Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-06-13
" Murder Will Ont.V

On the 22d of February last the remains
of a man were discovered under Il heap of
rubbish near the Granger Centennial en-
campment on the Pennsylvania railroad
in the vicinity oil Philadelphia. There
was no evidence that murder had been
done, but the authorities commenced an
investigation, with no other clews than
the suspicious circumstances under which
the body was found, and Il mark upon the
shirt indicating that it had been made in
Blelfield, Prussia. A letter addressed to
the town authorities there elected the fact
that IL man named Holle of that town had
been missing since the Centennial. IIolle,
however, soon made his appearance and
satisfied the detectives of his identity.
The next fact that transpred was in
letter from the proprietor of II coffee
house in Berlin, Prussia, stating that his
son Max Hoehne had emigrated to New
York last September, and giving Il full de-
scriplion of his person. This description
agreed with that of the corpse, which had
been supposed TO be that of Hole. The
letter also stated that young Max had
cousin in New York whom he had visited
prior to visiting the Centennial, and thai
since he had been missing the father had
received letters, evidently not in his sons
handwriting, asking him to remit him
some money. With the aid of this cousin
and Il decoy letter the police were not long
in getting their hands upon one Heinrich
Wahlen, who was an inmate OF the Kings
county penitentiary, Brooklyn, N. 7.
Wahlen is described us II smart young
fellow, II native of Germany and abont q
years of age. When charged with the
crime he denied all knowledge of Hoehne,
but wht n confronted with the proofs against
him he admitted that he had met him up
on several occasions. Then the murdered
mans effects were discovered, which con-
sisted Of trunk and diary, which latter
had evidently suggested and aided the
forgery of the letter to the father whereby
with great adrOitness the writer had as
sumed the victm'S name.
1t happens very rarely that case OF
murder is more plainly made out from
circumstanial evidence than this, but yet
there are great doubts entertained by those
who have seen the man charged with the
crime and heard his story. He says he
met the murdered man last November in
New York, being attracted to him by hear
ing him speak of familiar places in Ger
many; and some conversation was held at
that time. Subsequently he met him at IA
German saloon in Philadelphia, and while
drinking beer together the murdered man
informed him that he had no money and
was going to write home for some, but
must have some to live upon in the mean
time. Wahen says lie then lent him 50
Or Sc, and took the check of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad company tor security, He
came to New York IL few days afterwards,
bringing the trunk with him, and says he
never saw Iloehnc again. As he did no, re-
deem the trunk Wahlen sold the clothing,
consisting of shirts marked :" NJ. H., be-
ing hard up for money, and retained the
other trifles, which were IL diary, album,
passport, and some letters and papers of
no value. He does not deny that he wrote
to the father of the murdered man, imper
sonating his son, ut the same time MOI
knowing the son was dead; nut when con-
Gronted with the question, why should he
take such fearful risk, as, if living, the
SOD would have written himself and the
fraud could not have succeeded, his only
reply was, l was hard up and took the
risk
The theory of the detectives is that
Wahlen committed the murder; that he
had an accomplicp, who enticed Hoehnc
to the spot where the body was found, and
killed him TO obtain his money from his
family by personating the victim; but the
persistency of the mans denial and the
ingenuity of his story throw around all the
circumstances of the case shadows of
doubt us to the guilt or innocence of the
man which is to be hoped an impartial
trial will dispel.