Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-01-24
A Woman Beheaded in Germany

Although the Sd of December last
was bitter cold day, from the earliest
hour in the morning vast crowds of peo-
pie filled the streets of the little city of
Stade, on the bank of the Elba river,
nearly opposite the great North Germar
seaport of Hamburg. By 8 o'clock
least 20, 1000 people had arrived in StadC
and the police had the utmost difficulty
in keeping order in the surging mul,
tude. The occasion which had cause
all these thousands to flock to Stade was
the beheading of a woman, refined, al
tractive and intelligent.
The name of the doomed woman was
Wilhelmina Woltman, and the career OF
this extraordinary woman, almost from
her earliest youth, had been marked by
an uncomfortable and wicked temper.
When at school she had knocked out
the eye of one of her young companions.
A few years after she became the gov
erness of the children of wealthy land
ed proprietor, who had fallen in love
with her aud made her his mistress. Her
lovers wife having discovered the liai-
son, the girl poisoned the woman; and
there is suspicion that she also caused
the death of her own child. She buried
herself thereupon for time in the whirl
of fashionable dissipation in Hamburg,
where her extraordinary beauty attract
ed numerous admirers. But, becoming
very reckless, the police expelled her
from the city, and she went to Bruins
wick, where an officer of the ducal army
fell in love with and eventually married
her. She returned his devotion by poi
soning him. She next turned up in Han
over, where she became acquainted with
merchant named Wachter, who mar
ried her. Wilhelmina revenged herself
upon the opposing parents by poisoning
them. The cholera ragged at the time,
and, in consequence, it remained Sc
cret for years. Wachter soon afterward
became bankrupt, and deserted his
wife, who went to Stade and married
widower named Woltman, who had two
children. These also became the victims
of the murderous passions of their step
mother, and then her criminal career
was brought to close. She was arrest
ed, her antecedents closely examined in
to, and her victims exhumed. Her trial
took place at Stade on the I'd of October,
and the result was that she was convict
ed and sentenced to death.
Pastor Decker made, on the morning
of the day on which she was to be exc
cuted, determined effort to move her
stony heart. The woman was fastened
to the wall by chain ten feet long,
which was attached to her left wrist
After listening to the reverend gentle
man for two OIL three minutes, she made
sudden attack on him, compelling him
to beat hasty retreat. Reiffenberg,
the executioner, saluted his victim re-
specially, and informed her who he was.
"What do you want of me?' she said
tie the headsman, fixing her large, lus-
trous eyes inquiringly upon him. 81
want to prepare you for the scaffold," he
answered, "Oh," she said carelessly, 81
am prepared" Not quite" he rejoined.
He then unclaimed her hand and began
to cut off her hair. Then he threw a
heavy fur cape over her shoulders, and
the toilet for the scaffold was finished.
He thereupon left her cell, and the next
visitor was the warden of the prison,
who asked her if she wished anything.
"Only glass of water, she said, dryly.
1t was then about half-past one, and her
last moment rapidly drawing nigh. Ten
minutes afterward the judge and clerk
of the criminal court appeared before
her, and the death-warrant was read to
her last time. The presiding Judge
urged her in feeling words to confess her
crimes, and make her peace with her
God. She responded by shaking her
head impatiently. They left her and
then the headsman and his assistants
took her to the scaffold. When she APP
peared in the open air the biting cold
caused her to shiver; but she bore the
glance of the thousands of eyes, which
the multitude rivited upon her, without
fiinching.
The scafold was coarse wooden
structure, about eight feet in diameter.
Wilhelmina Woltman assembled it with
3 a firm step, and walked to the fatal block
: in its middle without betraying any ner-
0 vousness. The warden of the prison
+ asked her if she had anything to say.
u No, mop she answered angirly, "Make
# haste Make haste y The next moment
b two assistants of the executioner caused
r her to kneel in front of the block. The,
p took the fur cape from her shoulders
lie and pressed her head upon the top o
IN the block, to which they fastened it b,
,e means of a Leather stran CLo l.,