Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-03-21
A MAN WITH A FOREIGN ACCENT.

The London police and English JUS
tices have lately performed a brilliant
exploit of criminal.catching which has
caused much comment in the British
capital, and may lead to some overhaul
ing and modification of their criminal
laws and processes. The affair alluded
to is somewhat ridiculous, while it was
slightly serious, and very inconvenient
to some of the parties interested. In
December last an unfortunate woman
was found murdered in her lodging
room. and all that was known Of the
matter was that the woman was seen
the night before the murder with a man
who spoke with foreign accent. 1t
was supposed that this man who had
accompanied her home was the murder
er. The police set about arresting a
man with foreign accent. There are
several of them in London and several
were SUCCESSFULLY arrested and dis
charged for want of proof. AT length
ON the 2lst of January it was an
nounced that the indefatigable detec-
tives had certainly run down their prey,
and that man with a foreign ac-
cent. who had done the murder, was
in custody The way they got him
and the comedy of errors which followed
the arrest are remarkable. The Ger
man ship Wangerland, bound for Brazil,
with a colony of emigrants on hoard,
sustained some damage at sea and put
into the port of Ramsgate for repairs
The colony was accompanied by a chap
lain Rev. DR.. Hessel and his wife, whom
he had lust married. While the vessel
was repairing the passengers went
ashore and Hessel and wife took Q trip
TO London. The detectives who were
busy working up the above case, hap
pened 20 90 to Ramsgate about tins time,
and met a good many men with iorelgn
accent, passengers on the Wangerland:
They singled ont the most likely one oil
these named Wohlebe, and put him in
prison as the murderer OF the woman.
The other German colonists were much
alarmed Mt the arrest Of one Of their
number for so great crime, and DIR.
Hessal came to their relief. lie ar
ranged a plan faF the liberation of Woh-
lebe whom he knew to be INNOCENT
This was TO select number OF the emil
grants from tho ship, to be placed along
With the prisoner when the witnesses be-
Can the work of Identification. Twenty
were chosen, all dressed as Wohlebe was
dressed, DIR. Hssssl among them, who
nrooeeded in a body to the town
hall where the examination was to
take place. The stratagem OF
the good pastor was entirely successful
so fnr &c Wohlehe was concerned, but
the whole astonishing result Is best re-
lated 6y DR.. Hessel himself.
I'VE 5tood in . half cirele IN the
magistrate's room. ! was second on the
right. one of the emigrants being the
frat Stalker came in, walked along
the line twice, came back to me, scanned
me from head to foot, and said; That 5
the i,rr. | smiled, for | remembered
what Consul HamHOpA hse ssld the
day before on board ship. You know
the nroverb-a ship is always nnluckY
when parson is on board, and perhaps
-ou will be the Jonah tomorrow. Then
came flses, Ehc came at me straig ght,
and cried out, That's the EsH, quite
abruptly, without looking elsewhere.
] Then the two witnesses we're brought IN
.orether. and was called upon TO speak
lbsl-ab ] said but few words when
e,glfs4 msde Z GESTURE with his hands
nd cried. EiodEI, thoagL, ,lsi hig
rough voice: now I'm quite sure
Flaek was equally sure, shaolute'y posi-
-. Am the emigrants were smiling,
and the capuain cf he Wangerland said,
liss,inrly Doctor, oongrstulaie you
on being cat.s..s - 90 great crime,