Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-05-15
A Fearful Tragedy.

Some two months since it was announced
that barrel, containing the mangled remains
of female, was found in the Hudson river
railroad depot, at New York Officers at once
commenced an investigation, and by the aid of
the telegraph traced the barrel on its travels
as far as Chicago, from which place it was
shipped. Further investigation fixed upon a
barber, named Henry Jumpertz, native of
Prussia, twenty four years of age, as the per-
son who forwarded the barrel, and he was ac-
cordingly arrested, as has been announced by
telegraph. The Chicago papers bring us the
circumstances of this cold-blooded atrocity,
as narrated by himself, as follows
1.-THE name of the murdered woman is So
phie Werner; her maiden name was Elten,
She was twenty years of age, and the
wife of Frederick Werner, who formerly kept
barber shop under the Revere House. at
which Jumpertz worked. Werner at the same
timo was living with another woman, whose
name we are unable to learn. This was in the
latter part of 1856 Somewhat over year
ago, Werner absconded from the city with this
woman, leaving his wife here His business
was broken up and his wife lived with bar
Der under the Sherman House. Jumpertz
was boarding at the same house, and formed
an improper intimacy with her. She told him
her story, and he sympathized with her, and
finally so far prevailed upon her that she left
her former paramour and lived with him. He
hired rooms in Pitkin's building, in South
Water street. taking their meals at restau-
rant on Lake street.
After that building was burned last fall in
the great fire, he hired a room in the fifth
story of Pomeroy's building, at the corner Of
South Water and Clark streets. After they
took the room, they ceased taking their meals
on Lake street, He provided stove, ale,
dishes, and other articles, and she did the
cooking. After time the woman BECAME en-
cicnte. He tried to keep the matter a secret
but it leaked out, and his associates continually
annoyed him for living with low Dutch
woman.
Provoked by their taunts he determined tc
90 to Milwaukee, and the guilty pair took their
departure from this city. Shortly after thcii
arrival she was delivered Of child, but by
The prisoner says it was born dead. Not sat
isfed with this guilty alliance, the woman
plead with him to marry her, but he refused
He wrote to Chicago to obtain work, ant
Frazza & Rabolia offered him situation.
He packed up his baggage, and she insisted
on coming with him, and still more strongly
that he should marry her. He fatty refused
each Of these requests and hard words passed
between them. He hired room for her. paiC
her board until July next came off and lcf
her about the middle of December last.
Several letters passed between them, in al
of which she constantly reiterated her de
mand that he should marry her, and in one o
them said that she should die if he didn't le
her come. He finally wrote to her that IL sh,
was coming, to come in the night time anc
come directly to his room, so that no on,
should know she was here. She arrived in thu
city some time in February, and no one knew
she was back again except the drayman whc
brought her trunks to his room. They livec
along in the old style until Sunday, March 6.
That morning he went to the shop as usual
and returned at halfpast one to dinner TIL,
prisoner says that as he opened the door i
was pushed hard, and that when he got int
the room, he found her hanging by cottoI
rope to common screw hook driven into tn
door, her feet almost touching the floor. Thi
is the prisoners version. He cut her down an,
laid her on the bed. Upon the table he say
he found a letter stating that she forgave him
and wished she could have died by the sid
of Werner. He then sat in the window. sea
about an hour thinking what he should d
with the body. To convince himself that sh
was really dead, he took the body Off the bed
laid it on mattress on the floor and cut he
with lancet in several places. AT the frs
incision drop or two Of blood flowed, but al