The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-23
Seven Years Murder Mystery
brought to Light.

The New York Herald Of Sunday says
that seven years ago, lacking few months,
one quiet Sunday morning in February, the
ancient town of Newark, New Jersey, was
thrown into feverish state OF excitement
In consequence of the discovery that two
young women: German servant girls, en-
ployed in Teutonic clearinghouse on
Newark street, known as Kepplers Hotel,
the proprietor being man named Andrew
Keppler, had been murdered in manner
most mysterious. The victims, Rose Wit
tel and Fredericka Kegel, the former close
on thirty years Of age and the latter about
twenty, took part during the early
part OF the preceding evening in
some terpsichorean pleasures, which
took place in the hotel, and In which
the boarders and the Keppler family also
participated. Everything passed off right
merrily, and at comparatively early hour
the girls, Rose and Frederick, withdrew
from the dance hall and repaired to their
chamber. In the morning they were found
dead in their beds, and the most rigid med
ical examination only showed that they had
probably been suffocated by coal gas.
One of the girls was engaged to be mar
ried to young German named Hendricks,
and his evidence was the only important
statement made regarding them. This wit
ness deposed that he was boarder In Kep-
piers place, and that he was there on Sum
day night; that about halEpast o'clock he
went into the room occupied by the two
girls for the purpose Of winding his watch,
as was his habit; the girls were in separate
beds; spoke to one of them and asked her
for his watch key she told him it was In
her dress pocket the dress was hanging on
the stove took the dress from the stove after
striking light with q match the girl took
the key from her pocket and gave it to him !;
wound up the watch and put the KEY on
the trunk, and then left the room. The ex-
citement regarding the murder died out,
and until week past it was shrouded in
mystery.
Some months ago Mrs. Barbareta Frey
tag, OF No. III Montgomery street, Jersey
City, visited Newark, and to a certain officer
attached to the Mayors Office made divers
and sundry disclosures which appeared to
gradually dispel the mystery which had SO
long hung over the fate of the poor servant
girls in Keppler's Hotel. By-and-bY, on
the 26th of October last, Mrs. Freytag went
before Justice Amze j. Dean, of the New.
ark Police Court, and made affidavit to a
certain statement which had previously
been drawn up, and which summarized is
rs follows: She declares upon oath that she
is the sister of John Engelhorn, liyery-
stable keeper of Newark that on the night
OF Sunday, February 81, 1864, she met him
on the jersey City ferry-boat, while return
ing from New York with her daughter,
Catherine !. that he Engelhorn) came and
sat down between them, and, in an ex-
cited manner, said he had something to
manner, if they had heard the news !:
"You know" said he. "the girl Rosalie
(meaning Rose), who lent me s160? 1 pro-
missed her that I would pay her back TODAY
or tomorrow, but this morning she and the
other girl We're found dead in bed" She
(Mrs. Freytag) expressed surprise that
''such poor girls could be killed without
cause" and that "people will think you
done it." To this lie replied, she goes on
to state, II fixed all that; nothing could
come against me went home last night
about II o'clock, and after closing the store
I and my wife and a woman named Mary
had some conversation; she left, my wife
and I saying that we were going to bed
when we were alone my wife dressed her.
self in mems clothes, and we went to KEEP.
piers Hotel" Englehorn, she continues to
State, declared that he had taken liberties
with the girl Rosalie. He explained how
this still more heinous crime was committed
by saying that his wife had something with
her which she put under their noses, "and
that finished them"
ct subsequent meeting Mrs. FreYtae
goes on to swear Enelehorn said he had now
no fears" the. dead won't speak" The ex
cuse he gave for perpetrating the crime was
that she (Rose) troubled bim about the
money and the child, and would have
ruined him. His wife, after the trouble
was over, was as happy as possible, and
opened keg of lager beer for all hands
The false witnesses had been fixed. The
foregoing is the substance of Mr.. Freytag's
sworn statement, now in possession, with
the other papers, of Mr.. Caleb S. Tits
worth, Prosecutor Of the Pleas tor Essex