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And finally (?). He is buried in Glentree German War Cemetery , Co Wicklow, Ireland. Plot 5.
Photo on Find A Grave.

I have noticed how our man ended up in the Lunatic Asylum.

In Oldcastle Petty Sessions Court , July 30th, 1915, he was convicted, as a dangerous lunatic, of unlawfully attempting to assault a soldier the previous day.

No. A slightly fuller version in another newspaper:-

" Banbridge , Tuesday

Yesterday evening at a special court held in the Police Station, Dromore, Co Down, before Dr Francis McKee and Mr John Graham, a German, Erwin........without having written permission of Registrar Officer, Co Down. Defendant was registered as an alien in pursuance of the Proclamation and had been previously arrested and sent forward to the military authorities who had discharged him.
In reply to the court , the prisoner, who appeared to be much affected, pleaded innocent intent. He had been executing orders for photographs for various people. He did not communicate with anyone in Germany
The Court , after consultation imposed a sentence of one months imprisonment in Belfast Jail, without hard labour, defendant being unable to give bail for his appearance at the next Petty Sessions in Dromore"

The previous court appearance is very briefly described at the time as

" A German named Erwin.....of Drummiller, Dromore, who had been detained in the Police Office, Belfast, was discharged yesterday. Four Germans were brought in yesterday and detained pending further enquiries"

His initial arrest is described as (Belfast Telegraph, 21st Aug 1914)

"A German named Erwin.......who resided at Drummiller Dromore with his wife, also German, was arrested on Thurs evening by the Dromore Police and conveyed to Belfast. The prisoner is a photographer and on a search of his premises several views of English harbours were found. It appears he has made a satisfactory explanation as to why he had these in his possession. He was detained, bail being refused"

However the Dromore Weekly Times of the very next day reports (which I have just discovered)

"... and taken before the intelligence dept, where after satisfying the authorities that he was in the country for no purpose other than that of earning a living for himself and his wife, he was set at liberty and safely arrived back in Dromore again by the 11:30 am train on Thursday"
The same report comments
"The man has been for the last couple of years residing in the neighbourhood of Dromore, and earned a livelihood by means of photo enlarging, he generally being regarded throughout the country as a harmless sort of person"
It adds
" at no time did his actions lead the Sergeant in charge of this district to believe that he was a spy and prejudicial to the interests of Britain"

But it seems that the higher powers-that-be were determined to lock him up....

There are clearly more twists and turns to this story leading to his early death

Hi

I have stumbled upon three newspaper articles describing the treatment of this gent who was first arrested for having photographs of English Harbours in his possession . He was passed to the military authorities who seemed to think he was not a spy as he had been in England and Ireland for the past 18 years , and discharged him . However the law would not be denied and he was then rearrested for having photographic equipment in his possession without the necessary permit required of an "alien enemy". For this he got a month in gaol without hard labour. In one article he is Erwin Bernhart Schatz, in another Ervin Bernhart Shartz. When first arrested 20th Aug 1914, a paper gives his name as Ervin Bernhart Shots. The only other info is that his wife was also German.
You would think that over 18 years he would turn up in a census somewhere. but he has proved peculiarly elusive under any combination of names. And what was he doing in rural Down ??

Cathy

Many thanks

Matt