Appeals to the Highest Court. was tried, and sentenced to expulsion from his pastorate. When he heard this, he asked if there was any appeal from the decision. On being answered that there was none, he said solemnly, " I, John Caspar Wattenbach, refer my cause to Heaven. I cite the pro vost Hahn to appear this day twelve weeks, the Chancellor who has given judgment, to appear this day fourteen weeks, and my prosecutor, the fiscal officer, at the same time, and all my witnesses who can testify to my innocence to attend within a year and a day before the Divine tribunal." At these solemn words there fell upon the court a death-like stillness. The Chancellor was the first to break the silence, and he rebuked the speaker for his profane language. Wat tenbach replied that the sentence of the court had destroyed his repute and cast him and his family into utter poverty. Having no other redress, he said, he was compelled to make this appeal. Leaving the court room shortly after, Wattenbach returned to Barlt, and removed his family from the par sonage. Sixteen days later he died. The twelve weeks alloted to Provost Hahn
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expired on the 24th of June. The day was Sunday, and the provost preached on a pas sage from Luke 1, 57-80, that being the gospel for the day. He had never felt in better health or spirits in his life. In the afternoon he sent a message to the Chan cellor, reminding him jokingly of Wattenbach's summons. Before the messenger re turned he was taken with an apoplectic fit and in a few minutes he died. Exactly two weeks later, their time having also elapsed, the Chancellor and the prosecu tor passed away, and before the year and a day had gone by, every one of the witnesses summoned by Wattenbach to attest his in nocence were dead. Strange as this story is, it appears to be authentic. The provost Burchard who was present at Wattenbach's earlier trials, gives us the account of it, and the parish registers of Barlt certainly confirm many of his state ments. If we could believe the death of Hahn to be a mere coincidence, it would of course be easy to account for the subsequent deaths on the score of nervous terror. But was it a coincidence?
