The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-09
TIE LAST POISONING CASE
Tho Death Of Frederick siegried-was He Pue
to Sleep BY Draught Administered By
Heggi f-The Jury Say Yes Committed
to the Tombs to Await the Ac.
ton Of the Grand jury.


cause Of death OF Freaerick siegfred, VINO was
poisoned IL Is alleged, by Frederick Heygl In whose
favor deceased made hts WILL bequeatning nearly
$4,000 worth OF property. The prosecution was
represented By Mr.. William r. Kintzing and the
prisoner. Hegg. by d. N. Porter.
the frat witness sworn was william CIaussen. ar
1858 Third avenue, who testified that he was well
acquainted with deceased for thirteen years; seg.
fried could speak but few words OF English; could
neither read nor write in English. This evidence
was introduced as evidence that the Will (which L.
In English, bequeathinQ the property to Heggt
could not have been understood or made by Sieg-
fried. Witness used TO do all writing IN English for
deceased.
Frederick Mertz, No. 1os 1soth street, sworn-T
knew Slegfried for thirteen or fourteen years; no
could not converse In English; when he made deed
or his property he employed me as an Interpreter;
IN june 1869. deceased complained OF being siok
and having cramps in his sOmach he was then
living In First avenue near seventh street, with
Caroline Miller; deceased then said he was afraid OF
Caroline Miller, as he had. seard she had had o nus.
band In California ana mad put him out OF the ways on
the day before he died called at Haggi's TO him.
but he could not speak; he, however, shook hands
with me; his mouth was very black; Heggl SAID
that he would not give up the body to Mrs. Sogfred.
as Siegfred had asked him 10 bury him; deceased
told me In June that young SiegrIeds child should
have any, as he would not work there was cold
ness between the old man and his SOM saw the
will IN The Surrogates Court II IS written 10 Eng
TO lleggi; the Will saw was drawn by Mr. sumner.
Frederick SiegfrIed son OF deceased on being re-
called, testified tnat his father could neither write
nor speak nor read In English; contested the VIII
before the Surrogate; had fourteen witnesses buI
none OF them were called; don't know why:
l contested the admission Of the will to
probate; l withdrew two months after I had
Porter
Heggi's counsel had agreed to settle: went WIN
meg woSa pay costs and give me- the
father had when ne was IN Newark would stop;
% Is s eeSSs %s M syn.
fried, where the same oter was made. but no agree
ment was made; Culver made out a paper for me
TO sign but don't know hat was In 1t and Isgned
1t; 1t was for me to give them part OF what got.
A letter was shown. dated IN August, before de-
friendly strain TO witness. Mrs. Heggi told me there
was no VIII; this before the funeral; on the day Of
Herman Endemann, chemist Of the Board Of
| Heath, who made the analysis verified 1t before
were more than sufficient arsenic IN the body to
produce death. The testimony OF the CHEMIST has
Question by the Coroner-Have you any doubt a.
TO the cause ofdeah? A. None; II was produced By
1t was not administered in small doses; probably
one was administered some time before death, ana
in small doses should not have found 80 large .
quantity IN the stomach and lntesnes; the admin
trat1On Oh mix AFTER arsenic Will destroy Symp
| toms some what, but not the effects OF arsenic.
| Ferdinand Summer. called by the prisoners
@ as tna s IN 9Sa 3r e s
came to my places | went up to the mans bed and
got the items; Heggi did not tell me what items to
| put III; drew the Will up In my office from the
one present; scgIreG told me Just what he wanted WANT,
was present., 81; thoasht re xoaid dc that day.
was very feeble could hardly speak, had 70 put
eas aSwa wns S od nd
y Pr SaSa fDa r. e wsf tx
| Siegirled was very feeble, and had 70 lift him up
and hold HIM while he signed the wil slegiried.
book, handed it to Hegg who passed 1t to me; it
was IS bill; Seglried put the viii In his pocket.
| took out 81, 500 III money passed IL to Hcggi aud
asked MIN to deposit IL; Hegci and went out and
dcposred u in the Dime Savings Bank In Siegrrieds
| name. WIN was here shown 10 witness, whO recOg-
nlzed as the one he had drawn up. The Will was
fully explained IN German to siegrlcd The evi-
| dence given by witness before the Surrogate
read, ana 1t naty conradcted his later evidence in
| many important particulars. =:
| Several other witnesses were examined. but their
| testimony was unimportant
| Frederick Heagl the accused, was sworn and
v ~ sda Est a. an own re-
| machinist; have worked in Que place since Febru-
airy, 1851; have been III the country SINCE 1852 knew
siegfried for about forty years. Seglred came here
| before did; deceased was taken SICK about year
before he dled on the Sist July he came TO my
house. asked for mortgages and other papers LETT In
| my care, and ne then went to Newark; did not
| accompany him, but on the following Tuesday GOT
letter from Siegfrled, asking me TO go over there
and see HIM; went over, and he ordered me and
| Mr.. Bousehard to go and settle with Caroline; he
was always taking medicine; got a Swiss doctor
| Tor him; he was sick all the time he was tnerei
! Caroline asked $1,000 or $4,000 for q settlement;
don't know what medicine the doctor IN Newark
! ordered / never administered medicine to sieg-
fried, but went TO the drug store Tor II; went over
TO Newark every other day. but my wlic was never
there with me; was present wnen tho viii was
made, put did not know wnatwas TO be put III II; did
not say any thing about helping his grandchildren
1
| York he said he was going 10 40 something for the
ior some me when io he tronoe was na WITH Caro-
line, but gave II back 10 deceased III Newark gave
TINS $4,000 bond ana other property to Mr.. Porter.
| first wife and chldren Sieglrled never SAID no
wanted IT 10 go 10 his nrst vile, put, on inc con-
| trary, when he came back from Newark after the
| VIII was made nc wanted 70 cnange the bond into
money and leave here; ! am going 10 give the
| bond 10 the we and children: Slcgirlel never
charged at my house, or anywhere else, That was
poisoning nim never gave HIM irop Oh otner
gave him any arsenic. nor do remember who ad.
mnisIered 1t, but Se2lred sad he was suspicious
OF Or. Emile Regime. VINO attended Caroline Miller;
settled The Miller trouble the day before tho VIII
was made.
tradicted the wile OF young Siesfrlcd, who swore
on Friday mat deceased charged the Hegll family
Deputy Coroner Marsh testified as to the post
morem maize by HIM. ana the Coroner charget the
Jury Alter referring 70 the principal points 70 %
listened 10 all The testimony that has been adduced
ald as II Is undoubtedly fresh IN your memory, lido
not propose to REFER To IL nor comment upon ".
Whether IL establishes The cause Of death from
poison known as arsenic, and n SO whether it I'M
picates the prisoner, Frederick Heggi, or some
oner person or persons Is Tor you 10 say. and not
me. IL Is exclusively your province to
pass upon the question OF probable cause.
IL IS proper Tor me 10 here saj that you are
not sitting here as jury for the purpose Of trying
the accused-that more properly belongs TO another
triounal-but II ~ to ma whether sufficient
evidence 70 Justly has beng neit Tor tral and
case being laid before petit Jury, whose duty IL IL
10 finally pass upon the question oil guilt or inno-
cence. His quit need established before you
10 moral certainty 10 Justify nndng against
HIM, but simply that there is possible cause TO
pect hs quit OF the accusation. 1 am one
or those who believe tnat there are no
means moro frequently rcsortej 10 to destroy lilo
tnan poison, simply because II ~ dinicult to
detect and easily accomplished. And IN the
many silent cies surrounding this great metropo-
LIS, pcopled only by the dead. l nave no DOUBT, N
bui the graves could give Ip their dealt ana their
inmates be made 10 speak, there wonla 10 uu-
travelled much That ~ now % mystery. and tue