The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-09

theft, He was a scoundrel Of the low
est modes Of life, and sprang from fam
lily hereditarily criminal He had ded
from the place mentioned above on ae-
count of the discovery Of new thefEs
committed by him, and had not been
seen for several years! Az frst, the cf-
forts of the police TO take him were CONF
pletely foiled, and he was strenuously
aided in his coRcealment by the rest Of
the band, consisting for Che most part Of
his family.
His mother and brother (Martin) lived
together at Solomon, Pyritz, about six
English miles from the retreat in the
forest. They and Martins wife were
speedily seized and thrown into prison
on suspicion. In their dwelling were
found an axe, on which traces of blood
were still discovered, and quantity Of
articles belonging TO the same robberies
as did those found in the hole in the
woods; so that al length those who had
committed the Baumgart murder were in
the hands of justice if we except their
leader, Karl Maasch On a microscopic
examination Of the three axes from the
hole and the fourth found at the house Of
Martin, unmistakable traces Of this hor-
rid six-fold murder were perceived. On
one axe, stuck snail portion of human
brain; on all four human hair, mingled
with clothed blood. The hair agreed
completely with that of the murdered
persons, and that of the servant maid was
identified with particular clearness.
On one of the axes there still chung
red wooden threads, precisely similar 10
those of the material of which Mrs.
Baumgarts nightcap was made, aud
which she wore on the nightof the MUIR
der. Another axe still retainedtraces of
the children's bedclothes. The wife of
Martin sealed her guilt by hanging her.
self in prison, after having been accused
of participating in the Baumgart MUIR
ders. The principal party, however, still
remained at large; he had been driven
from the Soldin country by the exertions
made to capture him. What, however,
the police could not achieve with their
utmost endeavors, was again left to be
accomplished by happy accident. One
beautiful summers evening, a citizen OF
Frankfort on the Oder observed drunk
en- man in the public streets behaving
himself in very shameless manner. On
addressing some words of Indignant re-
monstrance to him, he received an an
swer of the very coarsest description,
and was compelled TO call police SER
geant.
Against the latter the stranger pointed
loaded pistol. He was, however, final
ly overpowered and taken to the lock up.
A quantity of arms, thieves tools and
money were found on him; and it appear
ed that in the earlier part of the evening
he had been treating several workmen
whom he met quite accidentally on the
road TO the town with copious rotations
of brandy, and had himself become IN
toxicated. He finally confessed that he
was the long sought Karl Maasch, and
had only just come from committing q
fresh murder and robbery, ia which he
had taken the money found on him.
Near Hackelberg, two days before, a
commercial man had been shot in the
forest and robbed Of his money; the
horses gallopped on to the vjllege of
Hackelberg, drawing behind them the
vehicle containing the lifeless body Of
the merchant Maasch, who confessed
70 this murder, was delivered up at Sol
din TO the authorities Engaged in inyes-
tigating the Baumgart murders.
In the course of the trial not less than
one hundred and forty witnesses were
examined, and great numbers Of deposit
tions were read. Karl Maasch confessed
to having committed the thirteen MUIR
ders himself, and sought TO have bis Eel :
low prisoners acquitted on this ground.
If this request seems like the one bright
spot in the conduct of the chief criminal,
yet il was Of no avail against the proofs
adduced, that three Of his comrades al
least had assisted him in one or more OF
his numerous murders. Karl and Martin
Maasch, their mother, and Liebig, were
found guilty Of murder and robbery, and
condemned TO death; while the fifth
prisoner, Kohlschmidt, who was convict
ed Of robbery only, escaped with several
years imprisonment