The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-04-15
TEE EsIsgCK-1ADEN COFFIN.

TEE BHuCK-LADEN COFFIN.
Louisa Germs Explaining How she
COuntcrfcited Death.
Louisa Germs, whose death was duly GER
tilted to the satisfaction of the Health
Board, but whose disinterled coffin was
found to contain only nineteen bricks, was
arrested in New York by detectives
Heidelberg and lilly at 1873 East One
Hundred and Ninth street. The clue
which led the officers to her was a letter
which was found among DR.. Chling's pa
| pcrs. They acted on the clue. hoping
rather to ascertain facts about her than to
| effect her arrest, but the person who an
swered their knock was Louisa Germs.
She took their information that she was
their prisoner laughingly, and seemed to
regard the whole conspiracy us good joke.
in which she was a spectator She said
that had they called an hour later they
would not have found her. She had read
the stories in the newspapers and was very
much amused at them
Louisa attired herself for the street in
the same mourning hablliments which fig
ured in the photograph found in Uhlings
pocket, She was taken into the members
room of the detectives office, and
Captain Irving and Mr.. b. F. Beekman
questioned her about the manifold
phases of the conspiracy She persisted in
regarding the affair as huge joke, replied
readily, seeming to wish TO conceal nothing
and laughed joyously whenever she thought
she made telling point. She says that
Uhling had not,lct her into the secret that
the conspiracy was Ia Obtain tho ineu-nnoo
on her life. On the contrary, he told her
that she was to personatc another girl, on
whose life he held policy of ~, 600. He
was to marry her when they got the money
When Dr. Kantroyitch called to see her,
she says she was really sick, but when DR..
Kurtz attended her she was shamming.
She simulated commissions by holding soap
in her mouth and comforting her limbs. 1t
imposed completely on the physician who
prescribed and went away. - He must be
very green TO be fooled so easily" she said,
laughngly.
INITIATING DEATH
AS TO the funeral preparations, she says
that the undertaken, Finck, entered first,
while she was expecting the persons in the
house to call to see the corpse. She lay on
the bed with sheet drawn up to her chin.
her face painted white and as dcath-lke as
possible Finck brought the coffin in, and
the bricks were put into it by him and DIR.
Uhling. To deceive her, she supposcs, the
name was inscribed on the plate Louisa
Grennet.' She was not put into the coffin
at all, The morning of the funeral she
was not well, and DR.. Uhhng asked one of
his patients to go as chief mourner; so she
was denied the satisfaction of riding to her
own funeral.
The sensation caused by her arrest had
hardly subsidized before wagon containing
the exhumed coffin arrived at the police
central Office. The dirt-stancd box attract
ed Il throng that speedily filled the halls
and offices. Police commissioners, the
representatives of the insurance company
and as many casual visitors as the apart
ment could hold were admitted into the
rear room of the detective Office. Louisa
Germs and Finck were brought in 1t was
the first intmaton to the undertaken that
every thread of the conspiracy was dis
covered, and when he saw Louisa Germs
his whole frame swayed as though lie
would fall.
LouIsA's EXAMINATION.
"Have you ever seen that coffin before ?
inquired Capt. Irving of Louisa.
II know il well, she replied.
"Who screwed the lid down 7"
THAT is the man." said she, pointing
toward Finck.
"Who put the bricks in :"
''Dr. Uhling. While was pretending ic
be sick he brought the bricks in, two O
three at time. Madame Marie Mrs
Uhling) wrapped them in paper. Whel
they were ready to fill the coffin Dir. Uhlinl
carried them, one or two at time, from |
under the bed in the back room"
Finck denied the truth of the story al
first, and persisted in saying that he screwed
the coffin lid down upon human body
alive or dead. He was taken back to his
cell, and there he weakened and confessed
that he was a party to the conspiracy and|
was to receive $3.50 when the money wasI
obtained from the insurance company. Hid
prepared the laths with which the bricks
were fastened in the coffin and screwed
them in.
II had been intended to keep Uling gnol
rant of the arrest of Louisa Germs until
they could be brought face to face in
court. Early in the morning he was takel
into the detective office, and he wrote two,
letters, one to his counsel and another to Il
friend, asking him to go to 100 Eldridg
street and tell his sister (wife) that he wa
arrested and to bring him some clean linen
AS the story of Louisa Germs and the con
tession Finck seemed to cover every poinl
of the conspiracy, it was deemed unnecesl
sary to keep him longer in ignorance, and
he was confronted with the girl. Louisal
rs soon as he entered the room, started
toward him, Saying, "Meine lieber Uhling.
my love Uhling.) The detectives restrain
ed her.
Uhling was .calm, but il required all hil
fortitude TO maintain his stolidity. Asked