PRINCESS ON TRIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1923, Page 5

PRINCESS ON TRIAL

SHELTER GIVEN ESCAPEE. GERMAN COUP ECHO. ESCAPE OF ERHARDT. By Telegraph.— Asgn.—Copyright. Received July 24, 7.45 p.m. Berlin, July 24. The trial has begun at Leipzig of Princess Marguerite Hphenlohe Oehringen, aged 29, on a charge of sheltering Captain Erhardt dfter the Kapp coup and perjury in swearing that lie was unknown to her. The evidence showed that the princess became acquainted with Erhardt when his regiment was quartered oh her father’s estate in Upper Silesia. Erhardt was then a popular idol, and easily captured her affections. After the Kapp coup Erhardt took refuge in Munich, and the princess, vfrhen visiting relatives, met him. The princess gave evidence that Erhardt produced naturalisation papers in the name of Esehwege, and said: “Erhardt Is dead. I am Esehwege. Anyone questioned about me can truthfully say T don’t know Erhardt.’ ” The princess, sobbing, described how as a Catholic she struggled with her conscience before agreeing to shelter Erhardt in a villa outside Munich, which she bought, sub-letting part to Herr Hugo Esehwege. The princess admitted swearing before the examining magistrate that she did not know Esehwege was Erhardt. She only broke the oath to Erhardt when he was arrested and admitted his identity. The President of the Court remarked: “Princess, you are to be pitied. You were shamefully treated by this man.”

A recent cable from Berlin stated: It has been ascertained that a motor-ca* was waiting near the Law Courts at. the time of Captain ErhardUs escape from Leipzig prison/ The driver was reading a newspaper, when suddenly three men, one of whom is, believed to be Erhardt, dashed toward the car, which sped away. Several warders have been arrested, and charged with facilitating Erhardt’s escape. A sensation has been caused by the arrest of Princess Marguerite Hohenlohe Oehringen. Her complicity in the escape was not uroved. but she was charged with sheltering Erhardt after the Kapp coup and committing perjury by swearing that he was unknown to her.