# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 11 24_S62
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— but also healed them again with the balm of the Gospel. In a word, Hahn was a faithful, sincere, affable, and helpful servant of Christ. In particular he was untiring whenever it was a matter of serving his neighbor; it was not too much for him to go through half the city and here and there to present his neighbor's concern. For this God had given him the gift of a particular boldness and friendliness, by which he so won people's hearts that they could refuse him nothing. Especially praised also are his dealings with the sick, his zeal in prayer, and his gentleness toward the poor, who therefore also gathered before him daily in great numbers, and to whom, in a love that forgot itself, he distributed almost more than his means could bear. Touching are the words which the blessed man, in this regard, had recorded in the notes he left in writing: "In his life he had had to care more for other needy persons than for himself and his own household; God had also never let him out of close connection with them, but had granted him every day new clients (wards), to whom, not only on account of their need but also from his own inward impulse to mercy and compassion, which he could not possibly resist, he had had to render the most necessary help." He often experienced, in doing so, great ingratitude from those for whom he had sacrificed himself and his powers the most. But even by this his love was not weakened.

All these excellent virtues had their origin in an unfeigned faith. To him the divine truth, which the Lutheran church confesses so purely and clearly, was a cherished treasure, and with joy he seized every opportunity to lead those in error or those deceived, with love and gentleness, to a more perfect and better knowledge, and to guide them out of the darkness of error into the light of truth. Thus it also happened that in 1723 Hahn, at his own request, instructed a Catholic, Franz Laubler, who wished to go over to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in its doctrine.

This man was born in 1684 at Oberhausen near Augsburg; by trade a butcher, then a soldier, and after that a hajduk in the service of the Archbishop of Valencia — all of which he proved by discharge papers and testimonials he presented; he had, moreover, traveled through France, Italy, Spain, and Poland, and was well versed in the languages of the first two of these. His conversion was not made easy for him by the Lutheran church, in order to avoid every appearance of proselytizing, and he was therefore repeatedly questioned about his intention and its motives. Since he finally proved himself firm and resolute in this decision, and altogether commendable, he was received into the Lutheran church after a long period of preparatory instruction. During this time the blessed Hahn had occasionally had him at his table, and had also often given him money for his support; and now, through Hahn's disinterested and highly effective mediation, he was placed among the castle guards stationed at Dresden. He conducted himself here to general satisfaction, and when after three years he wished to be discharged, Hahn also procured his release.

But with all this, Laubler's heart was not right, but full of bitter gall and bound up with injustice, for he continually associated with papists, secretly attended Mass, and — although even today some obscurity remains as to the real instigators and motives behind Laubler's wicked deed — it is nevertheless more than certain that the fanatical rage which is commonly instilled in the Roman Catholic Church against so-called heretics wholly ruled and drove him to commit a deed which still fills us today with horror and dread, indeed with abhorrence of the papacy, through whose teachings it is brought about that the natural human feeling can be entirely suppressed and stifled by a devilish malice bred and nourished by fanaticism — a malice which also enabled Laubler to murder cruelly his teacher and confessor, friend and benefactor. It was on the 21st of May in the year 1726, the Tuesday after the Sunday Cantate, shortly after one o'clock at noon, when M. Hahn was just enjoying the midday meal in the circle of his family, that Franz Laubler had himself announced to him, under the pretext "that he had something very necessary to discuss with him." The maid, who brought the message, came back out with the answer "that as soon as her master had taken a few bites, he would speak with him at once." — But Laubler was not satisfied with this answer; instead he ordered the maid to announce him once more: "he must be admitted at once, since he had a scruple of conscience to disclose to his former confessor, upon which soul and salvation depended." At this the obliging servant of God, in conscientious readiness, rose from his midday meal, went out to the murderer, and addressed him kindly, asking, "what his concern was?" To this Laubler answered: "that he had now received his discharge from the guard corps, and had come once more to him in order to render thanks for the kindnesses shown him, chiefly for having converted him to the Evangelical religion, having been his confessor, and having done him much good." — O God, what hypocrisy, what ingratitude! Honey in the mouth, gall in the heart! — The dear, blessed man then said "that this was very welcome to him," and wished Laubler much blessing out of God's Word. Then Laubler asked "whether he, M. Hahn, was a good shepherd?" The answer was: "I hope so." Now the villain drew out three iron nails, each of which was eight inches thick and seven inches long, which he had had specially made, and asked: "whether Christ had not been nailed to the cross with nails of this kind, and whether the Herr Magister, too, would lay down his life as a good shepherd for his sheep, as Christ did?"*) The dear, blessed man answered: "If God, according to His holy counsel, wished to decree such a thing upon him, he would not refuse, if thereby some spiritual benefit to the souls of his flock entrusted to him could accrue, to die for the sake of the doctrine and truth of Christ." After these words, the wickedly disguised villain suddenly broke out, against the fearless, unarmed innocence of his teacher and benefactor, into these words of terror: "know then, thou seducer of souls, that I am sent by God to take thy life this instant." With these words he had unnoticed drawn out a rope, which he intended to throw around the blessed man's head in order to strangle him; but Hahn prevented this with his upraised hand, which thereby became caught fast in the rope. Now the villain gave the dear martyr, with a ten-inch-long knife which he had bought for this purpose in the public market, first two stabs in the left breast. "O Jesus, what is happening to me!" cried M. Hahn, and hurried toward the door to his dear family. The door had been locked by his wife and children, who hovered in mortal fear, for they had heard the raging of the murderer, were too faint to tear the dear man and father from his hands, and a cry for help into the street — "Come to help, my husband is being murdered" — was all that the poor woman was able to do. But before help came, the murderer had given him two more stabs in the back, so dangerous that a large artery was cut more than halfway through by the sharp knife. "O Jesus, help me! Christ, thou Lamb of God, have mercy on me!" cried the dear man, and sank, as a result of the great loss of blood and the mortal wounds he had received, unconscious and almost lifeless to the ground. The murderer dragged him to the stairway, whereby his head and face received disfiguring and fatal contusions (bruises), gave him yet another stab in the right side and the shoulder-blade, left him lying on the steps of the stairway with his head turned downward, and hurried away. The precious soul of the martyr had fled; it had gone to Him who had purchased it with His blood and washed it clean, and who now gave it the reward of faithfulness which is promised by grace to all steadfast confessors of the name of Jesus.

Who indeed could portray the grief and pain of the faithful wife of our Hahn and of their six now orphaned children, as they saw the precious head of the household, the godly, upright father, lying there lifeless before them in his blood? No pen is able to describe this; no mortal mouth was able to give comfort then. The mouth of the eternal, living

*) From Laubler's confessions it emerged that he had intended to lure the blessed Hahn into his study, first to hang him there, and then actually to crucify him with the aforementioned nails.