The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-02-19
From Chambers' Journal
A.TALE OF MODERN GERMANY.

A'rALE OF MODERN GERMANY.
ONR of the features of our time--as Of all
times, each oi which is now in its generation
lis the character Of its crimes Every pha-
sis Of human affairs, every advance in civili-
cation, every shade Of improvement in our
materisl comforts and convcniences, gives
rise 10 new modes and forms may, 10 sexual
new births--of crime, the germs Of which
vero snlv waiting for congenial soil TO
spring in; whilst others are but notifications
of the old inventions, accommodated 10 new
circumstances.
How thoroughly foreign and strange 10 Us
was the history o Madame Lafarge! How
unlike surs were the modes and habits of
life it disclosed, and how wildly one fel, that
il was the tale ofunoher land! So of the
Priest R;embauen, noticed in a late aumber
.flhe Edingburgh Review, who murdered
the woman he had outraged. The details
of this crime we're as foreign TO US as the
language he spoke. So of nany others we
could name: but fer tho present. VIC will can-
tent ourselves with case that occurred q
few years ago at Leipsc. To what age or
class our present stoiy might be properly as
sigaed, we should be somewhat suzzled TO
deiermine--thc circumstance Of the cri me
being, as far as we know, without precedent,
and, we hope, not destined to form one;
whilst the boldness of The enterprise on the
enc hand, and the veil Of mystery that still
hangs over the motives of the perpeirator on
the other, seem to endus it with the ming,
led haes of the savage and the romanic.---
This question, however, We will leave our
readers 10 decide for themselves.
II was between ten and eloven o'clock on
the morning ofihe 2Sth Of February, 1919,
that gentlemen prhscnied himself at the
door Of Mr.. Schmddt, an sffluent merchan,
Of Leipsic. Being admitted TO All interview,
he inform Mr.. Schmidt that he was from
Hamburgh, where, pot finding affairs favora
bic 10 his objects, be had come TO see what
could be done in Sasony; and, describing
hilnsclfas especially recommended 10 Mr.
Sehmdt's good offices, be requested that gen.
tleman's advice with respect 10 the most ad
yantageous mode Of laying out his money.
In the course Of This conversation, which
aasled upwards Of half an hour, Mr.. Schmid
opened his desk, and took from il bill
10 the amount of one hundred dollars, whiel
the visitor begged leave 10 inspect. Having
done %, he restored il 10 the owner, who
whilst reiurnlngit TO the place whence he
had taken il, suddenly sank 10 the ground
deprived of consciousness. On recovering
his senses, he cried 10 the stranger 10 assis
him; but the straAger was gone.
When Mr.. Schmidt arose fren the floor
which he did with much dficulty--fer hi.
head was bleeding profusely-he saw ths
chairs standing aboSt in confusion, and hi
desk open, and moneni's examination
showed him that bills to The amount Of three
thousand dollars were missing
By this ,imc his cries had summoned &c
his aid Vetter, the landlord Of ths
house, and his wife, who having bound uE
his bleeding head as we'll as they could, the
unfortunate man, to whom Indignation and
despair lent strength, rushed into the street
and making his way 10 the sheriff's office
there lodged information against the stranger
giving the best description Of him he could
Notices we're Immediately sent to all the
banking houses in The city, together with the
numbers Of the missing bills; but quickly ai
ahis was done, it was tso late. The house
yf Frege and Company had already cashet
chem.
On learning this, Mr.. Schlaidt returned
heme, took to his bed, and after an illness o.
some duration, died from the consequences
of the wounds in his head, which the sur
aeons declared had been inflicted with con
siderable violence, and by blunt instru
msnt.
Before he expired, he reiterated upon oatl
The above particulars, adding that he did no
know how or why he had fallen, nor wheth
lerthe stranger had stuck him or not Ar
idea seems 10 have prevailed at the time tina
he had sunk to the ground immediately afte
taking pinch ofsnuff from the airanger'i