ARREST OF PRINCE EULENBURG.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 153, 27 June 1908, Page 15

ARREST OF PRINCE EULENBURG.

DRAMATIC SCBNB 4W 838 CABTLB. ' Almost.a year to a Gay from the oonr when the Kaiser banished him from Uβ entourage, Prince Philip au EMenbnrg; late leader of ,the 'Inner 'itraßd-iable' , - of the Court, was brought on May 8 ander a police geard" to the prisoners' ward of tbe Chsrit* Hospital in Beita. f.'.M-- ■■■'■■ -;,;.v : - ; -■/■, •' At foor • dock In the afternoon r he wait taken trom Us sick ted at Uβ magnificent Castle of Uebenberg and. conveyed un«er arrest In a motor-ambulance to Berlin—a distance of forty mika —to await bis trial for perjury. - ' •..•■-■ ■ '.■'._•■.■-, '•' ' ■■■■-■■" , ;'" The prJace had been under . police surveillance at Uebenberg practically tbe whole of the week u> result of evidence given against him at Munich on April 21 in tbe libel proceedings brought by Her Harden against a Bavarian editor, wji* alleged 'that Herr Harden bad received £50,000 "hush money" from Prtace Enien> burg.; Two witnesses—a milk dealer: earned Btedel and a fisherman named Ernst— teeti' ; fled during the trial that they had for year»been partners of tie pfince In malpractices when, the prince (then a coon U was attached to the rroßKlan location in Munich'in the early, eighties. The evidence of lUedel aad (Ernst was tib circumstantial and i produced bo profound an Impression that the Crown Proseeetor felt- Impelled- .to institute ; pro-' ceedings aitaltiet Prince Kolenborg for perjury. During the second iHottke-Harden trial In December the prince declared cate- : gorically Trader oath tbat bad never in bis life .committed malpractices of the kind of. which Herr Harden accused him. Matters came to a rftmai at Llebenberg ; Csstle one night of May, when j?llnce-Bo : lenbnre was . confronted with the-1#» ln-i crimtaatiiig witnesses in 'the presence of Judge Schmidt, of the Berlin Court of Iniquiry.. The confrontation was.eicitton and dntntOc in the extreme.' Prince- Bnlen- : bnrg was. enfferlng Intense pain from swol- ' !en Kueen.- tin regort of ueurlUs, jand' .had ' been propped np In beU with pillow* toface the ordeal. < ' . Whea Bledel and Ernst .were led Into tie room tb e prince looked them squarely In- the face withont fllnchtng and decikred in calm and positive tones that he had never had anythingr to do with either of them. However, after Ernst had reiterated his confession, the prince exclaimed passionately, "Jacob! Jacob! Has anybody given you money I Have you been bribed to say' these things aDcot mc?" Both witnesses stood firmly to their stories, and Judge Schnddt told' the prince t&at. thete was no alternative but to give them; full credence.-V.... :;.-. ;.-. ;'. '">: : .*..-,'■" nic judge, accompanied by the witnesses, then returned to Beriln, but De-tecHve-Cotninlwatry Kasee and a staff' of nliie detectlve-eergeanbi were ordered to remain on guard within tbe castle' for the rest of the night. Two of them stood ootslde the prince's open door, being reUered at Intervale of two boars.- Meanwhile twenty-one other detectrves wet* placed at various potato onfedde th» castle to: frutrate anythng in the natnre of an attempt to facilitate ? the prinee'e escape. - The prince spent the evening ,in confersation with' his wife and his-, eldest/.son,' Count Frits sa Bnlcnburg, exclaiming frequently, "I cannot understand how anybody can charge mc with each things. ,, , He";fell asleep at midnight; and rested peaceTnlly until daylight A physician having 'meantime decided that Prince Eolenburg's alleged Inability to endure tranaportitlon to Berlin was groondless,- Detecttve-Cbmmis-sary Nasse took the flrat train from Idebenberg at bli o'clock In the morning for the purpose of securing a motor ambulance ,with which to take the. prince to town. Herr Wasee returned to Ltebenberg with the ambulance at noon, and informed the prince that he must prepare to be transported. Shortly before four o'clock, escorted by nls wife, his son,, and his private'physician, tbe'prince was carried: out of his castle as a prisoner, placed on the ambulance, and driven to the Charite Hospital, where he lies now in the ward reaei.ved.for ailing prisoners, trader orders that he shall receive ! only ordinary treataoent. Both he and bis family and household were Immensely astonished when the police ambulance arrived at the castle, the prisoner having convinced his relatives, arid dependants that after his reiterated protestations of innocence no harm could come to htm. ' ' BEFOSAL OF £25.000 BAIU Ball of J525.000 having been refused,. the prince still lies in the Charite Prison Hospital. - A man servant is allowed to attend him,.and he may receive vtalts from his wife.and counsel, bat Is otberwine enbject to the prison regulations, and Is' constantly giutrdcd. . ■':. : - " ; •' - ", " It Beenu probable that the prince will remain a prisoner all throogh the Bummer and autumn, as the' Crown Prosecutor: does; not expect to bare all Us witnesses ready before October. It is understood that ball was refused owing to fear of the corruption of witnesses, and to the possibility that the prince, It free, might prefer to end his life rather than face his trial. It Is;characteristic of the German view that astonishment la .expressed on ail hands that the prince baa not taken the "obvious means to escape." IHB PRINCE'S CAREER. ; V..: Prince Philip an Ealenburg- was sixty-one years old last February, and was a member °* tn* diplomatic Service until 1902, when he voluntarily resigned the Ambassadorship In' Vienna In consequence of ■■ the "alleged threats of Els enemies to publish damaging exposnres -regarding his past life. He continnedi however, to enjoy , the friendehlp of the Kaiser, who paid annual ; visits ."to all Caetle of Uebenbers, staying there several days. ■, - : .-..;-: .-■/:;■/':. 'i;-_-.\ . '-, '■■ It was on the oceaaion of the Kaiser's last visit in December, 1900, that the Emperor sent, the fainoos telegram to Prince Buelow ordering the dissolution of hte Relchs- =*■«• :'•' .'■• ' -;' .-•. S'T-'r, ■'- '" --:,.'-■; «' ; Prince Eulenburg ranked as one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, of the Kaiser's subjects, and the Emperor made no secret .of his friendship for "him: The prince is a .gifted conversationalist, mmielaii, and painter, and a man of charmin poetic ideals. • - He .became Involved in the scandals which ended In bte arrest in consequence of the exposures in the "Zukunft" magazine in the winter of 1906-7, when Herr Maximilian Harden accused him of being fthe head of a "round-table" of courtiers, a camarilla, the members of wnlch were addicted .to certain grave, practices. ' .... Prince Eulenburg's arrest is a great personal triumph for Herr It" was primarily at the prince that, the" young editor's attacks were always aimed.; ; ; : The ' village of Licbenberg, where tti prince rated :as a sort of. feudal lord.; Iβ ablase with 'excitement - over . his Serene Highness's arrest and forcible remoral from his caetle. • •