Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-11-10
/ Mystery or Sixteen Years Cleared
Murder VIII Out.
rom the Baaslo Courier, oct. 81

MuEuer Will Vut.
From the Bnifsio Courier. oct. 81
The people OF Tonowanda and OF
IGrand Island are at present much In
terested in revelations said tn have
been made in regard to the cemmis>
sion Of fearful tragedy which hor,
rlfied the community sixteen years.
ago.
There may be those of our readers
who will call the circumstances to
mind, but doubtless they are few
In the year 1855, In little settlement
known as New Burgholtz, In the
town Of Wheatfield, about six miles
from Tonawanda, dweit a PrussiaD
physician, known az DR.. Stranger, q
man Of some means, and quite gen
orally known.
One morning. about Thanksgiving
time, In the fall OF the year named, a
visitor to the house OF the doctor
found no one to answer his call, and
entering, found the woman who had
been employed az housekeeper lying
dead upon the floor, and upon bed
the corpse of her daughter, twelve
years of age. both bearing ghastlv
wounds which had produced their
deaths. The discovery Of this scene
Of slaughter Immediately alarmed
the neighborhood, and search was
made for the doctor.
At length his dead body was found
by the roadside more than q mile
from his house. indicating that he
had either been enticed In that Ill
rection, or that fleeing from the
murderers he had, at length been
overtaken aud disposed of. Some
purpose other than robbery must
have influenced the assassins, for
none of the property In the victim y
house was disturbed, even his gold
watch Remaining In its accustomed
place upon the wall.
A great excitement was created In
the neighborhood. and strenuous eff
forts made to bring the guilty per-
sons to justice, but all availed moth.
ing, for, although different parties
toward whom suspicion pointed
were taken into custody, nothing
could be proved against them and
they were released.
Years passed on, the tragedy be-
coming an old time story, aud II
seemed that the mystery which er.
shrouded IL was never to be cleared
away. But at last we are told, reve-
lations have been made tending In
this case to verify the saying that
murder will out.
The facts ~ our possession are as
related to our reporter, who, I'm com.
pany with detective Mitchell, insti-
tuied inquiries In relation to the topic
which, as before stated, is now of sc
4 Uroa sntnroof fsS fhnaa n raoslA a.
and near the vicinity where the
Stranger murder was committed. =
We cannot vouch for the entire
truthfulness of the statements
we now have to make, but only pre-.
sent them as they are related. On
Grand Island, at aud after the time
OF the murder, resided with his fans
| lily one Christian Forbeck, man OF
| i'll repute, but against whom no sus.
picion as to his completely In the
crime was directed. Later his busi-
| ness affairs did not prosper, and at
length, perhaps eight or nine years
ago, he removed to western state
Also near La Sale lived q man by
the name Of Wagner. or his repu.
tation we have learned but little.-
He, too, removed to the west some
years ago.
The present report, and which has
rene we'd the interest In this affair OF
the past, Ia that within the past few
weeks Christian Forbeck has OK.
pired, aud that upon his dying bed
he made full confession that he II
was, with the c0mplicity Of Wagner,
who committed the triple murder
Wagner, shortly after he went away
from this state, made his wav "a
Michigan, and there ended his career
by performing the Office Of the hang
man for himself. If all this be true,
IL adds. a thrilling final act to the
tragedy which aixteen years ago was
4 so terribly commenced. There ARE
now many who can remember suspi
ctous circumstances against Forbeck
which never before appeared to them
In the same Tight. Une of these Ii
related TO us by Mr.. John Hupman.
who now keeps a grocery at tile cor.
ner OF Pennsy lvania and Fifth SITS.
Four years after the murder Mr..
Hupman, who then lived i'm T0na.
wanda, as then did also Forbeck, one
Eevening conversed with him upon
subjects of criminal acts, In the
course of which Forbeck significant-
ly said .'if all / have done were
known, would have been upon the
gallows years ago. Perhaps more
about the murder and its perpetrators
will yet be brought before the world
and If Forbeck Is dead, and has left
such confession as described. Ii may
be published In full detail. We shall
watch for further developments, and
II they come our readers shall have
the full benefit Of them.