AN OVER-ZEALOUS JUDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 464, 20 September 1928, Page 11

AN OVER-ZEALOUS JUDGE

WEDDING PARTY SEIZED CURIOUS STORY FROM PRUSSIA (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) BERLIN. Wednesday. The papers publish accounts of the exploits of Judge Stahlberg at New!amm, Brandenburg, Prussia, which recall the “OH with his head" episode in “Alice in Wonderland." The judge, relatively youthtul and inexperienced, was sent to Neudamm to investigate the death of a youth who had been found drowned in a lake after a quarrel with his brother at a wedding. Impressed by the responsibility of his task the judge caused to be arrested the entire wedding party, including the newly married couple, the parents or the bride. the bridegroom’s father and the dead man’s fiancee. He accused them of having drugged the deceased and thrown him into the lake. The Burgomaster ot Neudamm, feeling that the judge’s methods were open to criticism. lodged a. complaint. He was just in time as the ardent criminal investigator, scenting danger, had ordered the arrest of the Burgomaster and the Chief of Police on suspicion that they also were implicated in the alleged conspiracy. However, the local police refused to execute the warrant. This gave their superiors time to have the judge superg seded. The latter was ordered to take; prolonged leave of absence to recuper-i ate his health. ‘ All the accused persons were re-1 leased as it was proved that the de-\ ceased youth had committed suicide. \ , ! w