The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-04-09
A Hopeful Father and Son.

A Hopeful Father and Son.
Not very long ago Carlisle, Pa, had an
exciting murder trial, which from begin
ming to end caused great deal of public
comment and criticism. DIR. Paul Schoeppe,
a young German of education and prepos-
sessing manners, became acquainted in
Carlisle with Miss Marie Stiennecke, an
aged maiden lady who owned a large
amount of property, chiefly in Baltimore.
He asked Miss Stiennecke to marry him and
she consented. He next asked her TO set
tie her property on him, and this she did to
a considerable extent. Soon after the
transfer of the property Miss Stiennecke
died suddenly, and the doctors and chem
lists said she was poisoned. DIR. Schoeppe
was arrested and tried for the poisoning.
He was convicted of murder in the first
degree and sentenced to be hung, and the
courts were done with the case. There
were many petitions and prayers and tears
for Schoeppe's life, but the Governor was
unmoved by them. The case was finally
presented to the Legislature, which had
the power to reopen it if that body saw
cause.
1t was a new thing to hang man in Car
Isle, and the Germans did not like the idea
that one of their countrymen should be
made such public example. They were
very much interested in the case, and the
interest spread among the Germans far and
near. DIR. Schoeppe's father was also in
this country, and was a minister of the
Gospel, and to all appearance respectable
and devout man. But the former lives of
the father and son in Germany were ripped
wide open, and showed that both had been
in Jail over the Rhine for crimes they had
committed. The evidence from the Father
land was all against them, but good many
Germans believed that there was some mis-
take about the persons, and they brought
strong pressure TO bear upon the Legis
lature to grant DIR. SchOeppe a new trial
by special enactment. The Legislature
did il, and at the new trial SchOeppe was
acquitted and set free.
No sooner was he out of jail than he-Set
up claim to the estate of Mrs. Schoeppe,
stating that Miss Stiennecke had become
his lawful wife before her death.
Here was another very ugly case, and
contest over this claim of DR.. SchOeppe
has been in progress ever since. In the
meantime the Schoeppes, father and son,
have been wandering about over the eoun-
try getting their brcad-the former by
preaching to German congregations, and
the latter, it appears, by various kinds of
dishOnOrable practices. 1t looks as if the
old man wanted to reform, but the bond
between the father and son is very strong,
and the son always managed to get his
father mixed up in his troubles. The old
man was lately the pastor of cOngrega-
ton in Naperville, H., under the name of
Shoeppel. He was identified as the Rev.
Schoeppe and dismissed by the congrega-
ton. The young mans career has been
chequered, under the name of j. p. Schulz
enburg, since he escaped from the shadow
of the gallows-tree at Carlisle. He has
caused divorce or two, and made money
out of his gallantries. He has joined
church and won confidence only to abuse
il. He found the charitable element the
most easily imposed upon, and he got on
the charitable side of people and practiced
his receptions for money. Not long ago
he commenced systematic plundering of
the funds of the Relief and Aid Society in
Chicago. He was detected in his rascality
and indicted for his crimes. Pending his
trial he managed to get affidavits and testi-
monials of good character, and his German
friends became largely interested in his be-
half. Their sympathies were again trium-
plant, and when the case came to trial it
was evident to the judge that the man, if
not the victim of malicious prosecution,
was more sinned against than SHINING
The case was dismissed, and Schulenberg
went free and took refuge beneath his
fathers roof in Naperville. 1t now ap-
peared that this much-abused j. p. Schu-
ienberg and DIR. Paul SchOeppe of Carlisle
nOtoriety were the same person, and his
Chicago friends all at once learned somuch
of his disreputable dOings that they were
heartily ashamed of themselves for the in
terest they had taken in him. They found
they had been swindled worse and worse
at every step, and took immediate and ac-
tive measures to secure the rearrest of
Schoeppe, alias Schulenberg.
BY the time the news of this discovery
reached Naperville DIR. Schoeppe had fled,
and it was supposed had gone TO Balti-
more. The Reverend Schoeppe was dis
missed by his German Lutheran cOngre-
CATION, and the detectives of Baltimore
were put on the watch for the fugitive.
He was found, locked up, and is charged
with common swindling and forgery.
His pockets were lined and his clothing
fairly wadded with papers intended to de-
ceive, such as railroad passes, letters of
credit and notes of hand, many of which
were known to be forgeries.
DIR. Schoeppe, it is supposed, went East
by reason of the approaching trial of his
claim to be the legal husband of Miss
Marie Stiennecke, which will come up
few days hence in the Orphans Court.
He still says he is sole heir under Miss
Stiennecke's last will TO her estate, valued
at S65,0 900. The amount at stake was so
large and the belief in SchOeppe's rascality
was so strong that a commissioner was
sent over to Germany to procure records
of the criminal court with reference to the
doctor. The agent has returned, and the
papers arc on file in the Orphans CoWtin
Baltimore. They think they have DIR.
SchOeppe fast now. When Baltimore is
through with him Chicago wants him to
settle up old scores. All his friends have
melted except his father. His sympathiz-
ing cOuntTymen everywhere are thorough
ly convinced that when he was in Carlisle
was the time to keep him in jail, if not to
hang him. His life, since the scaffold was
erected for him in the jail-yard, and the
Legislature had itpulled down, is a record
of brazen raScality and shameless swind-
ling. He has been great public expense,
and has proved a nuisance and public
scOurge wherever he has bcen-out of Jail.
The Rev. Mr.. Schoeppe is atpresent out
of situation, but may soon have charge
of another congregation under a new