he German consul to Haiti, Count Schwerin, was asked to
adjust the present difficulty.

The servant of a young German named Lueders was accused of committing
some crime, and, according to the story, a dozen stalwart Haitian
policemen went to Mr. Lueders' house and forcibly arrested him.

Mr. Lueders went to police headquarters to complain of the conduct of
the officers, and was at once arrested and charged with interfering with
the officers while doing their duty, and also with attempting to kill
them.

He was at once fined $48 and sent to jail for a month.

Mr. Lueders claimed that he was innocent and could prove it, and asked
for a second trial. When this was given him, he brought forward
witnesses who proved that he had not attempted to interfere with the
police.

In spite of this, he was again found guilty, and sentenced to one year's
imprisonment and $500 fine, presumably to punish him for demanding the
second trial.

The German consul had followed both the trials with great interest, and
when the second decision was rendered he felt that it was time for him
to interfere.

He telegraphed to Berlin for instructions, and in reply received orders
to demand the immediate release of Lueders, and to insist that damages
to the amount of $1,000 be paid by Haiti for every day Mr. Lueders had
already spent in jail--twenty in all, and an extra $5,000 for every
day's imprisonment after the request for his release was received.

At first President Simon Sam refused to listen to the demand, and Mr.
Lueders remained another six days in jail.

Then the German minister sent word to the President that he had hauled
down his flag, sent his valuable papers to the care of the United States
consul, and had broken off all relations with the Haitian government.

This announcement caused considerable excitement in Port-au-Prince. The
Germans and the natives both became indignant, and the feeling ran so
high that the angry blacks threatened to attack the German Legation and
burn it to the ground, and then lynch Lueders.

Fearing a serious outbreak which might call down the wrath of Germany,
President Simon Sam decided that the wisest thing to do was to get rid
of Lueders; so the young man was hurried from his prison and put on
board a steamer bound for New York.

By the time this was done Germany's pride had been aroused, and a
war-vessel had been ordered to sail for Port-au-Prince, and insist upon
reparation being made, unde