Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-10
s, whose crimes had long escaped unde-

tccteQ.
| must have turned white instantly, for
the man looked at me with some surprise.
'' Did you ever see these women? - L man
aged at last to stammer out
"No, mein Herr. | could not leave the
hotel, to attend either the trial or execution.
But there is an officer in the Spelse-saal who
can tell you everything about them, for he
saw them in prison, and commanded the
troops in the Platz to-day"
| said no more to the man, but went down |
to the coffee-room few minutes later, with |
nv sketch-book in my hand. At one of the |
small round tables a middle-aged Prussian
officer was having his supper. Without more
ado, accosted him.
Sir, you will forgive strangers lntru-
sion. hope am an Englishman just ar
rived in Cologne. | understand that you
were present, in an official capacity, this day,
at the execution of two women. You Will
oblige me greatly by giving me what infor-
nation you can respecting them The mo-
tive that prompts TO ask this favor, is
something beyond common curiosity, as you
shall presently learn"
- Be seated, sir said the officer, politely.
pointing to the chair opposite 8 will tell
YOU all know concerning the sisters Strauss.
You are acquainted with the nature of the
crime of which they were convicted? 1t was
for the murder of one Hausmann, young
pedlar. Not for the sake of his money, tor
he was poor enough. but for the sake of his
hair and teeth | shuddered, but said
nothing. He continued } This was by
no means their first crime They were dis
: covered to have been driving their horrible
: trade for two or three years past. 1t Is sup
. posed that they murdered upwards of twenty
persons, men, women and children. Num-
t bers who disappeared mvsteriously are now
said to have been made away with by the SIS
Ill
t gers or friendlcss, 10 whom they offered hos
e pitalitv, and touching whose disappearance
= no inquiries were likely to be made. Some
e few had money, perhaps; the generality
were poor but several watches and con-
: siderable sum of money were found secreted
n in the house
i at had a garden said. though
: saw it all again-''a garden walled round
T with postern at the farther end. In the
o house were three rooms.
" Just so All the world has been visiting
If that house during the last few days. great
/. number of skeletons have been found in the
" garden The popular execratiOn was sc
e great that it was feared the women would bt
IT torn to pieces on their way to the galgen
n callows) to-day Had it not been for tho
c strong guard which | commanded, and thai
he their terrible sentence-one rarely pronoun
A. ced now-would, it was known, be carried
have fallen a prey 10 the fury of the mob
m As it was, the savage satisfaction OF seein!
ii them broken the wheel =
Broken on the wheel Good heavens
| sir, YOU surely do not mean that this sentenc
a was carried out?'' :. Yes. 1t is. as hav
iy said. very unusual, now. for this punishmen
or 10 be even recorded, still less enforced
&c But. in cases of very rare atroclty. NOTHING
IN short Of it seems to satisfy the public
faT- pAE gnO
to ed. though l. soldier. who have seen
h, great many bloody battle-fields in the grea
rs war. would fain have ridden away when
in heard the first crash of the elder sister
n arms. 1t was horrible To hear.-and the
Of her cries You know how it is done? Th
or head is held down by two men, by rope tie
ID. round the neck The limbs are then broke
RS one after another by heavy wheel. vt tn
t end the head is severed from the body by
1ee sword The elder sisters agony was pr,
-cr lonced to the very end. | expect the execl
TONERS were more mcrciful t. the young'
nd sister. 1t is known that they sometime
th contrive to stranglc the culprit while holdlr
lot the head down. The younger, after the FIR
IN, sharp cry. never uttered another. She ha
nut ceased to suffer, hope and believe, long b
is, fore she was hcheaded."
an Some minutes elapsed before could spea
ic. l opened my sketch-book, and turned ov'
N :. Sir, | said at last, :. have one que
yer ton more to ask YOU Do these heads at a
pat resemble the women whose death YOU tn
lev dav Witnessed? ,?
m. :. Assuredly they DO They must ha'
the been drawn from life, he replied. tn
,ck told him my story, as have now told 1t
on YOU. | need hardly say that he did n
.st. doubt but that | had actually, in the ties
t, encountered the sisters Strauss. and had be
md in such imminent peril as very few men ha
survived As to the hypothesis OF drea
ect which had taken such firm root in my mil
rn- that could not lightly discard it, the ofhe
and laughed it to scorn.
felt Yet. even at this distance of time. VIII
ng? | read and hear strange stories of secor
the sight. prophetic dreams, and warning vision
eep a doubt crosses my mind, and l ask mys
ris- whether my adventure with the two sist
the of Cologne was not, perhaps. of the matt
ped of these? But YOU now know as much a
! of do, and | leave you to decide the point
at yourself.
~ The wheel WAS absolutely abolished in Prue
' about thirty years ago