Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-03-25
Alexandria Gazette
Wonderful Crime.
From the New York Times.

on what seems to be the eXtravagant hypothc-
sis that one man may murder another, assume
his name and identity, enter into possession OF
his estate, and be unsuSpectlngly received ny
his family and the world ut large for the indi-
yidual he personatcs. This is so glaring an
improbability rs to tax the faith oil the most
crcdulous of novcl-lovcrs Ncvcthcless, III all
its essential features, Miss Braddon startling
invention has been realized by recent remark
able case in Chicago The details of this curl
Gus and successful deception show so much
perverted ingenuity and readiness OF resource
is to cntitc it to take rank among celebrated
crimes:
As the story is now revealed, it begins with
the arrival in New York of one Gumbeton an
Irshnan of good family in the spring of 1870
With him he brought letter OF credit lor
cl too. which he sold soon after his arrival to
il New York banking house for little less
than $4,000. He then Went to Baltimore,
where he made the acquaintance ot Il young
German named Alfred Zcgenncycr, with
whom he soon became intimate. Together the
TWO friends, in November OF last year, travelled
to Chicago, where G,mblcton placed on dcpoS-
it in the National Bank of Commerce the sum
of $500 Soon after, accompanied by hlegrn-
meyer, he shipped two boxes containing cloth
ing to Manhattan, Kansas.
FROM tnat Time nOtlllllS dlpS'ti" w
be known OF him, until on the I'd OF January
ofthe present year his dead body was found IN
the lake, with rope around his neck, and
showing other Indications of violence. Eyer
since that date the detectives have been untlr-
ing in their efforts TO unravel the mystery,
which have at last eliminated in fixing the
crime on Zegenmeyer and causing his arrest ut
Bremen where he is now held awaiting L re-
uuisition from Washington If the police the
orv of his movements subsequent to the murder
is entirely correct, 1T is necessary to credit HIM
with surprising cooncSs aud cunning Ill VII
lainy
Assuming the detective version to be true,
it appears that Ilcgcnmcycr, immediately 1T
ter the murder, presented himself at the bank
with Gumbletons certificate of deposit, and
Stated that he was his victims partner, and
that Gumblcton had gone to New York, lcav-
inc him full authority to draw the $500 The
bank refused to deliver the money without the
owners endorsement. This Lcgcnmeycr
promised to get from New York, and after all
interval of SIX days for that pretended object
returned with forged endorsement, winch Sc
cured the money This was, apparently, hlS
last appearance in the character OF Icgcnmey-
err From that time forth he adopted the
name and identity Of the murdered man
Indeed at his lodgings he WAS already known
rs Gumblcton, although the two had hyed there
together under their proper names from the
10th to the 10th Of November, when ,'umbe-
ton disappeared; moreover, i'll personal appear
ancc the two men were as unlike rs can we'll be
conceived, Gunfblcton being 4 man Of forty
five, of about the middle height, with dark
complexion, black hair and beard, and an IRISH
man, while Ziegenmcycr was but twenty one,
tall lipht fair barred and beardless, anda Ger
man, speaking English only impcrtcct!y That
under these circumstances the deception could
have been successfully carricd out seems only
less wonderful than the audaclty which lnSrlr
ed it. =, ,,
AS Gumblcton, Hicgcnmcycr then rrocruc,,
the return of the boxes sent to Kansas ~hct
he at once sold and turned his attention TO tine
rreat prize, the eight thousand and ODD do
lars in-New York. TO obtain this he forged te
the banking house with whom the money wa
Irnosited q letter so skilfully executed rs tt
satisfy them that it was the genuine Gumblc
tons handwriting. The bal laucc was promptly
forwarded to Zicgcnmcycr in draft on Chr
capo. There still remained the difficulty
identification, and the trick by which this wa
surmounted is not the least ingenious in TN:
singular record of rascally astutcncsS Ihepre
tended Gumbleton entered into negotiations tt
buy a farm, but when the time came to clos
the sale he had no money but his draft, which
he could not cash: -,
The anxious seller took the bait, and .obhS
ingly identified him at his own bank, and even
went 20 far as to add his own endorsement It
the draft The bank officials, TO be quite Sc
cure, wrote to the New York house, and were
assured there that everything was right. So tn
draft was paid, but the farm was not bought
and within a day or two afterwards, ON the us
Of December, MIR. Hicgcnmcycr-G Gumhlcto
vanished from Chicago, to be no more heard q
until his arrest in Bremen on the charge
murder.
Regarding all the circumstances of this cla!,
orate yillany, so carefully planned and so ski
fully executed, it may be- doubted it anythln
in sensational fiction approaches 1t In romantl
improbability. Yet the facts seem to be IN
deniablc, and they arc prcSentcdnn the rcSlcct
able authority of 4 well known Chicago l"lirla
y Doc DECIDES a CASE. I'm ntcrcStl'l:
exhibition of canine $lgacity took place IN Mayo
Cobbs Court few days since, which serves t
illustrate the almost uncrring instinct "i dog
Some seven or eight claimants Tor the l'oSscSslr
of the dog, all Of whom were coorcu men, N
ncared before his Honor to prosecute thtl
claims to the ownership of the animal. In nrdr
- ,rr;vr at = correct decision, the maglstrat
w,s coupecd to rest the subject III grc:'
mrasnre with the dog. by reSortlns to Il methr
somewhat in keeping with King Solomon ii.
cision in regard to the maternity "t r'r'aI !
child claimed by two women. The mayor "
rrrtcd that each claimant announce the nam m
Lv which they called him: then ordering ii
Iiirants outside the chamber of justice, and n
tanning the dog within, he instructed tne sew sew
ra candidates for possession TO call HIM. Sever
tried ly the most pathetic appeals t" move IT.
animal, but in vain, until at last one very SAD
specimen OF the Fifteenth Amendment Is lSSu
yelled out the cuphonious souhrlquet "i , nuS
er,', when the dog Immediately busted
his lawful owner The experiment was sever
times renewed with the same result, when III
canine quadrupcd was awarded by all the ruyl'
q lu IL n.,.,;tu 10 hin, f,r ,rhnm the dnr ha