Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-18
LURED TO DESTRUCTION.

LURED TO DESTRUCTION.
Terrible Crime OF . Wealthy nan.sae-
terer1A nother and Children Mar-
On the 18th of February, 1879 fire
broke out in the worsted works of Hen |
ry Zieber Il Co., Mt Effort, in Prussia,
and the establishment was completely
destroyed. The disaster caused the |
death of Nine. Anna Zieber, the wife
OF the principal owner of the concern,
and her two sons, aged six and four
years, who persisted miserably In the
flames. The conAagration had swept
Mr.. Zleber's entire fortune away. The
Fire Marshal of Erfurt left nothing un-
done to ascertain the cause of the dis.
aster the moro 10 as under the laws
of Germany even careless nets that
lead to conflagration and loss of life
are punished.
There were two watchmen in the
building during the night when the
fire broke out. They said that nothing
unusual had occurred until twelve
O'Clock, when they had noticed a strong
smell of burning, which, upon exam
ination, had been found to emanate
from the oil room. They had next run
to Mr.. Zieber's apartment. his wife
had answered them from within that
her husband was not in, aud, upon
being told that the house was on fire,
had screamed out aloud: IL cannot
open the doorl" ~:
The rapid Roadway the flames had
hoon nokiun ho1 o0no vo11o6 Thorn IN
run back to the main staircase, where
they met Mr.. Zieber himself, who had
exclaimed ooh, God, I must save my
wife and children" and had run
toward his rooms, but had shortly
afterward returned, acting as a mad
mad, and shouting in heartrending
tone: "Great God They are lost !"
Next came the testimony of old Zieber
himself. He seemed utterly crushed
by the blow that had befallen HIM,
and said he had taken tho key to the
oil room on the preceding day from
the foreman, because he had discov-
cred that some Of the employees,
who slept near that room, were burn.
ing lights, contrary to the rules. He
had caught one of the weavers,
Lawrence Karste1, in the room
of his betrothed, Minna Brown,
burning kerosene lamp. very near the
oil-room, and that he had ordered
Karsten to put ont that lamp, and Or
dered him to 60 back to his own room.
Both Karsten and the girl Brown had
to admit that this was true Upon be-
ing asked how he had extinguished
the lamp, Minna Brown said he had
blown it out, while Karsten said he
had poured water upon the burning
wick. In consequence he and the girl
Brown were taken into custody in or.
der to be tried upon the charge of care
less arson. The two prisoners were
convicted, and Karsten was sentenced
to the State Prison for six years, while
Minna Brown got off with two years.
A precise statement of the firm could
not be obtained, because the books had
been destroyed at the fire.
While the storm, so far as Ziebel
was concerned, had thus seemed tt
have blown over, there was q silent
but efficient agency at work, through
whose instrumentality ultimately, til,
horrible fact was established that lie
Der himself had been the incendiary
that he had deliberately planned ani
executed the hein0us CRIME in order *
rid himself of his wife and children
nd to defraud his creditors. As il
many such cases, heartless siren wa
at the bottom of the whole affair
Among the creditors who lost by tn
failure of Zieber 4 Co., was the bank
. ing firm of SICILY l. Sons, Q
; Mayence. Young Sigilly, the man
> aeer, was a most energetic AM
,, sagacious man, and finding tina
: his house would be brought to tn
y verge of ruin by the loss sustained b.
. the fire in Erfurt, he determined to sill
{ the matter to the bottom. He sus
8 pecte.l old Zieber from the first. b
i, obtained the services of clever de
= tective to watch old Zieber's move
ments. One day the detective notice.
a q well'dressed girl, bearing a letter i
her hand, approaching the front doc
h of the house where Zieber lived. n
!: entered into conversation with Eer, an
IL found that the letter was destined fo
8 Zleber the letter was from her mis-
4 tress, Mile. Segarusse, ballet-girl
b The maid told him also thai, Ziebe
q came to see Mile. Segarusse every da
9 about 10 o'clock in the evening" an
that he had plenty of money, and mad
n her mistress costly presents.
l. The detective proceeded at once I
d the residence of Mile. Segarusse. q
n found her installed in splendid qua,
n ters near Kroll's Opera House. Sh
y was stylish French woman of thirt.
It The detective proceeded to business
K MADAME" said the detective, imper'
il lively, 81 want you to show me imm'
a diately all the presents you have r
10 ceived from Zieber, and bis letters, {
h I will have You taken between tv
8, policemen to the Mo]ken Market Pri
on. She staggered back, J an
g faltered out, what have
A. done2" She almost tainted, b;
10 then opened her bureau, handin
m him few letters. II have destroye
,e the Others" she said. "Very vel
Of and now the presents" She Shove
Id the detective number of magnificel
m diamond and emerald SETS. 'tThat
q enough, madam he said, c0ldl,
I'd "Now be pleased to put on your sha1
+. and bonnet, and follow me to IL
lie Molken Market" Ten minutes afte
t. ward she was locked in solitary Gel
at and in another half hour Zieber was
prisoner in the same building. Fl
nj room vas carefully searched, and u
40 derneath a plank in the floor we
.i found diamonds and banknotes to Il
at amount of $80,OO0
a. The woman hoped to extricate he
self from the very unpleasant positi<
o.. in which she was placed by telling 6
a q she knew about her paramour. g
"a. never cared anything for him." she e
in claimed. He made me such splend
- presents. He importuned me for
IN year past to marry him, and said
a would manage to get rid of his vii
~ and take me to America" The ofRcl
90 who examined her asked her
O. she believed Zieber had intend'
in to kill his wife2 Eyes, yes
I is she said. "When he saw me fiji
"a after TIE fire he exclaimed, Now
~ have done it," The two were sent
e Erfurt, where additional evidence
~ bis guilt was obtained, a former serva
a girl of the deceased Nine. Zieber test
N flying that the latter's husband h.
- often told her he would get rid of Ii
+ old woman and then marry her or son
- other girl. Zieber denied all the tesI
n mony, but was, nevertheless, convict,
~ of arson in the first degree, and, wi
- unaccountable clemency, sentenc,
- only to the Safe Prison for life. Ia,
a. ten and Minna Brown were pardon,
er by the King.