8. Feb. 1860
9, Grafton Terrace, Maitland Park,
Haverstock Hill, London
Lieber Freiligrath,
Als alter Parteifreund und alter persönlicher Freund halte ich es für eine Pflicht, Dich von Schritten zu unterrichten, die ich im Interesse des Berliner Prozesses getan, die also bald, nur nicht unmittelbar, dem Publikum bekannt werden müssen.
Du wirst Dich erinnern oder wirst aus dem Dir zugeschickten gedruckten englischen Zirkular1 wieder ersehn haben, daß Blind sich außer auf Hollingers, auf eines gewissen Setzers Wiehe schriftliche Erklärung in der A[ugsburger] „A[llgemeinen] Z[eitung]" (usw.) bezog als Beweis, daß ich „eine glatte Unwahrheit"2 gesagt, daß „die Unterstellung eine Lüge war", daß er, Blind, Verfasser der Flugschrift „Zur Warnung" und daß letztre für ihn von Hollinger gedruckt, daß sie überhaupt aus Hollingers Setzerei hervorgegangen. Ich teile Dir nun in wörtlicher Abschrift dieses Wiehes eidliche Erklärung vor dem Magistrat in Bow Street mit. Von dieser Erklärung erhielt ich ein amtlich beglaubigtes Duplikat. Ein Exemplar derselben ist bereits auf der Reise nach Berlin zu dem Dossier der Staatsanwaltschaft.
Ich halte es für überflüssig, hier ein Wort Kommentar zu dem Aktenstück zuzufügen.
Dein
K.M.
„One of the first days of November last – I do not recollect the exact date – in the evening between 9 and 10 o'clock I was taken out of bed by Mr. F. Hollinger, in whose house (3, Litchfield Street, Soho) I was then living, and by whom I was employed as compositor. He presented to me a paper to the effect, that I had been continuously employed by him during the preceding 11 months, and that during all that time a certain German flysheet ‚Zur Warnung' (A Warning) had not been composed and printed in Mr. Hollinger's Office, 3, Litchfield Street, Soho. In my perplexed state, – and not aware of the importance of the transaction I complied with his wish, and copied and signed the document. He promised me money, but I never received anything. During that transaction Mr. Charles Blind, as my wife told me at the time, was waiting in Mr. Hollinger's room. A few days later Mrs. Hollinger (Mr. F. Hollinger's wife) called me down from dinner and led me into her husband's room, where I found Mr. Charles Blind alone. He presented me the same paper which Mr. Hollinger had presented me before, and entreated me to write and sign a second copy, as he wanted two, the one for himself, the other for publication in the Press. He added that he would show himself grateful to me. I copied and signed again the paper.
I herewith declare the truth of the above statements and that:
1. During the eleven months, mentioned in the document, I was for six weeks not employed by Mr. Hollinger, but by a Mr. Ermani.
2. I did not work in Mr. Hollinger's Office just at the time, when the flysheet ‚Zur Warnung' (A Warning) was published.
3. I heard at the time from Mr. Voegele, who then worked for Mr. Hollinger, that he, Voegele, had together with Mr. Hollinger himself composed the flysheet in question, and that the manuscript was in Mr. Blind's handwriting.
4. The types of the pamphlet were still standing, when I returned into Mr. Hollinger's service. I myself broke them into columns for the reprint of the flysheet (or pamphlet) ‚Zur Warnung' (A Warning) in the German paper ‚Das Volk', published at London by Mr. Fidelio Hollinger, 3, Litchfield Street, Soho. The flysheet appeared in N. 7, d. d. 18 June 1859 of ‚Das Volk'.
5. I saw Mr. Hollinger give to Mr. William Liebknecht, of 14, Church Street, Soho, London, the proofsheet of the pamphlet ‚Zur Warnung', on which proofsheet Mr. Charles Blind with his own hand had corrected 4 or 5 mistakes. Mr. Hollinger hesitated at first giving the proofsheet to Mr. Liebknecht, and when Mr. Liebknecht had withdrawn, he, F. Hollinger, expressed to me and my fellowworkman Voegele his regret for having given the proofsheet out of his hands.
Johann Friedrich Wiehe.
Declared and signed by the said
Johann Friedrich Wiehe
at the Police Court Bow Street,
London, this 8th day of February,
1860, before me Th.3 Henry.
Magistrate of the said Court."4
Ich ersuche Dich einstweilen, diese Kopie des Affidavits niemand mitzuteilen. Die kriminalgerichtlichen Konsequenzen desselben hier in England werden Dir nicht entgehn.