The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-30

close inspection, they were found to be
masks and breast-plates of steel, one o
which was indented by bullet. Subses
quent inquiry developed the following
story:
On Tuesday, July 9th, two men came
in to the saw works OF Knippenberg q
Co., on South Pennsylvania street. In-
dianapolis, and asked to see the foreman.
They had with them two large sheets of
sixteen-gear Jessup steel, which had
been purchased, no doubt, in the city,
though 1t was impossible to learn OF
what firm. They asked whether they
could have that steel cut in any shape
they wanted, and were answered III The
affirmative. Directions were accordingly
given by the spokesman of the party,
somewhat as follows: Six pieces In all
were to be cut from the plates, two oil
each OF three patterns; one small.rect-
angle, fourteen inches long and about
seven inches widc;. another in the torn
of breastplate, nearly two feet long
and two-thirds as wide, with top part
scolloped to fit the arms and collar bone,
and third, also a rectaDgle, OF the pro-
per size TO protect the body below the
lower rib, 10 which the breastplate
reached. ~ ss tJ
The last instructions given to the fore
man at Knippenberg's were to cut quar-
ter-inch holes in the plates at the four
corners, so that all the parts might be
strapped together On the body. Think.
ing, perhaps, that such an order might
create some suspicion on the part OF the
foreman, the spokesman volunteered the.
information that these plates OF armor
were wanted to protect the bodies Of
several workmen who were exposed to
danger continually at his foundry. Be
sides this, the foreman remembers moth
ing. He took it to be an ordinary trans
action, and did not think from the ap-
pearance of the men that there was any
thing suspicious In their business. They
left on Tuesday afternoon, saying they
were in hurry for the plates, and would
like to have them done as soon as posi-
BILE on the following day. Next morning
the spokesman alone came, looked at the
job, said it was satisfactory, and then
left with the plates.
He went from there south on Pennsyl-
vania street till he reached the foundry
of English g. Over, two squares below.
Here he stopped and inquired whether
they had any workmen there who could
bend steel. He was referred to the
blacksmith, D. c. Wolf, and the foreman
consented to his. doing the job, as the
man said he was in great hurry, and
knew of no other place to go. He then
explained to Wolf that he wanted the
smallest piece. of steel bent as near as
possible TO fit the head and cover the
face, the sheet having, when done, as
Mr.. Wolf says, almost the shape OF the
letter U; the breast-plate and third plate
| were to be bent slightly, just enough to
lit the body, the former turned in at the
corner in order to close well under the
arm-pits. These instructions were fol-
lowed mechanically by the blacksmith,
who was not III the habit OF looking on
customers with suspicion, and who felt
satisfied With the plausible story that
the plates were needed to protect tile
mans factory hands in a planins-m mill.
He mentioned some kind OF a machine
the name of which Mr.. Wolf had forgot
ten), which was very dangerous to ham
die, as it threw large blocks Of wood
around in a sort of reckless way.
This part of the business was safely
completed by Wednesday, July 7. The
murder, it will be remembered, was COM
mitted on the night OF the Sth, and the
chief, with his accomplice, must have left
the city on the afternoon train, with
their plans all matured ior acting out
their murderous scheme.
The detectives, through the history of
the armor and the description of the
men, as furnished by the workmen in
Kippenberg's saw-works, and Wolf and
Cook, the blacksmiths, gained their first
clue to the perpetrators OF the bloody
deed, and finally succeeded in bringing
them within reach OF the law. And, no
doubt, the very breast-plate that pre-.
served the life of one Of the murderers,
by warding eff the express messengers
bullet, will bring him to his death on the
gallows.