[Inclosure in No.
248.—Translation.]
Baron Holstein
to Mr. Runyon.
Foreign Office,
Berlin, April 10,
1895
The undersigned, in reply to the note of September 25 last (F. O.,
No. 140), relating to the arrest of the American citizen, Frederick
Sauer, has the honor to inform his excellency, the ambassador
extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of America,
Mr. Theodore Runyon, as follows:
Frederick Sauer, born March 12, 1862, at Oberseebach, was sentenced
by the landgericht, at Strassburg, on February 20, 1884, for evasion
of military duty, to pay a fine of 600 marks, or in default thereof
to be imprisoned for forty days, and also to pay the costs of the
proceedings, amounting to 75.15 marks. He had emigrated in 1880 with
his parents to America, where he later became a resident and where
he acquired American citizenship on March 28, 1885. In August, 1894,
he returned on a visit to his native place. There, on the strength
of the existing warrant, he was arrested, but was, however, set at
liberty after four days, after the amount of 600 marks had been paid
by his relatives. Of this amount the sum of 540 marks is to be
considered as on account of that part of the fine which had not been
worked off by the imprisonment, and the remainder as costs.
Sauer has, according to section 21 of the law of June 1, 1870, lost
his German nationality since March 12, 1893. Before his emigration
he had, in March, 1878, received a shot wound in the upper part of
the right thigh. The physician who treated him certified at that
time that no permanent injury would be left. Nevertheless, as a
matter of fact, as the gendarme observed at the time of the arrest,
Sauer still drags one foot, which probably is a consequence of his
former injury.
The imperial “Statthalter” of Alsace, Lorraine, in consequence of
this, has considered Sauer’s statement that he had thought himself
unfit for military service as not entirely unworthy of confidence,
and has, therefore, although the emigration took place only a short
time before his reaching the age for military duty, given on the
18th ultimo a partial pardon, to the extent that the remainder of
the costs are to be remitted, and that the amount of 300 marks of
the sum considered as fine is to be returned.
While the undersigned returns the inclosure in the note, he avails
himself, etc.
