THE BERLIN FARCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1945, 29 November 1906, Page 3

THE BERLIN FARCE.

now A TOWN WAS DUPED. London, Oct. 19. Yostorduy Trinno Eohonlobo’s memoirs wore the talk of Germany. To day they are almas. forgotten in tho aiußzomont and liughtor caused by tho osoapado of tho bogus captain of Guards who yesterday oommandeored a dotuohmont of suloicrs, " held up " tho town hall of Koopooiek, arrested tho mayor and the borough tress uror, anil seized di-O J of the borough s I no: Is before ho vanished into space. Thotr' is something irresistibly oumiu about the whole alluir. I’ rends more like an inei lent of ope: a ban tin than u serious oritur, far too uripu’added audacity of 6 c « captain,” and the uuooess which crowned his artistic ” blutliag,” raise him far above Hie prosaic level ut tho ordinaty robber. Go is not so much u otimlual us a great oom'o figure. Where ho oaraa from nobody knows. A tall, elderly mao, wearing tho uniform of a oaptain of tho Ist Foot Guards, ho suddonly appeared ut the mi itacy swim* ming baths at Ploizonsee. iu tho north of Berlin, and finding seven privates and a non-oommissioned ollicor there, ho per omptocily oidercd them to follow him at cnee. The soldiers tdrought ii strange '.bus a captain of tho Foot Guards should Lo wearing a great coat of a regiment of tho line, and an undress cip instead of a helmet, bul tho stranger’s tculv martial hearing and thunderous voice of command dwpil'ed all doubts. Tho sergeant was despatched hack to liarracks to report that the men had been requisitioned by an officer of rank, and tho “ captain ” proceeded with seven men to the railway station. On tho way hu encountered four men of tho fourth Guards Ivegiment, and ordered thorn to fall .in. The little company proceeded by the circular railway' to ivocpcnick, a northern borough of Berlin. The " captain marshalled tho troops’ ou tho Koepeuiek station platform, ordered thorn to fix bayonets, and marched them olt to the imvii hail. Arriving there, lie ordered ihciu to seize tho two entrances to the juilding, and to await his further comnands. A local gendarme, who saluted lim with due respect and stood at atten,iou,ho told oil' to maintain order among lie excited inhabitants who were congre

gating in the square outside, and lie also seat to tlio local police inspector and got a sergeant to assist in keeping the crowd

This done, the “captain” strode into tho Burgomaster's room, followed by two grenadiers with fixed bayonets. The oilicor advanced, saluted, and said, “Are you the Burgomaster of luiepcuick 2 ” Ur Laugerhaus said he was, whereupon the officer proceeded : *’ You are my prisoner by His Majesty’s commands, and you are to be conveyed to Berlin at once.” Ur Langcrhans was beginning to stammer, “ 1 should like ” when tiic martial “captain” grufiiy interrupted: "You have no right to ask anything. I have already told you that you are my prisoner.” The “ captain then gave a signal to his grenadiers, who advanced to within two paces of the unhappy magistrate. Tho Burgomaster, nevertheless, found courage to protest, “ I should like to see the order for my arrest ”; but the otticer was not in a mood for parleying. “My authorisation,” he cried, “ are those soldiers. Anything more that you may’ want to see you will be shown at the New Guard House to which you are now to be conveyed.” Bo the trembling Burgomaster was put into a carriage, and driven oil with a grenadier on tho box, to Berlin. A GILBEBTIAN COMEDY. Too “ cap fain " new turned his aStantioa to the office of ill 3 borough account-

auta. He entered the room of the municipal treasurer, aud commanded him at 0000 Co mako up his books and to hand over in exchange for a receipt whatever money was ia the treasury. Proiostations ware in vain. “If you do not at onoo comply I shall get another clerk and oituse tho cash box to bo opened by my two grenadiers,” roared tho "captain.” In these oiroumstancas the trembling treasurer had no alternative. He handed oyer in coin of the realm the sum of 4002 mark 3 (L2OQ 2s), for whiob the captain wroie a receipt for 5003 marks (L2OO 3s), signing it with a hieroglyphic scrawl. Ho toon took possession of tho money, and handed the treasurer over to the two grenadiers, who conveyed him about 5.30 io his fob

owed fay some thousands of tho amazed nbahitanss of Koeponick; There a oar-

risgo stood ready, in which tho treasurer waa convoyed by she two soldiers, still with fixed bayonets, to tho New Guard Houso in Berlin,

Iu duo course tha Burgomaster's carriage, with its military escort, arrived at ths guard house, arid to tha a-jtouiah-mans of tho cffieoc in oharge ihare Dr. Langerhans was handed over to him by tho grenadiers, who coaid not ovau tall tha name of sho "captain” uador whoso orders ha was acting. Tho oiliest telephoned to military hsadquastorj, and several high officials wars summoned post-haste. Wniie these wore in couference at She guard house tho second carriage arrived from Kocpcniek, bringing tho municipal treasurer, aa the second coosigcmou!, a trembling prisoner under tha charge o£ two grenadiers, After some deliberation Dr. Lsngsrhana w&3 ssnt on to the Central Police Offioc, whore he repotted his experience to the President of Police, was liberated, and restored to Koepenick, end to the arms of his anxious consort, who had accompanied him to Berlin.

Tho enterprising “ oapiaiD,” after appropriating tha funds at the Town Hall, instructed his men to remain on guard there for half an hour, and himsali proneeded ieisurely to the railway station. Tao swindle waa only discovered at Koepanick half an hour after the “ captain’s ” departure. Tho City Fathers had in the meaasiuiß sent the following despairing telegram to the provincial authorities : » Pvathaus occupied by scoops; implore you Jo give reasons 12 quiet oitizme.” The provincial governor reccgnieod the awmole on getting details by telophone, and oedertd the whereabouts of tha Burn gomusser to bo atesriainsd, And so tha details of slits colossal hoax wore gradually pieced together, and the umaziDg audaoity cf tho " oapta-n ” revouled in all its maguitude. But meanwhile that worthy had gol clear away. The Government proaidont of Potsdam offered a reward of JSIOO, and tho magistracy of Koopsnick one of jG2S, for ioformation leading to the arrest of the “ oaptain.” The JGIOO reward is the largest over offered in Berlin It indicates how desperately anxious th Government are to approhend th oriminal.

This incident, according tho the Daily Mail’s correspondent, has dealt military casta in Germany a bio?/ from which it may take many years to recover. “ German life,” ho says, " may undergo two sweeping revolutionary ccaeges as aoonseqa#no3 of yesterday’s tragi comedy. The ii(Bt is the domoliiion of ihe theory that people must kow-tow liko tho Swiss oi Wmiam Toil’s day, before Gesiur’s osp, every time the Kaiser’s uaiioun com.s into view. Tae second change ia the modification of tho alone b ind, unthinking obedience which Teuton fighting men are

tuugbi io regard as the soldier’s most glor.ous accomplishment. Had not these traditions been sunk into the marrow oi the German pcoplo yesterday’s Gilborlian oveni oouid never have happened to make the Empire tho laughing stook oi two hemißgUerea.”—Star correspondent, fwH The Koopenick hoaxer was subsequently identified as a cobbler named Voigt, a rßhov notorious oriminal who bad served several sentences eggrogaiit g years for thefts aad forgery. Whin arrested Vo-gt gloried in tho exploit, and freely admitted Being the perpetrator of the robbery. He W ss eventually rentenoed to a long term of impusocment.