The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-13 00:00:00

not deny without compromising himself, but
protesting that he was not the murderer of Ann
Maria, attributing her death to Madelaine, who
was jealous of her. With the, most perfidious
skill he combined, and put in the strongest light,
all those circumstances which could render this
system of justification probable.
The examining Judge, unable to reason the
prisoner into an acknowledgment of his crime,
sought to act upon his imagination. On All
Slints' Day, the anniversary of the murder of
Ann Maria, at four o'clock in the evening, he
entered upon the 88th examination. After en-
deavouring, during eight consecutive hours, to
wring an avowal from the prisoner, by laying be-
fore him the evident proofs of his guilt, he gave
up the attempt as useless. At that moment it
struck midnight, when the Judge suddenly un-
folded a black cloth, containing the skull of
Ann Maria. At this sight Reimbauer started
from his seat, opened wide his eyes, and smiled,
according to his usual custom, and yet drew back
three paces, as if retreating from the accusing,
looks of the fleshless skull ; but, quickly reco-
vering his self-possession, he exclaimed, " My
conscience is at rest ; that head, if it could
speak, would say, Riembauer is my lover, and
not my murderer. This is the anniversary of
her death."

This extraordinary case has been pending for
the last four years before the Supreme Criminal
Tribunal of Bavaria, and the proceedings on re-
cord already occupied 42 volumes, when at the
moment of one of the Judges.sending in a final
report, it was announced to him that the prisoner
had changed the nature of his declaration, now
asserting that it: was. the widow Fravenkneiht
alone who murdered Ann Maria. Upon this
a new series of examinations was entered upon.
The prisoner at first persisted in this novel de-
claration ; but at length, on the one hundredth
examination, he made an avowal of his guilt.
The motive of this avowal, so obstinately with-
held during four years, was not a little singular.
Riembauer stated that he had seen, from his
dungeon, a Jew who had committed murder
going to the scaffold. He was struck with the
serenity and firmness exhibited by the Jew in his
last moments, and, on speaking of the circum-
stance to his gaolers, he learned that it was only
after a full confession of his crime that the cul-
prit, named Lammfromm, had recovered all his
tranquillity of mind, and that from that moment
he (Riembauer) resolved to declare the whole
truth. " Yes," said he, "I am seized with
horror. I feel that my health is daily perishing.
You are right in advising me to make a full and
sincere confession. Before doing so, I recom-
mend to tile care of Government my innocent
children and my last cook-maid (ma derniere
cnisiniere.) Catherine told truth —it was I
that murdered Ann Maria Eichlaetter." And to
prove to the Judge his love of truth, he more-
over confessed to hire that he had caused the
abortion of two of his mistresses, which, he
added, he considered no sin, as, according to the
ecclesiastical law, in the first months of preg-
'lanes' the ileum is deemed not to be possessed
of life. He :deo related to the Judge, that
wishing to get rid of a man whom he hated, lie
had ardently prayed to God to deprive him of
life, and that soon after the ;sadividual gave up
the ghost ! He also added, that on an inn-
keeper refusing to lend him a small sum of
money, be was seized with the most violent des
sire of setting tire to his premises. But what is
really singular and curious are the sophisms by
which the prisoner sought to justify his crimes.
" When Ann Maria (said he) endeavoured to
compel me to take her again into spy house, I
began to reflect upon the bad consequences ,sueli
a step might entail upon my reputation and
credit. I recalled to mind the principle of the
Jesuit Father. Steller, who, in his work called
Ethics Christiana,' declares that it ie allow-
able to kill another, if there be no other means
of saving one's honour or good renown.' I also
recollected that other principle of the Jesuits,
that the end sanctifies the means, I reflected
upon the great evils that the public seansial with
which Ann Maria menaced me would cause to
the people and to my sacred profession, and
said to myself, If a Priest of stch unblemished
reputation were found to be a sinner, great
would the detriment thew( be to religion ;'
therefore, as there were no other means of avoid-
ing public scandal but by the death Ai' Ann
Maria, and that this death tended to produce a
laudable result, I do not think I have acted
criminally, for my intentions were pure, and ad
majorem Dci gloriam."
" Moreover," added he, " before hitting
Ann Maria, I exhorted her to repent of bee
sins, and I gave her absolution. When she bad
no longer the strength to support herself, I very
eently stretched her on the floor. J merit the
consideration of my Judges, because my actions
have been always ordered so as to avoid public
scandal." This last principle Riembauer seemed
to have preached to the young girls whom he
wished to seduce.
Among other extraordinary opinions avowed
by him to the examining Judge, lie stated that
he conceived it no crime to be the father of
children, even out of marriage ; " for," added
he, " it is imitating le Bon _Dieu, and increas-
ing the number of I)elievers and good citizens."
Riembauer, strange- enough to say, never .ne-
glected to go through a kind of nuptial cere-
mony with his mistresses, either for the purpose
of tranquillising his own couscienee, or for the
better securing their fidelity. Clothed in
priestly vestments, with tapers lighted, he wont
through all the ceremonies of marriage, he him-
self performing the_ double function of priest- and
bridegroom, end concluding the ceremony by
placing a ring ors his mistress's finger. The
children resulting from. those conneetiona he
regularly baptised,. giving them for father and
0
mother names taken at hazard.
The Supreme Criminal Tribune' of Bavaria
has Condemned this extraordinary criminal to
close confinement in a fortress fur an unlimit4l
period.

WINCESLAUS, King of Bohemia, showed as
great a disposition N cruelty and mad acts as the most ac-
complished tyrants GI Rome or Himiortan. His cook
having, on one occasion, 'wiled his dinner, he had him
impaled on the spot, and roasted before his kitchen are.
Another time be commanded the ev.e;mtioner of the metro-
polis to come to him, and told him La wished to know
how men felt who were going to he beheade4l; he there-
fore hared his neck, blinded his ey,i4., knelt down, 044 !)r-
-dered " his father," as he called the exe..tioner, to strike
off his head. The poor man wsisted for a lengt4 of time,
and at length. urged by reiterated menaces,
.o.ently
touched the Monarch's neck with the axe. The King
immediately arose, made the executioner Itn.eJ in his turn,
and with one blow severest his bead from his Hunt-
ing in a forest one clay he must a numk, whom he intim-
diately pleioed With his spear, and shouted to his atten-
dants that he had slain a wild astonished
gusrds replied it was not a wild beast, but a monk, he had
" You are wrong," replied the King, " for monks
belong to the cloisters, and not to woods." An holionant
citizen wrote opposite to time Pal tee—
" in Wincestms another Nero ems
to wli;eli ,t!ded a rhyme, to the effect_
If out a Nero yet, I soon will he."