Ulrich Muller, in the Year 1640

On the 31st of August of the year 1640, Ulrich Muller, a minister of the Word of God, was arrested in the country of Kiberg.

He was taken from there to Zurich, where he was confined in the council house, and a few days afterward imprisoned in the convent dungeon at Othenbach.

Here they treated him most unmercifully for thirty-five weeks, so that he completely wasted away; and, holding to his faith, he fell asleep in his bonds in great steadfastness.

After his death his children had to pay a fine of 100 guilders to the authorities on account of their father, who had, as it was thought, died a heretic.

Compare both tracts, that of Mangold as well as that of Meyli, on the name Ulrich.

NOTE. At this time, in the year 1640, Oswald Landis was also arrested, with his wife and two of his daughters-in-law, all of whom were imprisoned in the convent Othenbach; Jacob Landis, the son of Oswald, and his entire family as well, were exiled into misery.

In the meantime the two imprisoned daughters-in-law, who had nursing infants, escaped out of prison by night; in this the old man and his wife afterward succeeded as well, but they had lost all their property, and because of this they had to roam about in poverty. Tract, Jer. M.

In the following year, 1641, they again arrested several pious Christians living in the Seignioralty of Knonow; among them are mentioned by name Henry Fricken, and also Hans Ring and his wife.

Henry Fricken was confined in the council house of the city of Zurich, and so unmercifully treated that he weakened in his purpose, and consented also to go to the common church, which was what they desired; and then he was released. But when he considered what he had done, and how he had done violence to his conscience, wronged his soul, and given offense to the Church of God, he fell into great distress, confessed his fall, and, like Peter, bitterly wept over his sin; and so that his persecutors should no longer rejoice over his apostasy, he went back to Zurich, into the council house, to be confined in the place from which he had been released, which was done.

In the meantime, by order of the authorities, his two large farms were rented out for 420 guilders, and in notes they took from him over 13,000 guilders; after which he was released, but arrested again. He escaped out of those bonds as well, but afterward was sorely persecuted, as before, while wandering about in misery and poverty.

Hans Ring also had to go to Zurich into the council house, and was then imprisoned in Othenbach, and closely guarded. He was taken into the torture chamber, and twice stripped, near the rack, but in the end, unweakened in his faith, he escaped the tyrants' hands.

The wife of this Hans Ring, four days after having given birth, and being still very sick, was unexpectedly so assailed and distressed by the magistrates' beadles, with furious raging and cursing, that she, in the attempt to save herself as it seems, unexpectedly fell into a gutter, where she could not be found or helped out for the time being; but afterward, having been found, she was fastened there to a chain, and the people in the house were ordered with severe threats not to let her leave the house.

Finally, however, through the aid of some of her friends, she escaped by night, and, being still very weak, was carried into another region. Compare Tract, Mang. with Tract, Meyli, on the names referred to above.