Holger Drachmann var folkets digter og folkets mand. Et af eksemplerne på hans indsats for menigmand i Skagen er historien om fisker og redningsmand Lars Kruse.
Holger Drachmann kom til Skagen i 1872 sammen med den norske maler Fritz Thaulow.
Men han kom ikke tilbage igen før 1879. I mellemtiden var Michael Ancher jo som bekendt kommet til Skagen, første gang i 1874 og han var her stadig da Drachmann kom tilbage og de mødtes nu.
En af de første dage Drachmann var i den brøndumske gæstgivergård, kom Ancher med nogle papirer, som han gerne ville have ham til at læse. Det var nogle notater, som Michael Ancher havde samlet på baggrund af samtaler med fisker og redningsmand Lars Andersen Kruse.
Historien var nemlig den, at byfogeden havde returneret en medalje (Dannebrogsmændenes orden), som Lars Kruse havde fået tildelt for sin dåd med at redde besætningen fra den svenske brig Daphne 3. juledag 1862 (se denne).
Årsagen var angiveligt at Lars Kruse som dreng sammen med et par kammerater havde fundet et stykke blåtræ (EN: logwood) på kongens forstrand og solgt dette for 29 øre til en bonde. Det er strafbart. Drengene blev kørt til Frederikshavn, hvor de fik rotting (piskeslag) og dette blev noteret i fogedbogen.
Ergo, Lars Kruse kunne ikke få sin medalje på grund af nogle drengestreger.
Det var for meget for Drachmann, som straks tog affære. Han fandt ud af, at den lov byfogeden dengang brugte til at nægte Lars Kruse medaljen, forlængst var ugyldig og erstatter at en ny lov.
Drachmann skrev derpå et brev til byfoged Frich, hvori han beder byfogeden ændre holdning og "truer" i modsat fald med at lade det komme til den danske og skandinaviske presse og derved måske "tillige komme til at berøre mulige tilgrænsende Skygger i Hr. Byfogedens Jurisdiction og i de sociale forhold på Skagen"
Byfogeden klager til amtmanden og vil anlægge sag om injurier, men for besked på at klare det selv.
Drachmann skriver beretningen "Lars Kruse, en skildring fra virkeligheden og - sandets regioner" og enden på det hele bliver at Lars Kruse fik sin velfortjente medalje.
Det glemte Skagenfiskerne aldrig Drachmann (Store Tummel) for.
Holger Drachmann was the people's poet and the people's man. One of the examples of his work for the people of Skagen is the story of fisherman and rescuer Lars Kruse.
Holger Drachmann came to Skagen in 1872 together with the Norwegian painter Fritz Thaulow.
But he did not return again until 1879. In the meantime, as you know, Michael Ancher had come to Skagen, the first time in 1874, and he was still here when Drachmann returned and they now met.
One of the first days Drachmann was in the Brøndum guesthouse, Ancher came with some papers he wanted him to read. They were notes that Michael Ancher had collected from conversations with fisherman and rescuer Lars Andersen Kruse.
The story was that the town bailiff had returned a medal (the Order of the Dannebrog) that Lars Kruse had been awarded for his action in rescuing the crew of the Swedish brig Daphne on Christmas Day 1862 (see this).
The reason was supposedly that Lars Kruse as a boy with a few comrades had found a piece of logwood on the king's foreshore and sold it for 29 øre to a farmer. This is a punishable offence. The boys were taken to Frederikshavn, where they were whipped and this was noted in the bailiff's book.
Ergo, Lars Kruse could not get his medal because of some pranks.
This was too much for Drachmann, who immediately took action. He found out that the law the bailiff used at that time to deny Lars Kruse the medal, was long since invalid and replaced by a new law.
Drachmann then wrote a letter to Burgomaster Frich, in which he asked the Burgomaster to change his position and "threatened" otherwise to let it get into the Danish and Scandinavian press and thereby perhaps "also affect possible neighbouring shadows in the jurisdiction of Mr. Burgomaster and in the social conditions of Skagen"
The town bailiff complains to the county magistrate and wants to sue for libel, but is told to handle it himself.
Drachmann writes the report "Lars Kruse, a description from reality and - the regions of truth" and the end of it all is that Lars Kruse got his well-deserved medal.
The Skagen fishermen never forgot Drachmann (Store Tummel) for that.
Kilde: Poul Bernth i bogen Drachmann & Drachmanns Hus