climbed up to the top of the house, hoping to gain -the roof, but the lock of a garret window had been -changed and he was taken by the officers.</p> - -<p>Silvio Pellico, having no suspicion of danger, was -easily captured in his house and was carried at once -to the prison of Santa Margherita in Milan, where -he lay side by side with ordinary criminals, and -also made the acquaintance of the “false” Dauphin -commonly called the Duke of Normandy, the -pretended heir of Louis XVI. It may be remembered -that a fiction long survived of the escape of the -little dauphin from the Temple prison, to which -he had been sent by the French revolutionaries, -and that an idiot boy had been substituted to send -to the guillotine. The real dauphin—so runs the -story—was spirited out of France and safely across -the Atlantic to the United States and afterward to -Brazil, where he passed through many dire adventures -until the restoration in France. A serious illness -at that time prevented him from vindicating -his right to the throne, and thenceforth he became -a wanderer in Europe, vainly endeavouring to win -recognition and support from the various courts. -The assassination of this inconvenient claimant had -been more than once attempted, and his persistence -ended in his arrest by the Austrian governor at the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">254</span> -instance of the French government, and resulted -in his being held a close prisoner in Milan.</p> - -<p>The warders of the Santa Margherita assured -Silvio Pellico that they were certain his fellow prisoner -was the real king of France, and they hoped -that some day when he came to his own he would -reward them handsomely for their devoted attention -to him when in gaol. Pellico was not imposed -upon by this pretender, but he noticed a strong family -likeness to the Bourbons and very reasonably -supposed that herein was the secret of the preposterous -claim.</p> - -<p>This curious encounter no doubt served to occupy -Pellico’s thoughts during his long trial which was -conducted by methods abhorrent to all ideas of -justice. No indictments were made public and no -depositions of witnesses, who were always invisible. -Conviction was a foregone conclusion, and the -sentence was death, on the ground that Pellico had -been concerned in a conspiracy against the state, -that he had been guilty of correspondence with a -Carbonaro and that he had written articles in favour -of Carbonarism. His fate was communicated to -him at Venice, to which he had been removed and -where he occupied a portion of the Piombi, or -prison under the “leads” of the ducal palace.</p> - -<p>After a wearisome delay, the sentence was read -to the prisoners, Pellico and his intimate friend and -companion Maroncelli, in court, and afterward -formally communicated to them on a scaffold which -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">255</span> -had been raised in the Piazzetta of San Marco. -An immense crowd had collected, full of compassionate -sympathy, and to overawe them a strong -body of troops had been paraded with bayonets -fixed, and artillery was posted with port fires alight. -An usher came out upon an elevated gallery of the -palace above and read the order aloud until he -reached the words “condemned to death,” when -the crowd, unable to restrain overwrought feeling, -burst into a loud murmur of condolence, which was -followed by deep silence when the words of commutation -were read. Maroncelli was sentenced to -twenty years’ imprisonment and Silvio Pellico to -fifteen, both to be confined under the rules of <i>carcere -duro</i> in the fortress of Spielberg.</p> - -<p>The conditions of <i>carcere duro</i> may be described -as extremely irksome and rigorous. The subject -was closely chained by the legs; he had to sleep on -a bare board—the <i>lit de soldat</i> or “plank bed”—and -to subsist on a most limited diet, little more -than bread and water, with a modicum of poor soup -every other day. More merciless and brutal treatment -was that of <i>carcere durissimo</i>, when the chaining -consisted of a body belt or iron waist-band affixed -to the wall by a chain so short that it allowed -no movement beyond the length of the plank bed. -Part of the rations was a most unpalatable and -filthy food, consisting of flour fried in lard and put -by in pots for six months, then ladled out and dissolved -in boiling water. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">256</span></p> - -<p>An Austrian commissary of police came from -Vienna to escort the patriot prisoners to Spielberg, -and he brought with him news that afforded some -small consolation. He had had an audience with -the Emperor Joseph, who had been graciously -pleased to grant a remission of sentence by making -every twelve hours instead of twenty-four count as -one day; in other words, diminishing the term by -just half. No official endorsement of this proposal -was signified and there was no certainty that it was -true, and indeed, after the lapse of the first half of -the sentence, release was not immediately accorded. -Silvio’s seven and a half years was expanded into -ten, and the imprisonment might have been dragged -on for the full fifteen years but for the warm pleadings -of the Sardinian ambassador at the court of -Vienna.</p> - -<p>The long journey to Brünn was taken in two -carriages and in much discomfort, for each coach -was crowded with the escort and their charges, and -each prisoner was fettered with a transversal chain -attached to the right wrist and left ankle. The one -compensation was the kindly sympathy that greeted -the prisoners everywhere along the road, in every -town, village and isolated hut. The people came -forth with friendly expressions, and as the news of -their approach preceded them, great crowds collected -to cheer them on their way. At one place, -Udine, where beds had to be prepared, the hotel -servants gave place to personal friends who came - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">257</span> -in, disguised, to shake them by the hand. The -demonstrations were continued far across the frontier, -and even Austrian subjects were anxious to -commiserate the sad fate of men whose only crime -was an ardent desire to free their country.</p> - -<div id="i_256" class="figcenter"> -<p class="caption"><i>Silvio Pellico at Spielburg</i></p> - -<p class="caption small"><i>After the painting by Marckl</i></p> - -<p>The gifted Italian patriot, arrested as a Carbonarist in 1820, -was imprisoned for ten years, first at Milan and Venice and -then in the fortress of Spielburg in Austria, where he was -subjected to gross indignities and cruel neglect. He wrote -of his experiences in his book “My Prisons,” which struck -a severe blow to Austrian tyranny.</p> - -<img src="images/i_256.jpg" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p>Silvio Pellico records feelingly the emotion displayed -by one charming girl in a Styrian village, -who long stood watching the carriages and waving -her handkerchief to the fast disappearing occupants -on their way to protracted captivity. In many -places aged people came up to ask if the prisoners’ -parents were still alive, and offered up fervent prayers -that they might meet them again. The same -sentiment of pity and commiseration was freely displayed -in the fortress throughout the imprisonment; -the gaolers—harsh, ill-tempered old soldiers—were -softened towards them; their fellow prisoners—ordinary -criminals—when encountered by -chance in the courts and passages, saluted them and -treated them with deep respect. One whispered to -Pellico, “You are not such as we are and yet your -lot is far worse than ours.” Another said that -although he was a convict his crime was one of -passion, his heart was not bad, and he was affected -to tears when Silvio Pellico took him by the hand. -Visitors who came in from outside were always -anxious to notice “the Italians” and give them a -kindly word.</p> - -<p>Pellico, when received by the superintendent of -Spielberg, was treated to a lecture on conduct and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">258</span> -warned that the slightest infraction of the rules -would expose him to punishment. Then he was -led into an underground corridor where he was -ushered into one dark chamber, and his comrade -Maroncelli into another at some distance. Pellico’s -health was completely broken by the long wearisome -journey and the dreary prospect before him. -His cell was a repulsive dungeon; a great chain -hung from the wall just above his plank bed, but -it was not destined for him, as his gaoler told him, -unless he became violently insubordinate; for the -present leg irons would only be worn.</p> - -<p>This gaoler was an aged man, of gigantic height, -with a hard weather-beaten face and a forbidding -look of brutal severity. He inspired Pellico with -loathing as he paced the narrow cell rattling his -heavy keys and scowling fiercely. Yet the man was -not to be judged by appearances, for he concealed -beneath a rough exterior a tender, sympathetic -heart. Pellico, misjudging him entirely, bitterly resented -his overbearing manner and showed a refractory -spirit, addressing his warder insolently and -ordering him about rudely. The old man—a veteran -soldier who had served with distinction in -many campaigns, behaved with extraordinary patience -and good temper and shamed Pellico into -more considerate behaviour. “I am no more than -a corporal,” he protested, “and I am not very proud -of my position as gaoler, which I will allow is far -worse than being shot at by the enemy.” Pellico -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">259</span> -readily acknowledged that the man Schiller, as he -was called, meant well. “Not at all,” growled -Schiller, “expect nothing from me. It is my duty -to be rough and harsh with you. I took an oath on -my first appointment to show no indulgence and -least of all to state prisoners. It is the emperor’s -order and I must obey.” Pellico regretted his first -impatience and gently said: “I can see plainly that -is not easy for you to enforce severe discipline but -I respect you for it and shall bear no malice.” -Schiller thanked him and added: “Accept your lot -bravely and pity rather than blame me. In the matter -of duty I am of iron, and whatever I may feel -for the unfortunate people who are under my control, -I cannot and must not show it.” He never departed -from this attitude, and though outwardly -cross-grained and rough-spoken, Pellico knew he -could count upon humane treatment.</p> - -<p>Schiller was greatly concerned at the prisoner’s -ailing condition. He had grown rapidly worse, was -tormented with a terrible cough and was evidently -in a state of high fever. Medical advice was urgently -needed, but the prison doctor called only -three times a week and he had visited the gaol the -day before; not even the arrival of these new prisoners, -nor an urgent summons to prescribe for serious -sickness, would cause him to change his routine. -Pellico had no mattress and it could only be supplied -on medical requisition. The superintendent, -cringing and timid, did not dare to issue it on his -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">260</span> -own responsibility. He came to see Pellico, and felt -his pulse, but declared he could not go beyond the -rules. “I should risk my appointment,” he pleaded, -“if I exceeded my powers.” Schiller, after the -superintendent left, was indignant with his chief. -“I think I would have taken as much as this upon -myself; it is only a small matter, scarcely involving -the safety of the empire,” and Pellico gratefully acknowledged -that he had found a real friend in the -seemingly surly warder. Schiller came again that -night to visit him and finding him worse, renewed -his bitter complaints against the cruel neglect of the -doctor. The next day the prisoner was still left -without medical treatment, after a night of terrible -pain and discomfort, which caused him to perspire -freely. “I should like to change my shirt,” he suggested, -but was told that it was impossible. It was -a prison shirt and only one each week was allowed. -Schiller brought one of his own which proved to be -several times too large. The prisoner asked for one -of his own, as he had brought a trunk full of his -clothes, but this too was forbidden. He was permitted -to wear no part of his own clothing and was -left to lie as he was, shivering in every limb. Schiller -came presently, bringing a loaf of black bread, -the allowance for two days, and after handing it -over burst out into fresh imprecations against the -doctor. Pellico could not eat a morsel of this -coarse food, nor of his dinner, which was presently -brought by a prisoner and consisted of some nauseous -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">261</span> -soup, the smell of which alone was repulsive, -and some vegetables dressed with a detestable sauce. -He forced down a few spoonfuls of soup and again -fell back upon his bare, comfortless bed, which was -unprovided with a pillow; and racked with pain in -every limb, he lay there half insensible, looking for -little relief. At last, on the third day, the doctor -came and pronounced the illness to be fever, recommending -that the patient should be removed from -his cell to another up-stairs. The first answer was -that no room could be found, but when the matter -was specially referred to the governor who ruled -the two provinces of Moravia and Silesia and resided -at Brünn, he insisted that the doctor’s advice -should be followed. Accordingly the patient was -moved into a room above, lighted by a small barred -window from which he could get a glimpse of the -smiling valley below, the view extending over garden -and lake to the wooded heights of Austerlitz -beyond.</p> - -<p>When he was somewhat better, they brought him -his prison clothing and he put it on for the first -time. It was hideous, of course; a harlequin dress, -jacket and pantaloons of two colours, gray and dark -red, arranged in inverse pattern; one arm red, the -other gray, one leg gray, the other red, and the -colours alternating in the same way on the waistcoat. -Coarse woollen stockings, a shirt of rough -sailcloth with sharp excrescences in the material that -irritated and tore the skin, heavy boots of untanned -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">262</span> -leather and a white hat completed the outfit. His -chains were riveted on his ankles, and the blacksmith -protested as he hammered on the anvil that -it was an unnecessary job. “The poor creature -might well have been spared this formality. He is -far too ill to live many days.” It was said in German, -a language with which Pellico was familiar, -and he answered in the same tongue, “Please God -it may be so,” much to the blacksmith’s dismay, who -promptly apologised, expressing the kindly hope -that release might come in another way than by -death. Pellico assured him that he had no wish -to live. Nevertheless, although dejected beyond -measure, his thoughts did not turn toward suicide, -for he firmly believed that he must shortly be carried -off by disease of the lungs. But, greatly as he -had been tried by the journey, and despite the fever -which had followed, he gradually improved in -health and recovered, not only so as to complete -his imprisonment but to live on to a considerable -age after release.</p> - -<p>The prisoners suffered greatly from their isolation -and the deprivation of their comrades’ company, -but Silvio Pellico and a near neighbour discovered -a means of communicating with each other -and persisted in it despite all orders to the contrary. -They began by singing Italian songs from cell to -cell and refused to be silenced by the loud outcries -of the sentries, of whom several were at hand. One -in particular patrolled the corridor, listening at each -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">263</span> -door so as to locate the sound. Pellico had no -sooner discovered that his neighbour was Count -Antonio Oroboni than the sentry hammered loudly -on the door with the butt end of his musket. They -persisted in singing, however, modulating their -voices, until they gained the good-will of the sentry, -or spoke so low as to be little interfered with. This -conversation continued for a long time without interruption -until one day it was overheard by the -superintendent, who severely reprimanded Schiller. -The old gaoler was much incensed and came to -Pellico forbidding him to speak again at the window. -“You must give me your solemn promise -not to repeat this misconduct.” Pellico stoutly replied: “I -shall promise nothing of the kind; silence -and solitude are so absolutely unbearable that unless -I am gagged I shall continue to speak to my comrade; -if he does not answer, I shall address myself -to my bars or the birds or the distant hills.” Kind-hearted -old Schiller sternly repeated his injunctions, -but failed to impress Pellico, and at last in despair -Schiller threw away his keys, declaring he would -sooner resign than be a party to so much cruelty. -He yielded later, only imploring Pellico to speak -always in the lowest key and to prevail upon Oroboni -to do likewise.</p> - -<p>The greatest trial entailed by the <i>carcere duro</i> -was the lack of sufficient food. Pellico was constantly -tormented with hunger. Some of his comrades -suffered much more, for they had lived more -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">264</span> -freely than he and felt the spare diet more keenly. -It was so well known throughout the prison that -the political prisoners were half-starved, that many -kindly souls wished to add to their allowance. The -ordinary prisoner, who acted as orderly in bringing -in the daily rations, secretly smuggled in a loaf of -white bread which Pellico, although much touched, -absolutely refused to accept. “We get so much -more than you do,” the poor fellow pleaded, “I -know you are always hungry.” But Pellico still -refused. It was the same when Schiller, the grim -gaoler, brought in parcels of food, bread and pieces -of boiled meat, pressing them on his prisoner, assuring -him that they cost him nothing. Pellico invariably -refused everything except baskets of fruit, -cherries and pears, which were irresistible, although -he was sorry afterward for yielding to the weakness.</p> - -<p>At last the prison surgeon interposed and put all -the Italians upon hospital diet. This was somewhat -better, but a meagre enough supply, consisting daily -of three issues of thin soup, a morsel of roast mutton -which could be swallowed in one mouthful, and -three ounces of white bread. As Silvio Pellico’s -health improved this allowance proved more and -more insufficient and he was always hungry. Even -the barber who came up from Brünn to attend on -the prisoners said it was common talk in the town -that they did not get enough to eat and wanted to -bring a white loaf when he arrived every Saturday. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">265</span></p> - -<p>Permission to exercise in the open air twice -weekly had been conceded from the first, and was at -the last allowed daily. Each prisoner was marched -out singly, escorted by two gaolers armed with -loaded muskets. This took place in the general yard -where there were often many ordinary prisoners, all -of whom saluted courteously and were often heard -to remark, “This poor man is no real offender and -yet he is treated much worse than we are.” Now -and again one would come up to Pellico and say -sympathetically that he hoped he was feeling better, -and beg to be allowed to shake his hand. Visitors -who came to call on the officials were always deeply -interested in the Italians and watched them curiously -but kindly. “There is a gentleman who will -not make old bones,”—Pellico heard some one say,—“death -is written on his face.” At this time so -great was his weakness that, heavily chained as he -was, he could barely crawl to the yard, where he -threw himself full length on the grass to lie there -in the sunshine until the exercise was over.</p> - -<p>The officers’ families lived near at hand and the -members, particularly the ladies and children, never -failed when they met the Italian prisoners to greet -them with kindly looks and expressions. The superintendent’s -wife, who was in failing health and -was always carried out on a sofa, smiled and spoke -hopefully to Pellico, and other ladies never failed to -regret that they could do nothing to soften the prisoners’ -lot. It was a great grief to Pellico when circumstances -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">266</span> -led to the removal of these tender-hearted -friends from Spielberg.</p> - -<p>Schiller and his prisoner had a serious quarrel -because the latter would not humble himself to -petition the authorities to relieve him of his leg -irons, which incommoded him grievously and prevented -him from sleeping at night. The unfeeling -doctor did not consider the removal of these chains -essential to health and ruled that Pellico must patiently -suffer the painful infliction till he grew accustomed -to them. Schiller insisted that Pellico -should ask the favour of the authorities, and when -he was subjected to the chagrin of a refusal, he -vented his disappointment upon his gaoler, who was -deeply hurt and declined to enter the cell, but stood -outside rattling his heavy keys. Food and water -were carried in by Kemda, the prison orderly, and -it now was Pellico’s turn to be offended. “You -must not bear malice; it increases my suffering,” -he cried sadly. “What am I to do to please you? -Laugh, sing, dance, perhaps?” said Schiller, and -he set himself to jump about with his thin, long -legs in the most ridiculous fashion.</p> - -<p>A great joy came unexpectedly to Pellico. He -was returning from exercise one day when he found -the door of Oroboni’s cell wide open. Before his -guards could stop him, he rushed in and clasped his -comrade in his arms. The officials were much -shocked, but had not the heart to separate them. -Schiller came up and also a sentry, but neither liked -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">267</span> -to check this breach of the regulations. At last the -brief interview was ended and the friends parted, -never to meet again. Oroboni was really hopelessly -ill and unable to bear up against the burden of his -miserable existence, and after a few months he -passed away.</p> - -<p>Prison life in Spielberg was dull and monotonous. -It was little less than solitary confinement -broken only by short talks with Schiller or Oroboni. -Silvio Pellico has recorded minutely the slow passage -of each twenty-four hours. He awoke at daylight, -climbed up at once to his cell windows and -clung to the bars until Oroboni appeared at his window -with a morning salutation. The view across -the valley below was superb; the fresh voices of the -peasants were heard laughing and singing as they -went out to work in the fields, free and light-hearted, -in bitter contrast to the captives languishing -within the prison walls. Then came the morning -inspection of the cell and its occupant, when -every corner was scrupulously examined, the walls -tapped and tried, and every link of the chains tested, -one by one, to see whether any had been tampered -with or broken.</p> - -<p>There were three of these inspections daily; one -in the early morning, a second in the evening, and -the third at midnight. Such scrupulous vigilance -absolutely forbade all attempts at escape. The -broad rule in prison management is obvious and -unchanging; it is impossible for those immured to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">268</span> -break prison if regularly watched and visited. The -remarkable efforts made by Trenck, as detailed in -a previous chapter, and indeed the story of all successful -evasions, depended entirely upon the long -continued exemption from observation and the unobstructed -leisure afforded to clever and untiring -hands. In the Spielberg prison, so close and constant -was the surveillance exercised that no one -turned his thoughts to flight.</p> - -<p>After the first meal—a half cup of colourless -soup and three fingers of dry bread—the prisoner -took to his books, of which at first he had plenty, -for Maroncelli had brought a small library with him. -The emperor had been petitioned to permit the prisoners -to purchase others. No answer came for a -year or more and then in the negative, while the -leave granted provisionally to read those in use was -arbitrarily withdrawn. For four full years this -cruel restriction was imposed. All studies hitherto -followed were abruptly ended. Pellico was deprived -of his Homer and his English classics, his -works on Christian philosophy, Bourdaloue, Pascal -and Thomas à Kempis. After a time the emperor -himself supplied a few religious books, but he positively -forbade the issue of any that might serve for -literary improvement.</p> - -<p>The fact was that political agitation had increased -in Italy, and Austrian despots were resolved -to draw the reins tighter and crush rebellion by the -more savage treatment of the patriot prisoners. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">269</span> -Many more were brought to Spielberg about this -time and the discipline became more severe. The -exercising yard on the open terrace was enclosed -by a high wall to prevent people at a distance from -watching the prisoners with telescopes, and later a -narrower place was substituted which had no outlook -at all. More rigorous searches were instituted -and carried out by the police, who explored even -the hems and linings of clothing. Pellico’s condition -had become much worse. He suffered grievously -from the misfortunes of his friends. Oroboni -died, and Maroncelli was attacked by a tumour -in the knee which caused intense suffering and in -the end necessitated amputation. Added to this was -acute anxiety concerning his relatives and friends. -No correspondence was permitted; no news came -from outside, but there were vague rumours that -evil had overtaken Pellico’s family.</p> - -<p>One day, however, a message was brought him -through the director of police from the emperor, -who was “graciously pleased” to inform Silvio -Pellico that all was well with his family. He begged -piteously for more precise information,—were his -parents, his brothers and sisters all alive? No answer -was vouchsafed; he must be satisfied with -what he had been told and be grateful for the compassionate -clemency of his august sovereign. A -second message, equally brief and meagre, came -later, but still not one word to relieve the dreadful -doubts that constantly oppressed him. No wonder -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">270</span> -that his health suffered anew and that he was seized -with colics and violent internal pains. Another -acute grief was due to the loss of his good friend -Schiller, who became so infirm that he was transferred -to lighter duty and was at last sent to the military -hospital, where he gradually faded away. He -never forgot his dear prisoners, “his children,” -as he called them and to whom he sent many affecting -messages when at the point of death.</p> - -<p>The Austrian government, although uniformly -pitiless and stony-hearted, was at times uneasy, -ashamed, it might be, at the consequences of its barbarous -prison régime. More than once special inquiries -were made by eminent doctors sent on purpose -from Vienna to report on the sanitary state of -Spielberg and the constant presence of scurvy -among the prisoners. The evil might have been -diminished, if not removed, by the use of a more -generous diet, but the suggestion, if made, was -never adopted. One commissioner had dared to -recommend that artificial light should be provided in -the cells, which were so dark after nightfall that the -occupant was in danger of running his head against -the walls. A whole year passed before this small -favour was accorded. Another visitor, hearing that -the prison doctor would have prescribed coffee for -Pellico but was afraid to do so, secured him that -boon. A third commissioner, a man of high rank -and much influence at court, was so deeply impressed -by the miserable condition of the prisoners -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">271</span> -that he openly expressed his indignation, and his -kind words in some measure consoled the victims -of such cruel oppression.</p> - -<p>At last the authorities were so much disturbed by -the reports of the failing health of prisoners so constantly -isolated, that they were moved to associate -them in couples in the same cell. Silvio Pellico, to -his intense delight, was given Maroncelli as his -companion. He was so much overjoyed by the -news that at first he fainted away, and after he had -regained consciousness he again fainted at seeing -how the ravages of imprisonment with its attendant -dejection, starvation and poisonous air had told -on his friend. The two continued together for the -years that remained to be served; years of suffering, -for both were continually ill, Maroncelli lost -his leg, and both were attacked with persistent -scurvy. They waited together for the long delayed -day of release, which in the case of Pellico was -greatly prolonged beyond the promised termination -of seven and a half years. In the end he served -fully ten years, but was finally released in 1830.</p> - -<p>The order reached him quite unexpectedly one -Sunday morning immediately after mass, when he -had regained his cell for dinner. They were eating -their first mouthfuls when the governor entered, -apologised for his appearance, and led them off, -Pellico and Maroncelli, for an interview with the -director of police. They went with a very bad -grace, for this official never came but to give trouble -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">272</span> -and they expected nothing better. The director was -slow of speech and long hesitated to impart the joyful -news that His Majesty the emperor had been -mercifully disposed toward them and had set them -both free. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">273</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X<br /> - -<span class="medium">BRIGANDAGE AND CRIME IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY</span></h2> - -<p class="hang">Brigandage a great scourge in Eastern Europe—The Hungarian -brigand a popular hero—The “poor fellows” and -the “betyars” or brigands on a large scale—Their methods -and appearance—Generous to the poor; fierce and revengeful -to the rich—A countess who danced at a brigands’ -ball—The Jews who were crucified and tortured—Famous -brigand chiefs—Sobry—Some of his extraordinary -feats—Mylfait and Pap—The criminal woman in -Austria-Hungary—Remarkable rogues—Weininger—The -black pearl from the British Crown jewels—Capital punishment—The -execution of Hackler in Vienna—His -brutal crime.</p> - -<p>From time immemorial brigandage has been the -principal scourge of the great tracts of wild country -beyond the eastern Alps. The penal code has always -bristled with laws against highway robbery -and pillage. The ancient nobility, entrenched in -their fortified castles or hidden safely within rocky -fastnesses, were so many freebooters and road-agents -who issued forth to prey upon their defenceless -victims. They drew around them a strong -body of vassals, peasants, herdsmen and shepherds, -and organised them into great bands of brigands, -constantly engaged in extorting ransoms and levying -blackmail in the surrounding districts. The -evil example of these lawless chieftains was followed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">274</span> -by the “free” towns, and life and property were -everywhere insecure. Reference to this state of -things is to be found in a royal decree published by -Mathias Corvinus in the fifteenth century, reciting -that “the number of criminals has so much increased -that no one is safe either on the public roads or -even in his own house.” But the most stringent -laws proved powerless to repress brigandage and -general rapine. Whole villages were devastated -by armed bands under powerful and capable leaders, -who carried their depredations far and wide -through the Carpathians. We may quote from the -record of a traveller of the seventeenth century, who, -when making a journey from Poland into Hungary, -was forced to seek the protection of an escort of -brigands to defend him from the attacks of other -brigands who dominated the mountain road and the -whole country-side. Their chief was one Janko, -who received and entertained the traveller hospitably, -and he was present at a great feast to celebrate -a successful attack upon a caravan of merchants -whom they had despoiled. He was entirely at the -mercy of these questionable friends, who proposed -to break one of his legs to prevent him from resuming -his journey prematurely. He escaped, happily, -and after thirty-six hours’ wandering reached a village, -where no one could be found to guide him -further, lest they should offend the brigands. The -band was presently captured, and the traveller was -forced to witness the tortures inflicted upon Janko, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">275</span> -who was flayed alive by his executioners; his skin -was wound round him in long strips, and he was -then hung in the sun on an iron hook, where he lingered -for three days. The other brigands were -also flayed and broken on the wheel. It was about -this time that the famous band of cannibal-brigands -under Hara Pacha terrorised Hungary.</p> - -<p>The Hungarian brigand was something of a popular -hero, esteemed for his generosity and chivalry. -He was ready for any dangerous and daring deed, -inspired rather by a thirst for adventure than by -acquisitiveness or the savage instincts of murder and -pillage. Strange stories are told to their credit. -One of them, who had been condemned to death -and was being escorted to the gallows by a pandour, -or local policeman, never forgot that he had been -regaled with a good dinner and afterward allowed -to escape. Three months later the pandour fell into -the brigand’s hands, and was treated to a banquet -in return and then set free. On another occasion, -a band of a dozen brigands took refuge in a glass -manufactory on the borders of Lake Balaton, where -they stood siege for three hours by a strong party -of pandours. Then they made a temporary truce, -invited their assailants to come in and drink, and -after a carouse together, expelled them and renewed -the fight, in which they were worsted and obliged -to surrender.</p> - -<p>There were various classes of brigands; some of -them top-sawyers who flew at the highest game, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">276</span> -others more or less inoffensive and commonly -known as “poor fellows,” the <i>Szegény Legény</i>, a -name they had invented for themselves. These last -were mostly conscripts who could not tolerate military -discipline and had deserted from the army; -they had not dared to return home, but had taken -refuge in forest or steppe, where they lurked in concealment, -issuing forth only to steal food, seizing -a sheep or a lamb from the first flock they might -encounter. The “poor companion” was not exactly -a brigand, only a tramp or vagabond who consorted -with shepherds and, keeping up an outwardly respectable -appearance, entered the villages to join in -the dances and festivities. They were most formidable -in parts of the country where they were -numerous enough to use menace in demanding hospitality. -They formed themselves into bands of -twenty or thirty and broke into isolated houses, -armed with bludgeons, or by using threats induced -the proprietors to pay them blackmail. Once a nobleman -met a “poor fellow” in the open who had -escaped from gaol, and threatened to send him back -there if he was caught stealing sheep. “If you will -give me one every year,” said the vagabond, “I will -lay my hands upon no more of your sheep.” It is -not uncommon for the “poor companion” to reform, -marry and settle down into an industrious and -well-conducted servant. They have been known to -beg for gifts in kind—bacon and bread, for the -support of their fellows in the woods. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">277</span></p> - -<p>The real brigand, known by the name of <i>betyár</i>, -is, so to speak, born to the business and takes to it -from sheer liking. He is a constant marauder, a -thief on a large scale, prepared to break into great -houses, to invade the castles and residences of noble -proprietors and extort considerable sums. He is -described by one author in graphic terms: “His -enormous hat, his black hair falling in long curls -upon his square shoulders; his thick eyebrows, his -large ferocious looking eyes, his face burned by the -sun, his massive chest seen through his tattered -shirt, all combine to give him a wild and terrifying -look. He carries a whole arsenal with him—a -gun, pistols, a hatchet and a loaded stick, though he -very rarely commits murder. He wages war also -with the gendarmerie. A horse that he covets he is -not long in appropriating. As cunning as an Indian, -he gets into the pasture at night and carries off, -without making the slightest noise and with an incredible -dexterity, the horse or the sheep that he is -in want of. Should it be a pig that he has set his -eyes on, he entices it to the edge of the forest by -throwing down ears of maize to tempt it, and then -suddenly knocks it on the head with a blow of his -club.”</p> - -<p>The betyars, armed to the teeth, ranged the country -with the utmost effrontery, daring riders -mounted on good horses, accustomed to the saddle -from their earliest youth. They did not hesitate to -attack houses even in the largest villages, ransacking -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">278</span> -the places and carrying off horses and spoil of -all kinds. In 1861 a party encamped near a town -where great fairs were held, and levied contributions -on all who approached, stopping sixty carts in succession -and appropriating a sum of 15,000 florins -in all. Eight of them once surrounded a house in -Transylvania, but were foiled in trying to break in -the door, so attempted the windows, where they -were met by the proprietor who opened fire on them. -The brigands began a regular siege, which ended -in a parley. It appeared that hunger was the motive -of the attack, and the assailants withdrew when supplied -with food and drink.</p> - -<p>A country gentleman was driving home in the -dead of night, when his horses became frightened -and were pursued by wolves. Ammunition was -soon expended and escape seemed hopeless when a -large party of mounted men came to the rescue and -drove off the ravenous brutes. The grateful traveller, -mistaking them for local police, thanked them -warmly for their timely help. “Man is bound to -assist his fellow man,” was the quiet reply, “but we -want something more than thanks. We are not -pandours but gentlemen of the plain in search of -horses and any money we can pick up. You have -not recognised us, but we know you and cannot -allow you to run the risk of going home with wolves -prowling round. You must be our guest for a -time.” They took him to a neighbouring farm, gave -him supper and a bed and made him write a letter -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">279</span> -to his wife saying he was detained by highwaymen -who would not part with him until she had paid -over ten thousand florins as his ransom. The -money was duly handed over and the gentleman -released. But he was not content to submit.</p> - -<p>Upon reaching home he raised a hue and cry -against the betyars, and they were unceasingly pursued -and driven from that part of the country, to -which they did not dare to return for a long time. -Fifteen years later, they swooped down upon the -proprietor whom they thought had betrayed them, -and burned his residence and his well-filled granaries -to the ground. In explanation, the following -letter reached him: “We betyars never forget or -forgive. We owe our expulsion from this district -to you, and we swore to take our revenge when we -were next in your neighbourhood. That vow was -fulfilled last night! Let this be a lesson to you never -again to break a solemn promise given to a betyar.”</p> - -<p>The brigands often descended upon their victims -with dramatic suddenness. Their information was -always accurate and excellent. Tucker in his “Life -and Society in Eastern Europe,” describes the -startling appearance of a much-dreaded betyar at a -historic castle in Transylvania.</p> - -<p>“The noble count was at table with his guests, -doing justice to a sumptuous supper, when the doors -were thrown open and gave admission to a tall, dark, -handsome, fiery-eyed man, who advanced with a -profound obeisance and said, ‘I do myself the honour -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">280</span> -of paying my respects to your excellencies,’ upon -which he approached the countess with martial step -and clanking spurs and raised her trembling fingers -to his lips. No thunderbolt from heaven, no special -apparition from beyond the grave, could have terrified, -stupefied, stunned the convivial assemblage -more effectually than the sudden entrance of this -stranger.</p> - -<p>“His appearance was indeed striking,—in person -tall and majestic, of fierce look, defiant and resolute, -despite his fascinating smile. His brow was -exceedingly swarthy, his eyes large and luminous, -whilst his huge jet-black moustache, trimmed in true -Magyar fashion, added even more ferocity to this -undaunted robber of the plain. His attire was picturesque, -fantastic, gaudy, unique. In his small, -round black Magyar hat was stuck a long white -feather. His tightly fitting vest was of crimson -satin, on which there flashed and glittered two long -rows of large and handsome buttons. The sleeves -of his shirt were extremely wide and open, falling in -ample folds and disclosing his brawny and sinewy -arms.... His legs were incased in highly polished -boots reaching to the knees, while a pair of glittering -silver spurs adorned his heels. Encircling his waist -in many folds was a crimson scarf, terminating in -broad, loosely hanging ends. Within the folds were -stuck three daggers, the hilts and shields elaborately -studded with costly gems and pearls, and two handsomely -mounted horse-pistols lay half-concealed beside -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">281</span> -them. A <i>kulacs</i> or flat wooden flask, gaily -painted in floral designs, hung at his side, suspended -from his shoulder by a leather strap. In his left -hand he held the <i>pkosch</i>,—a stout stick headed by -a small instrument of solid steel, representing on one -side a hatchet and on the other a hammer.”</p> - -<p>The count put the best face he could on the matter, -asked how many betyars there were, and gave -entertainment for the men and horses, some forty -in all. The supper was relinquished, so that a new -meal might be set before the uninvited guests, and -those present were dismissed with a plain warning -that no one was to go in search of aid. The forty -betyars then came in to devour the feast with keen -relish, after their long night’s ride. Healths were -drunk in copious drafts, cigars produced and the -chief proceeded to serious business. He reminded -his host that the maize harvest which had just been -gathered had been bountiful, and a substantial sum -had been paid in by the Jews for the purchase of -the crops. Forty-seven thousand florins were in the -safe, but this money was pledged to pay off a pressing -mortgage and ought not to be disturbed, the -betyar chief generously admitted; but there was a -further sum nearly as large which the robbers declined -to forego. To have seized the mortgage -money would have led to the betrayal of the fact -and an active pursuit would have been organised by -the police, feeble though it was, which might have -led to an encounter and blood-shed. But there was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">282</span> -no lien upon the rest of the money, so the robbers -might safely take possession of it.</p> - -<p>There was no thought of resistance. The betyars -might have been outnumbered but they were well -armed, while the residents and servants in the castle -had few, if any, weapons, and a conflict started -would have ended only in butchery, with the burning -down of the house and outbuildings, together with -all they contained in corn, cattle and machinery. It -was better to stand the first loss,—no more than -many a Magyar magnate would waste at the gambling -table in a single night.</p> - -<p>Maurice Jokai, the Hungarian novelist, tells a -story, founded on fact, of an adventure of a great -lady with the brigands, in which she came to no -harm through her calm self-possession and courage. -She was on her way to a ball at Arad and, as she -was obliged to travel through a dense forest, she -halted over night at an inn which was really a den -of robbers. There happened to be a great gathering -of them there dancing. Undaunted, she entered the -ball-room,—a long room, filled with smoke, where -some fifty rough brigands were leaping about and -singing at the top of their voices. They stopped -the dance and stared open-mouthed at the audacious -lady who dared to interrupt their revels. They -were all big, fierce looking men, and armed, but the -beautiful countess cowed them and imposed respect. -One, the leader of the band, approached, bowing -low, and asked whom she was. He gallantly invited -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">283</span> -her to dance the <i>czarda</i> or national step, which she -did as gaily and prettily as on the parquet floor of -the casino at Arad.</p> - -<p>An ample supper was brought in; pieces of beef -were served in a great cauldron, from which every -guest fished out his portion with a pocket-knife, and -ate it with bread soaked in the gravy. Wine was -served in large wooden bottles. After supper cards -were produced and high play for golden ducats followed; -then more dancing, and the countess tripped -it with the liveliest until morning. She had danced -eighteen <i>czardas</i> in all with the principal brigand. -Her companions fearfully expected some tragic end -to the festivities. When daylight came, the horses -were put to the carriage and the guests were suffered -to depart with compliments and thanks for -their condescension.</p> - -<p>The betyars were not equally affable to all. They -waged perpetual warfare against Jews and priests, -and all who were thought to be unduly rich and -prosperous, whom they constantly captured, robbed -and maltreated, inventing tortures and delighting in -their agonies. The wretched prisoners were beaten -unmercifully, were crucified, shod like horses, tied -by the feet to a pendent branch of a tree, or buried -up to their necks by the road-side. A Jew was once -taken when on his way to market with honey. His -captors stripped him naked, anointed his whole -body with the honey, rolled him in feathers and -drove him in front of them to the gates of the nearest -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">284</span> -town, where the dogs worried him and the people -jeered.</p> - -<p>Hungary produced many notable brigands, whose -names are as celebrated as the German “Schinderhannes,” -or “Fra Diavolo,” or “Jose Maria” in -southern Spain. One of the most famous of these -men was Sobry, who haunted the great forest of -Bakony, the chief scene of action for Hungarian -brigands. It was a wild district, its vast solitudes -sparsely occupied by a primitive people cut off from -the civilised world. The men, mostly swine-herds -locally called the <i>kanasz</i>, were thick set and of short -stature, the women well-formed, with red cheeks -and dark eyes. Pigs roamed the forest in droves -of a thousand, their herds consorting with the vagabonds -and refugees who hid in the woods, and were -the spies and sentinels of the brigands, who in return -respected the swine. The <i>kanasz</i>, or swine-herds -who do business on their own account, are -very expert in the use of their favourite weapon, a -small hatchet which they carry in the waist-belt and -prefer to a gun, and with which they hunt and slay -the bear of Transylvania.</p> - -<p>The great brigand Sobry was said to be the head -of a noble family who had wasted his patrimony in -riotous living and disappeared. By and by he returned -to his ancestral castle with a fortune mysteriously -acquired. Again he ruined himself, and -again disappeared, to turn up later with a large sum -of money, which he left to his people. Sobry’s exploits -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">285</span> -filled all Hungary. As became an aristocrat -he had most polished manners, and treated his victims -with the utmost consideration. Once he made -a descent upon a castle in the absence of its rich -owner, who had left his wife alone. Sobry hastened -to the lady, disclaiming all idea of doing her injury, -but begged her to invite him and his companions to -dinner, as the table was reputed to be the best in -Hungary. Twenty-four covers were laid, and -Sobry escorted his hostess to the cellars, where she -pointed out the best bins of Imperial Tokay. At -dinner the countess presided, with Sobry at her -right hand. The brigand proposed many toasts to -his hostess, kissed her hand and departed without -carrying off even a single spoon.</p> - -<p>The following incident is related: A gentleman -was driving into town in a superb carriage, on the -box of which sat a police pandour. A beggar with -a venerable white beard came up asking alms, and -was invited to get into the carriage. “I will give -you a new suit of clothes from the best tailors,” said -the gentleman. Ready-made clothing was chosen -and put into the carriage, the old beggar being left -in pledge for the goods. The gentleman, who was -Sobry, was then driven away, and never returned.</p> - -<p>The affair with the archbishop was on a larger -scale. His Grace enjoyed princely revenues, and -kept up great state. His coffers were always filled -to overflowing, and he had immense possessions in -flocks and herds. One day a letter was received -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">286</span> -from Sobry, announcing an early visit and the intention -to drive off His Grace’s fattest cattle. The -archbishop declined to be intimidated, armed his -servants and prepared to give Sobry a hot reception. -The fat cattle were to be sold at once to the butchers, -and a summons was sent forth inviting them -to come and make their bids. One butcher, a well-to-do -respectable burgher, insisted upon transacting -his business with the prelate in person, and after -much parley he was introduced into His Grace’s -study. Presently he left the room, telling the servants -that he had completed the bargain, but that the -archbishop was somewhat fatigued and was lying -down on the sofa, having given orders that he was -not to be disturbed. So long a time elapsed before -His Grace rang his bell that the servants, risking -his displeasure, went to him and found him tied, -hand and foot, and gagged. The story he told, -when released from his bonds, was that his visitor -had been Sobry, disguised as a butcher, and that -he had suddenly drawn a pistol and pointed it at -the prelate’s breast exclaiming, “Utter one cry and -I fire! I have come to fetch the 60,000 florins you -have in the safe, which will suit my purpose better -than your finest cattle.” The archbishop surrendered -at discretion and after this His Grace kept the -body-guard in close attendance at the palace, and -never drove out without an escort of pandours.</p> - -<p>Two other brigands of a more truculent character -than Sobry were Mylfait and Pap, who never hesitated -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">287</span> -to commit murder wholesale. On one occasion, -Mylfait had reason to believe that a certain -miller had given information to the pandours, and -having surrounded the mill with his band, he -opened fire upon the house, killing every one -within,—the miller, his wife and children, and all -of the servants. He showed a certain grim humour -at times. A Jew once lost his way in the forest and -fell in with Mylfait’s band, who were sitting around -a fire where a sheep was being roasted. He was -cordially invited to join the feast, accepted gladly, -and made an excellent meal washed down with much -wine. Then he rose abruptly, eager to take himself -off. “Without paying for all you have eaten and -drunk?” protested Mylfait. “How much money -have you got about you? Hand it over. Thirty -florins? No more!” he exclaimed. “Here,” to -an assistant, “take his gun from him and make -him strip off his clothes. We will keep them until -he chooses to redeem them with a further sum of -thirty florins.” The Jew, in despair, begged and -implored for mercy, crying bitterly and shaking in -every limb.</p> - -<p>“You are feeling the cold, I am afraid,” said the -pitiless brigand. “You shall dance for us; that -will warm you and will afford us some amusement.” -The wretched Jew pleaded that he did not know -how to dance the <i>czarda</i>. “But you must give us -some compensation. Go and stand with your back -against that tree,” Mylfait insisted. “I am going -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">288</span> -to see what your gun is worth and whether it shoots -true. I shall aim at your hat. Would you prefer -to have your eyes bandaged?” The Jew renewed -his piteous lamentations in the name of his wife -and children. But Mylfait was inflexible, and -slowly taking aim, fired, not at the hat, but a branch -above. The ball broke it and it fell upon the Jew’s -head, who, thinking himself killed, staggered and -dropped to the ground. “Be off, you cur;” cried -the brigand-chief, “you are not fit to live, but you -may go.”</p> - -<p>These notorious characters were usually adored -by the female sex. Every brigand had a devoted -mistress, who prided herself on the evil reputation -of her lover, whatever his crimes, even when he had -many murders on his conscience. A strange flirtation -and courtship was carried on for years in one -of the principal prisons of Vienna. It was conducted -through a clandestine correspondence; many -ardent letters were exchanged, and the parties were -betrothed long before they had actually seen each -other. The letters that passed were models of style -and brimful of affection. One, which had been concealed -under a stone in the exercising yard, and was -impounded, ran as follows:</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Very dear Fräulein</span>: I am thunderstruck by -the news of your departure. I wish you every sort -of happiness, but I earnestly hope you will write me -saying you still love me, and will wait for my release -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">289</span> -a month and a half ahead. Please go to my -father’s house in the Rue de la Croix where you will -be well received, for I have assured him that you -alone shall be my wife, and you will find me a man -of my word. I may add that I have the means of -supporting you. Write me, I beg, so that my misery -may be somewhat assuaged. Believe me when -I swear eternal fidelity. Your own Charles.</p> - -<p>“Do not credit any stories you hear against me—they -are all lies and calumnies. The world is -very wicked, let us rise superior to it. I adore you. -Adieu.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Love affairs do not always prosper in gaol. They -may have their origin in true affection, and are as -liable to be impeded as elsewhere by quarrels, suspicion -and jealousy. An amazing case of clever -deception was that of a woman who posed as the -Countess Kinski, who when at large carried on a -number of different intrigues at the same time. -She established relations on paper with several -lovers,—artists, tradesmen, and well-to-do burghers, -every one of whom she promised to marry. -She gave them all an appointment on the same night -at the opera, where each was to wear a red camellia -in his buttonhole; and the stalls were filled with -them. That night the real countess was present in -a box with her parents, and was unable to understand -the many adoring glances directed toward her -by her admirers. A clever idea was at the bottom -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">290</span> -of this deception. The impostor in her letters pretended -that her parents would certainly oppose her -marriage, but that she was ready to fly to her -lover’s arms, if he would help her to bribe the servants, -her own maid, the lackeys and the house -porter. The response was promptly made in the -shape of a number of bank-notes, and the false -countess did a flourishing business until the police -intervened.</p> - -<p>The criminal woman in Austria-Hungary differs -widely from the criminal male offender. The latter -enters jail cowed and depressed, and his temper -grows worse and worse until he gives vent to it -in furious assault upon his wardens. The female, -on the other hand, begins with violent hysterics and -nerve crises, crying continually, refusing food, half -mad with despair. But she improves day by day, -will eat and drink freely and take an interest in -dress and appearance, until at last she becomes gay -and good-humoured. Good looks are frequently -met with in this class. The shop windows are full -of photographs of attractive <i>demi mondaines</i>. The -story is told of a peasant from the Danube who was -terribly shocked by a photograph of the famous nude -group of the Graces from the statue of Rauch. -“Well, well,” he exclaimed, “they are indeed -shameless. They can afford to be photographed and -yet they are too poor to buy clothes.”</p> - -<p>Many rogues and sharpers have been found in the -Viennese prisons. One was the famous Weininger, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">291</span> -who amassed considerable sums by the sale of sham -antiquities. He disposed of quantities to the best -known museums and collections in Europe. Among -other things, he palmed off a quantity of ancient -weapons and armour upon the duke of Modena, all -of which were reproductions made at Vienna. He -sold as sixteenth century work two handsome altars -for 3,000 pounds, which he persuaded an English -dealer he had bought in a Jesuit convent in Rome -for 5,000 pounds. Weininger was assisted in his -frauds by a Hungarian count who gave the necessary -false certificates of antiquity.</p> - -<p>But genuine valuables often came into the market -at Vienna. One day a poor Jew, ragged and -travel-stained, offered an authentic black pearl for -sale in a jeweller’s shop. It was beyond question -worth a great sum, and the dealer very properly refused -to trade until satisfied as to the holder’s rightful -possession. The story told seemed very questionable, -and the Jew was taken into custody. He -claimed that the pearl had been given to him in payment -of a bill owed him by one of the guests in his -boarding-house at Grosswardein. The debtor, he -said, had been at one time a servant of Count -Batthyani, who had given it to him on his death-bed. -The pearl was at once recognised as one of the three -black pearls of that size in existence,—one of the -English crown jewels which had long since been -stolen. There was nothing to prove how it had -come into Count Batthyani’s possession, but it was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">292</span> -generally supposed that he had acquired it from a -dealer, neither of them being aware of its enormous -value. The British government is said to have paid -2,000 pounds to recover the lost treasure.</p> - -<p>Capital punishment is still the rule in Austria-Hungary, -as the penalty for murder in the first degree. -At one time noble birth gave a prescriptive -right to death by the sword for both sexes. Hanging -is to-day the plan adhered to for all. The condemned, -as in most countries, is humanely treated -in the days immediately preceding execution. He -is carefully watched and guarded against any despairing -attempt at self-destruction, and he is given -ample and generally appetising food. Some curious -customs survive. On the third day before death the -executioner brings the convict a capon for supper -with a cord around its neck, and at one time the -bird was beheaded before being served, and its legs -and wings were tied with red thread. The ceremony -is still performed in the open air and with -much solemnity. As a rule the journey to the -gallows is made in a cart with open sides, and the -condemned, tied and bound, sits with his back to -the horses so that he cannot see the scaffold. Before -leaving the jail, the executioner asks his victim’s -pardon, and then, escorted by soldiers to protect him -from the people if he bungles in his horrible task, -he takes a different road to the gallows than that -followed by the criminal. When he has completed -his task, he goes through the crowd, hat in hand, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">293</span> -collecting alms to provide masses for the man who -has just passed away.</p> - -<p>Victor Tissot in his “Viene et la Vie Viennoise” -gives a graphic account of an execution of recent -date, which he witnessed at the Alservorstadt Prison -in Vienna. It was conducted within the walls, but -a large concourse had assembled in front of the -gates. The place of execution was the so-called -“Court of Corpses,”—a narrow triangle wedged -in by high walls at the end of a short corridor leading -from the condemned cell. The first to appear -was the executioner dressed in a blue over-coat and -a crushed hat, followed by his assistants, two of -whom were beardless boys. The gallows, erected -above a short flight of steps at the end of the small -court, was minutely examined by the executioner, -after he had selected the most suitable rope from -the many he carried in a small handbag. He was -provided also with cords to tie up the convict’s -limbs.</p> - -<p>Precisely as the clock struck eight, the cortège -appeared, headed by the convict, by whose side -walked the chaplain with the governor and the president -of the High Court behind. The doomed man, -Hackler by name, carried a crucifix in his hand; -his face was deathly white, and great drops of perspiration -beaded his forehead and trickled down his -cheeks. He looked around with a stupid and apathetic -malevolence at the officials, and listened with -brutal indifference to the judge, as he formally -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">294</span> -handed him over to the executioner with these -words: “I surrender to you the person of Raymond -Hackler condemned to be hanged; do your duty.”</p> - -<p>The convict betrayed no emotion. He repelled -the hangman’s assistance, who would have helped -him to undress, saying: “I’ll do it myself,” and he -proceeded to remove his coat and waistcoat as coolly -as though he were going to bed to sleep the sleep -of the just. He then stepped into the appointed -place beneath the gallows with his head bent between -his shoulders. His hands were now fastened behind -his back, and a cord slipped over his head fell down -as far as his knees, securing his legs. The last act -was to fix the halter around his neck, which he resisted -spasmodically. The next instant the signal -was given and he was run up into the air. As there -was no “drop,” no floor which opened to let the -victim fall through out of sight, and as he wore no -cap, his indecorous contortions and white protruding -eyes were plainly visible, while the hangman -completed the horrible operation by adding his -weight to break the vertebral column. His last act -was to close the dead man’s eyes.</p> - -<p>Hackler’s crime was one of peculiar atrocity. He -had murdered his mother to gain possession of a -few florins which he wasted the same night in -ghastly debauchery. The crime was attended with -the most revolting circumstances. When his mother -would have driven him forth to work, he threw a -rope around her neck, gagged her, and killed her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">295</span> -with a log of wood. The same night, having -thrust the corpse under the bed, he slept on the mattress -“quite as well as usual,” so he told the examining -judge. His death was heartily approved by -the people of Vienna as a just retribution.</p> - -<p>Superstition long surrounded execution. The -bodies of those who were executed were left to hang -upon the gallows until they fell to pieces. People -came in the night to cut off a shred of the clothes -worn, or sought to mutilate the body by removing -a little finger; this relic was treasured greatly by -professional thieves, who foolishly believed that they -would escape detection, or even observation, if -they carried it in their pocket when plying their -trade.</p> - -<p>Under Austrian law a woman never suffers the -death penalty, no matter what crime has been committed. -Women are not regarded as ordinary criminals, -and if convicted, are sent to a convent near -Vienna.</p> - -<p>The penal codes of Austria proper and Hungary -are not identical, but comparatively few criminals -sentenced to death in either country are actually -brought to the scaffold. Statistics show that in -Austria over seven hundred criminals were sentenced -to death in the six years from 1893 to 1898, -but less than three per cent. of that number were -actually hanged. The death sentence is in the majority -of cases, commuted to penal servitude for life -or for periods ranging from ten to twenty years, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">296</span> -and in the case of both Austria and Hungary a distinct -decrease in the number of capital crimes committed -has accompanied the falling off in the proportion -of capital executions.</p> - -<div class="transnote"> -<h3>Transcriber’s Note:</h3> - -<p>Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE OF CRIME: GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN PRISONS***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 51065-h.htm or 51065-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/0/6/51065">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/0/6/51065</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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