The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-12-13
A FEARFUL. CHAPTER IN CRIMINAL
HISTORY.
From the ChIcsgo TImes.l


(Prussia,) has for fortnight been occupied
with case which may be said to be without a
precedent in the annals of Prussian crime.
A workman named Karl Maasch has been ac-
cused of having been concerned in the COM
mission ofthirteen murders and many hundred
robberies, of which he confesses himself gull
ty. The number of his transgressions is. how
ever probably, far greater than that indicated
in the crowded list already made out against
him. Among modern criminals, Dumollard
alone, who was executed some months ago in
France, can be compared in the eno-mity Of
his crimes with the monster Naaeeh. Not
only was Maash, like Dumollard, guilty of
the most cold blooded cruelty in the numer.
ous murders which he seemed to take fiendish
delight in perpetratinR, but the hideons man.
ner in which he treated the still warm bodies
of his female victims sinks him far below the
level of the savage or the brute.
Karl Maasch was, it appears, the leader of a
band of wretches, consisting of himself his
brother Martin, his neither, an old but active
woman, and two laborers named Liebeg and
Kohlschmidt; and all these persons were
placed at the bar. Their burglaries and mur-
ders had for five years kept in almost continual
alarm the population around Sodlin, Pyritz,
Lansburg and Stargardt. One of the most
horrifying atrocities which they committed
was on night in May, 1861, when Karl
Maasch and some Of his band broke forcibly
into the house of miller named Baumgart 1T
Carsdorf, murdered the miller and his wife,
his daughter, two Sons, and q maid, and robbed
the house of everything that was portable and
valuable, including, it is believed, eOpsidera-;
BILE sum of money. The murders, too, were
committed in 8 manner 40 atrocious as to
arouse the population into frenzy, and the
most persevering exertions were made to OBJ
tain a clue to the guilty parties.
The noblest detectives of Berlin were sent
TO aid the local police but the only person to
in the house, and who was the only one who
escaped death, was at last set free, under the
conviction that he was innocent. A strange
incident. however, at length occurred Two
farm laborers, of the village of Warsin, near
Stargardt, were one morning walking together
on their way to their work in the fields, when
it came on to rain. For the sake of greater
shelter against the wet, one of them proposed
that they should proceed to their destination
for the rest of the way by path leading
through the woods. This being agreed on,
the peasants had not been ten minutes in the
forest, when one of them espied at some dis
tance through the trees the upper half of the
body of man sticking up out of the ground.
Their hearts lenped to their mouths. One i'm
mediately started off with all the speed he
could put forth, while the other, more self.
H. .
eve fixed on the object in question, which
gradually sank out of sight into the earth.
The peasants instantly made known to the
owner Of the estate the strange thing they had
witnessed The police was sent for, and
number of persons, with all dispatch, proceed
ed TO the mysterious spot which was pointed
out by the laborers. At first it seemed as
though the men must have deceived themselves
or were carrying on q practical joke +; for 1t
ho ind ~ thoro rod tn ho nnthYnn
like hole in the earth, as the grass covered
the ground all round about On closer inves-
tigatiOn, however, q slit was found in the grass
in the form of square. 1t was the top of
trap door covered with turf. On forcing this
open and descending, large cavity was
discovered, from which, however, the late oc-
cupiers had already fed.
trees overlaid with turf, was divided into two
rooms, the walls lined with boards stove,
two or three beds, . ladder, victuals, and cook
ing utensils being present, and making very
snug underground dwelling. In addition to
these articles there were present quantities of
objects identified AZ having been stolen from
VARIOUS houses in the neighboring country, in
which bur9larious robberies and murders have
been committed. Axes, firearms, and other
weapons, az well a. considerable number Of
thieves tools, were likewise found.
The police now found themselves on theright
track Various scircumstances-th description
given by the peasants of the Occupiers Of the
cavern, AZ well as indications found in the
cavern itsef-led to the suspicion that thep per.
son SO seen was none other than the notorious
workman, Karl Frederick Maasch, who was
conjectured TO be the leader of the band Of
robbers who had 80 long infested the neigh.
borhood. Against him and bis crew the search
was hencefoFth specially directed. Maasch
had been for some time labOrer on the estate
Of Deacon, near Pyritz, in which nAighbor-~
hood be was born. He was never married,
and bad been Published frequently for thefts
He was sconndrel Of the lowest modes Of
life, end sprang from fsmily hereditarily
criminal He had hed from the place men
Jaoned above on. account Of the diaeoveEy Of
now thsfls committed by him, md shAd NOT
been seen Tor several years. AZ hrst the eff
tosts Of the police to7fek him vera com
pletak ioi1od, ,anA - Waa ateennQusly Aided II
,hlse secneeelnnent ~ ~ 1eek ~ the bAnd, cor
sisling lor fhe most ra4 ef his 1nnily
Hisuother - hSoth1g Martini lived %.
49, lpjS ~ rstso & - fpssek 1hey an1.