Mr. Seward to Mr.
Wright
No. 2.]
Department of State, Washington,
July 18, 1865.
Sir: Information has been received at this
department, from the United States consul at Bremen, of the shipment
from that port to the United States of two sentenced criminals from
Prussia. I enclose a transcript of the consul’s despatch upon the
subject, from which it appears that the convicts referred to were sent
to Bremerhafen by the local authorities at Wandersieben, in Prussia,
under the escort of a Prussian officer, in order to be shipped to this
country at the cost of the said local authorities. It further appears
that one of the criminals has already sailed, and that the other, having
committed a fresh offence at Bremerhafen, has been sentenced to three
months’ imprisonment, at the expiration of which he will also probably
be sent to the United States, his passage thither having already been
paid.
You are requested to make a representation of the above facts to the
Prussian government, and to express the expectation that prompt measures
will be taken to prevent a repetition of such unfriendly proceedings on
the part of any of the local authorities of that government. You will
also state that the criminals referred to will, in case of their
detection on arrival here, be promptly returned to the port whence they
departed.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Joseph A. Wright, Esq., &c., &c., Berlin.
[Untitled]
Consulate of the United States
of America, at the Free Hanseatic city of Bremen,
Bremen,
June 21, 1865.
Sir: With reference to my despatch No. 159,
I have to inform you of a new case of shipment of criminals to the
United States. In this case the culpability of the local authorities
in Prussia has been fully proved in a Bremen court, and
reclamations, if you deem them necessary, can be based upon positive
facts. It appears from the proceedings in the Bremen assizes, of
June 15, that in the first days of March two criminals from Prussia,
named Ernest Roediger and Krumholz, both incorrigible criminals, and
already many times sentenced for larceny to the penitentiary, have
been sent by the local authorities of Wandersieben, Prussia, to
Bremerhafen, escorted by a public officer, in order to be shipped to
the United States at the cost of the above local authorities.
Kumholz sailed with, the Bremen ship Laura, but Roediger committed
another larceny at Bremerhafen, and was sentenced to three months’
imprisonment, after the expiration of which he will probably be sent
to the United States, as his passage is already paid. I subjoin the
full evidence in the reports of two different newspapers for further
use. I cannot believe that these local authorities are acting
without the consent of their government; and even if they do, a
diplomatic reclamation from our government would probably put a stop
to this daily increasing mal-practice.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY BOERNSTEIN, United States
Consul.
