The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-19
LIVES DESPERATION.

rs &
rHE EXECUTION OF 4 You've GIRL in ST.
T,EsTA-groRY OF HERMINA CLAUsEs-
4 SCREENING STRUGGLE ON Tue t'f' eeNf-
FOLD. -----
On the 10th Of July last the old siiestan
ely. OF Jsuer was the scene OF a spectaeie
which few OF those who witnessed will soon
forget. II was the execution OF handsome
and accomplished young girl Of nineteen,
named Hermina Clanser, who had been cor
yicted of having poisoned three persons,
among them boy of seven years OF age
The details of the crime. and of her cSecu-
ton BY the ileadsrlan's axe, are equally pam
full and revolving.
About sixteen months ago young hermlha
Causor, who was an orphan Slrt, out Aiu
been vel educated, through the kindness OF
an old aunt of hers, was engaged as gov
erness In the house of Henry Steinach, 4
wealthy Silesian farmer, ut Lengenfeld, nine
or ten miles from Jauer. Steinbach had TWO
chiidren--a son, twenty-one years OF age, a
handsome, dashiog young fellow, VINO nau
studied law Mt Heidelberg and Breslau, but
had become thorough rake, ana ii1eu III
that time on bis fathers farm !; the otner
child was boy, Arthur by name, as whose
eeverness Mile Rermina Clauser was en-
gagged. Shortly after her arrival at LenSen-
field Bernhard Steinback, the elder son, be,
can to make love to her, and as he was Wen
known in all the tricks of love-lace, the
Young goyerness, in her inexperlence, dld not
withstand him long. They became very IN
sinate, and by promising to marry her he
succeeded In overcoming her virtue. Inc
ljaison lasted four or five months. and the ac-
comp1ished Hermina did not for moment
suspect that she bad fallen prey to an I'M
scrIIpulous scoundrel who never intended to
marry her and who merely looked upon her
as q plaything to be thrown aside as soon as
he had reyelled long enough in her charms.
Her eyes were suddenly opened when an
other Young lady, cousin Of the Steinbachs,
appeared on the scene. Her name was Con-
stantia Miller. She was an heireSs, one oil
those dusky beauties that are so frequently
met with in Silesia, and III whose counte-
nances the characteristic type Of the Slavic
race is distinctly recognizable. Stylish and
accomplished as she was, 1t was not surpris-
ing that she made decided impression on
Bernhard Steinbachs tickle and susceptible
heart. Old Steinbach wished that the two
Il
neglected BY her faithless lover, and one day
she was startled by the announcement that
Bernhard and Constantia were engaged to
be married. She sought an interview with
the man who had SO basely deceived her, and
he told her with cool cynicism that it was oil
true. His father desired the union, and he
could not dare to oppose his wishes.
DRIVEN TO RECKLEsSNEss.
Hermina rrembled with rage, but she man.
aged to conceal her agitation, and when
Bernhard left her he was wondering at her
tranquility, and fiattered himself with the be.
lief that she was resigned, and that bis init
macy with her would cause him no further
trouble.
Delusive belief! The demon Of jealousy
and revenge tortured her poor heart, and in
her sleepless nights she conceived the horn
BILE idea to take the life Of the man who de-
ceived her so cruelty, and Of the woman who
she thought had stolen her lovers heart from
her. Two days afterward she said she
wished to make some purchases in Jauer
and rode to the city. She had for some time
past done some writing for old Stenbach
and notably written the orders he sent to the
grocery and drug stores. So she went will
an order purporting to have been signed by
his drugs, and obtained from him Il quantity
of arsenic sufficient to kill dozen persons
and which she said was destined for the rats
in Steinbach's barns.
After her return to Leneenfeld, that very
night she tried ut the supper table to put
some Of the poison into their tea. Ii was
almosta miracle that she did not accomplish
her fell purpose on this occasion. But thcr,
was nh alarm of fire, and the whole company
left the table and did not return to the meal
q considerable contlagration having con
sumed the houses Of two of the villagers.
A MURDEREsS AT LAST.
But the jealous murderess met with better
success two days afterward. 1t was at the
dinner table. A large dish of boiled mutton
and cabbage stood on the table when Ho-
nina entered the room. No one was there
yet, and SO she threw, unobserved by any
body, n large quantity Of the fatal drug into
the dish. Old Steinhach was detained out
side, and so Hermina, Constantia, Bernhard,
and his little brother Arthur alone sat down
to dinner. Fifteen minutes afterward Con-
stantia was seized with cramps and vomit-
ing. Bernhard and Arthur were soon after
ward In the same condition. The poison
had done its work.
Hermina rushed from the room land
alarmed the whole house. The village doc
tor was sent for. He saw at once that it was
clear case Of poisoning. The victims were
subjected to the torture of the stomach.
pump, but it was Of no avail. About sun.
down the three poisoned persons were dead.
Next morning the authorities were notified,
and, as a matter of course, it did not take
them long to discover who had committed
the fearful crime.
Hermina Clauser was arrested and charged
with the crime She maintained her COM
posure In a truly surprising manner, and
denied having caused the death of the three.
She was removed to the Jail in Jauer, and
would have been convicted ut the next term
of the Criminal Assize Court, but her per-
sfstent denials and her, innocent, progresses.
Ing appearance made SO profound IN inn
preston on the jury that they failed to agree.
So she remained in jail for nine months, and
in the beginning OF April her second trial
took place. This time the jury was made
out OF stefner stuff, and the young muir.
deress was promptly convicted of the terri.
BILE crime with which she stood charged
When the President of the Assize Court
pronounced her doom she turned very pale
nduttered a halfstitled shrek, but she soon
Eegained her colnposure, and when the otii.
GERS led her back to her cell she chatted
almost gaily with them.
The trial and its result created profound
sensation in that part Of Siesia. Some kind
hearted philanfhropists, among them several
aristocratic ladies, took an interest in the
fate of Herminia Clauser, and they sent to
the Emperor William the First OF Germany
petition setting forth all the facts OF the
case which had been brought out during the