The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-05-19
Rates of Adverttstng:
THE ROMANCE OF CRIME.

BERLIN, MAY 3.-Alfred ZIegen-
meyer, who murdered an Irishman
named Gumbloton, in America, and
recently arrested at Bremen, has
been delivered to officers from the
United States, at the request of the
American Government.
The story of the tragedy. though
of recent date, may possibly have
been partially forgotten. The mar
rative begins with thearrival in New
York of James Gumbleton. an Irish
man of good family. in the Spring
of 1870. bringing with him letter
of credit for f1 900 which he sold to
a New York banking house for So
600. He then went to Baltimore.
where he made the acquaintance of
Ziegenmeyer. with whom he became
intimate. The two friends then
travelled to Chicago. where Gumble-
ton placed on deposit the sum of $500.
Soon after, accompanied by Zlegen-
meyer, he shipped two boxes con-
tanning clothing to Manhattan, Kan
sas. From that time nothing def
mite appears to be known of him.
until on the second of last January.
when his dead body was foundln the
lake, with rope around his neck,
and other indications of violence.
The detectives We're untiring in their
efforts to unravel the mystery, sue
ceeded at last in fixing the crime on
Ziegenmeyer. 1t appears that Zie-
genmeyer, Immediately after the
murder. presented himself at the
bank with Gambleton's certificate of
deposit. and stated that he was his
victims partner, and that Gambleton
had gone to New York. leaving his
full authority to draw the $500. The
bank refused to deliver the money
without the owners endorsement.
This Ziegenmeyer promised to get,
and after an interval of six days re-
turned with a forged endorsement,
securing the money. This was his
last appearance as Ziegenmeyer.
From that time forth he adopted the
name and identity of the murdered
man. In personal appearance the
two We're as unlike as can well be
conceived. Gumbleton being man
of 45. of about the middle hight.
with dark complexion, black hair
and beard. and an Irishman, while
Ziegenmeyer was but Il, tall, light, |
fair haired and beardless, and a Ger
man, speaking English only imper-
fectly. That under these circum-
stances the deception could have
been successfully carried out seems
only less wonderful than the auda-
city which inspired it. As Gumble-
ton, Ziegenmeyer then procured the
return of the boxes sent to Kansas
which he at once sold, and turned
his attention to the great prize, the
IS 600 in New York. To obtain this
he forged letter so skillfully eXecut-
ed as to satisfy the bank that it was
the genuine Gumbleton's handwrit-
ing. The balance was promptly for
warded to Ziegenmeyer in draft on
Chicago. There still remained the
difficulty of identification, so the
pretended Gumbleton entered into
negotiations to buy farm, but when
the time came to close the sale he ,
had no money but his draft, which
he could not cash. The anxious seller
took the bait, and obligingly identi-
fed him at his own bank, and even
went so far as to add his own en-
dorsement to the draft. The bank {
to be quite snre, wrote to
the New York house, and were as
sured that everything was right. So
the draft was paid, but the farm was
not bought, and within day or two l
on the 2lst of December,
Mr.. Ziegenmeyer-Gumbleton van
ished from Chicago, to be no more
heard of until his arrest in Bremen
on the charge of murder.