No. 148.
Mr. Schlözer to Mr. Fish.
German
Legation,
Washington, Dec. 27, 1872.
(Received Dec. 28.)
Sir: With reference to my note of the 9th instant,
concerning the false rumors which have circulated about two criminals, who
were said to have been pardoned by the government of Gera (Reuss) upon the
condition of their emigration to the United States, I have now the
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honor to inform you respectfully
that those rumors about the Mecklenburg case are also entirely without any
foundation.
I take the liberty to inclose herewith a copy of a letter from the government
of Mecklenburg of the 22d ultimo, directed to Prince Bismarck, in which it
is stated that a criminal of the name of Dreyfuss has never been in the
prison of Dreybergen, and that also the alleged paper, Mecklenburgische Nachrichten, (Mecklenburg News,) from which the
rumor was said to have been taken, is not existing.
Accept, &c.
Schwerin, November 22,
1872.
According to your highness’s note of the 17th instant, two instances have
been mentioned by the American press in which German criminals are
alleged to have been pardoned on condition of their emigrating to
America.
One of the cases mentioned, the account of which purports to have been
taken from the Mecklenburgische Nachrichten, is
that of one Johannes Dreyfuss, who was sentenced, in the year 1864, to
imprisonment for life for murder and arson. It is stated that this man
was pardoned on the condition above named, and that he emigrated to
Chicago.
The undersigned minister, in view of the above communication, addressed
the minister of justice, and is now in a position to inform your
highness that a criminal named Dreyfuss has never been confined at
Dreybergen, that no such paper as the Mecklenburgische
Nachrichten exists, and that, in short, the statement
concerning this matter, which has been published by the American press,
must be characterized as totally destitute of foundation.
The undersigned has the honor to communicate the above to your highness
that you may, if you think proper, inform the imperial envoy at
Washington of the total lack of foundation for the statement in
question.
The minister of foreign affairs of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg:
By his representative.
(Signature.)
