My Life and My Efforts Part 15

I did not trust him, and, to be protected by a witness, I had invited the military author and editor Max Dittrich [a] for the same time, who conducted the conversation in my place.

[a] Julius Eduard Maximilian Dittrich (1844-1917) and Karl May had been to prison in Zwickau at the same time. Later, Dittrich worked as an editor in charge of articles on the military for several newspapers. He also wrote numerous books, mostly on military history.

Lebius drank much wine, while I only sipped. He became increasingly agitated, while I remained calm and circ.u.mspect. He tried very hard to convince me and my wife that he had the stuff it took to be a "real man". This was his favourite expression, which he often used. Incessantly, he spoke about his principles, his views, his plans, about his great skillfulness, his ample experiences, and his excellent success as a journalist and an editor, as a publisher and a manager, as a leader of the flock and a tribune of the people.

This man attempted to impress us in a manner which only a quite ordinary, imprudent person would use, who is thus convinced of his own outstanding qualities, that he does not even consider that others might laugh about his conduct. When he saw that I did not respond to any of his tricks, his efforts became more desperate.

He had to convince me of his excellent qualities, at any price!

After all, he needed money, lots of money! And I seemed to be his final hope to get it! Therefore, in his financial angst, he revealed to us the most secret principles of his business and his way of life. Because of the large amount of wine, he believed he could win us over by this, but only affirmed our repulsion. Since I have to be brief here, I will only reproduce the three most important ones of these principles of his. These are:

1. Editors and journalists like us usually have no money.

Therefore, we also cannot afford the luxury of a personal opinion. We want to live. Therefore, we sell our services.

_Whoever_pays_the_most,_gets_us!_

2. Every person has some dark spots on his character or in his life. _Even_every_employer,_every_official,_every_policeman,_ _every_judge_or_prosecutor_has_such_a_skeleton_in_his_closet._ These things have to be found out, wisely and clandestinely.

No difficulty may be a discouragement in this. And once it has been found out, the game is won. A note will then be placed in the newspaper, telling the person concerned that all is known, but in a manner so that he cannot sue. Then, he will be in our hands, and we can do with him as we please. He will surrender. In this manner I have already often worked to the benefit of my readers!

3. In a social respect, mankind can be divided into sheep and rams, masters and servants, those who command and those who obey. Whoever wants to stop being a human member of the flock, _has_to_cast_aside_the_conscience_of_the_flock._ Once he does so, all who are still burdened by this conscience will come running after him. It does not matter at all which flock he might want to belong to. He can leave one and join another, he can switch sides. This does not hurt him. He only has to make sure that it is done with the necessary warmth and conviction, for this elates the crowd. If the social democrats do not follow him, the others will!

When the three of us heard these astonis.h.i.+ng lessons, Max Dittrich burst out in rage several times; my wife was quiet with amazement; but I left the room to overcome my disgust! Thus, Lebius received neither money nor anything else from me. So, he came to realize that this unprecedented self-incrimination had not just been entirely in vain, but that by it he had also delivered himself into our hands. Now, the three of us were the most dangerous people there were for him. _He_could_never_allow_us_to_ _state_our_case_in_court,_ but rather had to do everything _to_ _portray_us_as_untrustworthy_persons,_who_had_no_right_to_testify_ _under_oath._ It is very important to me to emphasise this in particular, for this is the only right key for all of his later actions, which would hardly be understandable without this key, because the hatred this man has against the three of us seems to be almost inhuman.

Even before he left on this night together with Max Dittrich, I had purposefully complained about the many letters in which I, not being a rich man at all, had been besieged with requests for money, and did so in a manner which had to keep any educated, honourable man from approaching me with similar wishes: As soon as the very next day, he wrote me the following letter:

"Dresden-A., 5/3/04.

"Dear doctor!

"Cordially thanking you for the friendly reception and your hospitality, I am asking you, in case you should visit the art exhibit or should happen to come to Dresden on another occasion, to have lunch or coffee with us.

"In one respect, I have to go back on the agreement we reached yesterday. I cannot accept your offer to work for us free of charge. We will pay ten pfennig per line, which would be the same price you are likely to have received from other newspapers.

"What you have told me yesterday, I have considered one more today. It would seem to me that in spite of the colossal sales of your works, the profit could still be increased extensively. My experiences as a bookseller and publisher have taught me that the value of properly managed propaganda and direct advertis.e.m.e.nt cannot be overestimated at all.

"My wife and I send our regards to your wife and you with _admiration_ and _grat.i.tude,_ yours truly "Rudolf Lebius."

Let me point out that he addressed me as "doctor", though, during his visit, I had, and not just once, made clear to him that he should refrain from doing so. But he did not do so, for, after all, this t.i.tle was serve him as a weapon against me!

At about this time, Max Dittrich wrote a booklet about me and my work. He was so imprudent to show the ma.n.u.script to Lebius. The latter came rus.h.i.+ng to Radebeul right away, to ask me to use my influence on Dittrich that he should let him, Mr. Lebius, publish this work. It goes entirely without saying that he and his request were rejected, and I wrote to Mr. Max Dittrich that I would never want to see him again, if he would consider letting this man have the booklet.

This second visit of Mr. Lebius took at most ten minutes. After he was gone, I was missing a photograph, he had stolen from me.

He was never allowed to return again. Nevertheless, he had repeatedly pretended to have been a guest at my house at numerous occasions and to have studied me very carefully.

The next day he wrote to me:

"Dresden-A., 7/12/04 34 Furstenstrae.

"Dear doctor!

_"I_would_very_much_like_to_publish_Dittrich's_booklet_and_would_ _also_make_the_greatest_efforts_to_put_it_in_wide_circulation._ But on account of my resignation from the 'Sachsenstimme' - officially I will not be leaving my job until the first of October of this year - I have become a bit short on capital.

_"Would_you_perhaps_grant_me_a_loan_for_three_years_at_5_percent?_ Perhaps, I will pay the debt back to you as early as one year from now.

"To show my grat.i.tude for this, I would promote the booklet in such a way that the whole world would talk about it. After all, I am particularly experienced in this area.

"Things will work out with my newspaper, and even on a very solid basis. Now it is up to me to work and to show _that_I_have_the_ _stuff_it_takes_to_be_a_real_man_ etc. etc. Best regards to your wife

"Yours truly Rudolf Lebius."

I did not answer. I was of the opinion that a man with honour could not proceed after such a silence, especially since I had _totally_rejected_Lebius_concerning_the_booklet._ But on August the 8th, he nevertheless wrote again:

"On the 4th of this month, I have become the sole proprietor of the "Sachsenstimme" at favourable conditions. I can now act as I please. To gain some independence from the printer, _I_would_ _like_to_take_a_loan_of_a_few_thousand_marks_(3_to_6)_for_half_a_ _year._ There is no risk involved. The Jewish interested businesses are behind me, who have, as the past season has shown, supported me to a large extent. The Christmas sales will give me the money to pay you back. _Would_you_grant_me_this_loan?__I_am_ _very_willing_do_something_for_you_in_return._ The large number of academic employees allows my paper to rise above the majority the of Saxonian newspapers. We are furthermore able to send those articles, you might have an interest in, to 300 or more German and Austrian newspapers and highlight the article concerned in blue.

Something like this will infallibly have its effect. In Dresden, I am sending my paper to all public bars (1760). Most sincerely Rudolf Lebius."

At the same time, I found out that Lebius owned nothing at all, but had taken the oath of manifestation [a], that he had not payed the printer of his paper, that he quite generally had nothing but debts, and that he even owed royalties. That his newspaper had a solid basis, was untrue, the same thing goes for the "large number of academic employees" and other things. Intentional deceptions like this ought to brought before the public prosecutor. Let me draw your attention to how he starts and ends his letters: "Dear Sir ... With outstanding admiration!" "With great respect and admiration!" "Dear doctor ... With admiration and grat.i.tude."

When he saw that this flattery failed to do its effect, he did not write to me any more, but to Dittrich. He did so on August the 15th, 1904:

[a] This oath forces a debtor to disclose all of his possessions.

A debtor who refuses to take this oath can be sent to prison.

"Dear Mr. Dittrich!

"I will give you one percent for negotiating the loan. _I_do_not_ _need_more_than_10.000_marks._ But I would also make do with less.

I will sent you your fee on the 20th of this month as agreed.

"Couldn't you _USE_YOUR_PERSUASION_ on doctor May to pay me an advance?

"Friendly greetings R. Lebius."

Then, on August the 27th:

"Dear Mr. Dittrich!

"My wife is going to see Dr. Klenke on September the 1st, to get a small amount he owes us. She will use this opportunity to pay you your royalties. You have my written promise that I will give you 1 percent of the money which I will obtain from H.V. or Dr. M.

(May) on account of your intervention. You will receive the money right away . . . .

"Friendly greetings Lebius."

This refers to the fact that he owed Max Dittrich royalties in the amount of 37 marks and 45 pfennigs, which he, though this amount was very small, was unable to pay. As a consequence of this, a mirror has been seized from his house by the court. When he received an order to pay the 37 marks and 45 from Dittrich instead of my 10.000 marks, he wrote to him on September the 3rd:

"Dear Mr. Dittrich!

"I have urged Mr. Klenke M.D. to pa.s.s the amount of 40 marks from my account to you. Your behaviour towards me strikes me as most peculiar, perhaps even insulting.

"Sincerely R. Lebius."

But this Dr. Klenke also never considered paying the debts of Mr.

Lebius, and thus it was only logical and consequential that on September the 7th, the following threat reached me in the form of a postcard:

"Dear Sir!