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Show 1 cSiF m f r 1 THE MARTYR OF MANNHEIM. AUGUST FRIEDRICH FERDINAND VON KOTZEBUE, who was born at Weimer in 1761, and slain at Mannheim Mann-heim in 1819, was one of the great men of his time. He is among the most celebrated of German dramatists, and his originality is attested by the fact that his works have been a mine for later writers of all nations. He wrote 200 tragedies, dramas and farces, and most of them were successful during his lifetime. His best-known work is "The Stranger," which, 50 years ago, was as popular and famous in the United States as it was in Germany: He also wrote successful novels, and a remarkable satire, in which he took a fall out of Goethe and Schiller, who had declined to admit him to their society. so-ciety. Kotzebue was a trifle too fond of satire. When displeased with any person per-son or cause, he was wont to hold the same up to public ridicule. This weakness weak-ness led to his tragic death. His life was adventurous. Much of it was spent in the service of Russia, and once he was banished to Siberia, but was recalled a year or two later by Emperor Paul, who squared things by giving him a fine estate. His later years were spent at Mannheim, where ho w.as employed as correspondent by the Russian government, reporting upon matters literary, artistic and in-, tellectual. In these days such a post would be considered honorable, but at that time many people believed he was a Russian spy. When in a satirical mood he found much amusement in making fun of the "Bursenschaft" in his neighborhood, and the facilities for going over Niagara In a barrel were inadequate, but he always hoped to distinguish himself in one way oi another. - He had made some reputation as a boy orator at the University of Erlan-gen, Erlan-gen, after which he went to Jena, where his talents attracted no attention, and this soured him. It was at Jena that he deliberately made up his mind to be a martyr, and he left fsr Mannheim armed with his dagger and a determination deter-mination to kill Kotzebue. He had planned everything, down to the smallest small-est details. His only excuse for making mak-ing Kotzebue the victim was that the latter had ridiculed the students' association. asso-ciation. And his plans worked out wonderfully wonder-fully well. After long years of war and peril, the people were in a hysterical hysteri-cal mood, and Sand was hailed as a hero and martyr. In the whole country coun-try there was scarcely a voice expressing express-ing sympathy for the murdered author. The heinous deed was approved in high quarters as well as low. The flower gardens of Mannheim were desolated, that the martyr might have bouquets. Fortunately the tribunals were not carried away by the prevailing prevail-ing sentimentalism. On May 5, 1820, the supreme court of the grand duchy of Baden passed sentence upon him, decreeing that he be executed by the sword. May 20 was the day fixed for the execution, and the place was a meadow just outside one of the gates of the town. The news had spread far and wide, an immense crowd streamed to town to see the doings, and the sympathy sym-pathy for Sand was so strong, and so general, that a rescue was feared, and a strong force of infantry surrounded the scaffold. In the courtyard of the prisou Sand was lifted into a low open chaise. The prisoners appeared at the jail windows, weeping and wringing their hands, for they also considered him a hero, andi he bowed to them and smiled. Whenj the door of the yard was opened, andj the chaise emerged, sobs and groans were heard everywhere. The whole-town whole-town was in tears. Not one of all the! millions of tears shed that day was for Kotzebue, who was barbarlously slaughtered in his own home, before; the eyes of his little son. The Ger-mans Ger-mans usually are the sanest and most: right-thinking of people, but on this! occasion the delirium was universal. ; Sand's progress to the scaffold wa9 a triumph. No ten-thousand-dollarj beauty in an American circus ever; made a greater hit. And the martyrj enjoyed every minute of it. Although weak from sickness, he played the con-, quering hero. "Farewell, Sand !" cried! the sobbing crowTd as the chaise moved along. The scaffold reached, the sacrifice; was soon over. With one stroke of his glittering sword the executioner reJ moved the young man's head. Then ensued a scene so remarkable that it parallel probably never occurred. The scaffold was ripped to pieces by sou-i venir hunters. Men and women dipped their handkerchiefs in the martyr's blood. The executioner sold single hairs from the dead man's head, and) couldn't hand them out fast enough, If ever a man's ambition was rounder out, that man was Karl Ludwig Sand, And for a long time after he was! buried fair women carried garlands to; his grave, and his heroic deed wad sung by minstrels, and students weptj when his name was mentioned. Bu time adjusts all things, and it came td pass in due season that the burghers of Mannheim began to appreciate the greatness of the murdered man, anoj then the flowers were carried where they properly belonged. 111! Ski a . .1 saw; f7a i "You Are From Mitau." movement, or "the universal German students' association." The students took their association seriously, if he didn't. On March 23, 1819, the indications were that Kotzebue would spend his declining years in peace and comfort under his vine and figtree at Mannheim. Mann-heim. He was prosperous, and had congenial employment, and his genius was being generally recognized. On the afternoon of that day he went into the town on an errand, and when he returned to his home a maid told him that a young man had called to see him, and promised to call again. Half an hour later the young man returned, and the maid showed him up to the family sitting room. He waited there a few minutes, and then Kotzebue entered en-tered the room, with outstretched hand and smiling face. "You are from Mitau?" Inquired Kotzebue. The stranger drew a dagger from his sleeve, and, crying: "Traitor to the fatherland !" stabbed him repeatedly. repeat-edly. Instead of trying to escape, the murderer tried to pacify his victim's four-year-old son. who had entered the room and stood there shrieking. Karl Ludwig Sand, who committed this cold-blooded and senseless murder, mur-der, was a student and enthusiastic member of the Bursenschaft. Patriot-Ism Patriot-Ism was more than a passion with him. It was a disease. He hated Napoleon Na-poleon with a hatred that kept him awake at night and spoiled his appetite. appe-tite. He spent most of his time brooding brood-ing over the woes, real or imaginary, of his country, when he should have been doing something useful. Also, his desire for notoriety amounted to a passion. He longed for the limelight lime-light with an unconquerable longing, i '"fcere were no Epheslan doms to fire |