by force; they were consequently sentenced to one year's imprisonment on the 14th of October, 1897. It is worth noting that in 1894 Emile Lüders had beaten a soldier and had been sentenced to six days' imprisonment. This fact, together with the depositions made by the several witnesses, among whom were two Frenchmen, a German, and an Englishman, did not prevent the German Legation at Port-au-Prince from interfering on Lüders's behalf. On the 17th of October, 1897, Count Schwerin, then Chargé d'Affaires, went to the Executive Mansion and formally demanded that Lüders be set free and that the judges who had pronounced the sentence, and the policemen who had made the arrest, be dismissed. Astounded by this action so contrary to international customs, General Sam declined to look into the matter, referring the German Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State for Exterior Relations. Count Schwerin's attitude, however, became such that the American Minister thought it wise to write to the Haitian Government on the 21st of October requesting Lüders's release[1] out of courtesy for the United States. Complying with this request, President Sam, on the 22d of October, granted the pardon, and Lüders hastened to leave Haiti. Nevertheless, on the 6th of December two German men-of-war, the Charlotte and the Stein, anchored at Port-au-Prince. Captain Thiele of the Charlotte at once despatched an ultimatum to the Haitian Government demanding an indemnity of $20,000 for Lüders, apologies to the German Government, a salute to the German flag, and the reception by the President of the German Chargé d'Affaires, allowing four hours for the fulfilment of these conditions. The excitement at Port-au-Prince was intense. The people, highly incensed at this high-handed attitude assumed by the Germans, were determined to defend themselves should the capital be bombarded. The representatives of the foreign Powers used every means in their power to urge President Sam to yield, until he consented to
- ↑ Solon Ménos, Affaire Lüders, p. 132.
