The New York herald., 1873-12-13
A st. LOUIS SOCIAL SENSATION
The Love Of an Heiress apd 9
Coachman Interrupted
Comedy Changed to Tragedy-A Wedding n,
tsffupted by . Bullet that Lays Up \
Coachman, but Does Not Kill-A Brothers.
Infamous Charge and How He
"Vindicatsd" His Mothers and
Sisters Houor-The Coaca.
man Killed ct Last

The st. Louis papers OF the 10Th inst. are full or
details OF the Cronenbold- Boettcher case, which
has stirred the social circles OF that city 60 their
centre, the more so from the fact that the women
move in the best society. as docs the murderer,
while the mnrdered victim Is
sMERELY A CoAcHMAS'
and man-ofall-work The telegraphic dispatches
have already given brief facts Of the case, but the
following appears in the Democrat Of the 1oth:-
1t Will be remembered that quito sensation
was caused in this vicinity on Thursday night last
by the interruption OF q wedding ceremony which
was to have taken place at the mansion or the late
Judge Cronenbold between that genieman's
daughter and young man named Richard Boctt.
cher, who had boon employed by the Judges
widow as q carriage driver. On this occasion.
bied an uncle OF the bride. that was to be, and q
man named Weber appeared upon the scene, and,
shooting IL ne the result e this on
slaught was that yesterday warrant was SWORD
easmy was being kindly cared FOR By his aecton
ate ,iancee. Nothing at that time could be learned
as 20 the cause Of the trouble beyond the fsot
enough to be allowed 10 blend with that OF the
aristocratc young lady whose affections he had
out out. and benjamin Franklin cronenbold. brother
OF the girl, prepared the following explanation OF
the matter. which has been translated and is now
published for the first time. 1t should be added
here that the only occapans o. the cr9nennoas @ Ias
widow and her daughter Coral
CRoNlNBoLD's LETTER.
the ssa efn se IL s a
was at this time in very poor circumstances He was
o ay e"s n sS Il
f;s s@ 'SI K
.er 4 All their letters spOSs very highly q nm:
said that he WAS looking for partner e establish with
@ sssFs snd tssS sossetsa posen
night were made very secretly, and AZ my protests
I o.
s he q, dsy Mr. % my anc
Mr. T + W Weber and myself went g my moiher. hous1
found no minister but only few relatives and :hs
ceremony was postponed by Boocher being shot IN the
From this statement 1t will be seen that young
Cronenbod accuses Boettcher with the seduction
OF his sister, and yesterday he took terrible
vengeance by Killing him in cold blood after hay.
ing arranged everything so Systematically that ne
THE rIRsr iYrIMArToN OF TIE TRAGEDY
was received by O1lcers Richardson and S0n1efS.
% ns ep as es
ately wheeled their horses and galloped iuriously
toward the Cfonenbold residence which they
reached IN a very short time. Although their In
forinant had merely stated that a man had been
SPOT on Chippewa and Grand avenues the ofncers 1,
standing at the gate. On reaching tho
sSay they rS were ~aa sasssa sadag sgo 'B Sa
face horses, and asked him what the trouble as.
He said that there was dead man lying in the
The onicers took a look at the body, and Reynolds
then assertaiued from Annie and Barney Frisen-
borg, who live close by and witnessed the murder,
that the man with the white horse had fred the
fatal shots. Richardson interviewed Mrs. and Miss
Cronenbod on the subject, ana learned from tha
latter that aer brother did the killing rne 0mcof Ger
that tho girl was fiantic with grief and went INTO
Mysteries. He described her sufrerings as fearful
TO Witness aud thinks that serious consequences
will ensue from the shock to her nervous system.
Alter ascertaining beyond doubt who the guilty
THE OFFICERS GAVE CHASE
as fast as their horses could carry them. Before
on his rider. THIS necessii ated quito q delay, as
it was some time before Richardson could extrii
cate his partner from his perlious position. He
been injured internally. somers was. OF course,
forced to abandon the chase, While Richardson
n the 1u HS not 10 in a time tG
district station and notified the oflicers there Of
the murder George Miller, the clerk, and he then
proceeded to the hardware store OF r. w. Cronen-
bold & Co.. 1916 Carondeet avenue. Of which firm
D. 7, Cronenbold and +. W. Weber are partners.
and here both OF them were found standing con-
verslng together. They were at once taken to the
station and locked up in separate cells
mounted district Sergeant Fox, the oficer in
charge, secured light wagon and went in search
OF the body He reached tho scene between five
and six O'Clock, and discovered BOettcher's CORPSE
lying just inside the fence OF field bordering on
the Gravois road and about 100 yards from his late
cred with piece OF coarse bagg1ng and taken to
the First district station from whence 1t was shortly
Schele, on Soulard, between Seventh and Eighth
streets. Coroner Voerster had arrived in tho
meantime and & by his orders the body was stripped
holes were found IN the he corpse one q which was
ball was found in the calf OF the leg
TIE OTHER THREE WOUNDS
were fresh, and young Cronenbod acknowledges
that they are his nandiwork The wound which
must have caused instantaneous death is just
below the lower Loint OF the left shoulder blade.
the heart and coming out Al the ie e nnnc
second bali entered the right side, between the
ninth and tenth ribs, and third two inches above
sented horrible spectacle as the body lay in the
stable, without any covering whatever, although
Deceased was about IS years OF age, and very pre-.
possessing In appearance. His lace Is angular
n aaS Is aey se o W py sSsrs
until the conclusion OF the inquest, which viii
commence this afternoon at two O'Clock.
The youth, who by this rash act has blastod his
quite wealthy. His father was
TIE LATE JUDGE =. W. CRONENBoLD,
VINO died about two years ago, aftcr having lived
In ST. Louis for 80 years. ie was at one time pres
presiding justice in the County Court. The Judge
was recognized an active politician ana was Tor
number OF years member OF the CITY Council.
He left an immense amount OF properly TO be al
vidcd between his wife, son and daughter The
domestic relations OF tie family since the Judges
death have been very unhappy, ana odd stories
have peen related OF the family ltis stated that
Benjamin was sent to Europe by MS mother In
order to
EsTRANeE HIM FROM SERVANT GIRL
with whom he had fallen In love, and the prisoner
VINO js perhaps insane, informed n reporter that
Bocttcher had not only ruined his sister, but also
his mother. -.
Through the courtesy Of the First district ofcers
the Democrat reporter was enabled TO learn tho
story OF the homicide,
FROM THE PRIsoNER's OWN LIps
close scrutiny OF Cronenbod in his cell re ycalcd
q slight figure neatly dressed In q dark coat ana
light pants and vest He wore faultless black tio
and neat studs sh0ne In his shirt front. HIS fea-
lures are decidedly eTeminate, the forehead being
very broad and eyes light blue. Hts mouth IL
very small, the lips appearing thin and sensitive,
m nj md wpI Hal