Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-06-08
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STRANGE STORY CONNECTED WITH THE
FINDING OF DEAD body NEAR PHILA-
DELPHIA.
On the 22d of February last The remains
of man wero discovered under heap Of
rubbish near the Granger Centennial en-
campment on the Peunsy SSnia railroad In
the vicinity Of Philadelphia. There was
no evidence that murder had been done,
but the authorities commenced an invesli-
CATION, with no other cews than the suspi-
cious circumstances under which the body
was found, and a mark upon the shirt in.
licating that IL had been made in Blelfield,
Prussia. A letter addressed TO the town
authorities there elected the fact that man
named Holl0 Of that town bad been miss
ing since The Centennial. HOLE, however,
soon made his appearance and satisfied the
detectives of his identity.
The next fact that transpired was in
letter from the proprietor of coffee house
in Berlin, Prussia, stating that his son Max
Hoehno had emigrated TO New York last
September, and giving full description of
his person. This description agreed with
that of the corpse, which had been sup
posed 10 be that of Hole. The letter also
stated that young Max had cousin in New
York whom he had visited prior 10 visiting
lnG Otnle0Dlal, anu lDdl hlutb ub udu Dttu
missing the father had received letters, evil
dently not in bis sons handwriting, asking
him 10 remit him some money. With the
aid OF this cousin and a decOy letter the po-
lice were not long in getting their hands
upon one Heinrich Whaen, who was an in
mate Of the Kings county penitentiary,
Brooklyn, n. Y. Wahen is described as
a smart young fellow, native of Germany
and about q years OF age. When charged
with the crime he denied all knowledge of
HOehne, but when confronted with the
proofs against him he admitted that he had
met him upon several occasions. Then the
murdered mans effects were discovered,
which consisted Of a trunk and a diary,
which latter had evidently suggested and
aided the forgery Of the letter TO the father,
whereby with great adroitness the writer
had assumed tbe victims name.
Ii happens very rarely that a case OF muir
der is more plainly made out from circum-
stautial 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. lie says he met the
murdered man last November in New
York, being attracted 10 him by hearing
him speak of familiar places in Germany;
and some conversation was had at that
time. Subsequently lie met him at Ger
man saloon in Philadelphia, and while
drinking beer together the murdered man
Informed him that he bad no money and
was going 10 write home for some, but
must have some to live upon in the mean
time. Wahlen says he then lent him So or
50. and took the check of the Pennsylvania
railroad company for security. lie came
TO New York few day afterwards, bring
ing The trunk with him, and says he never
saw Hoehne again. AS he did not redeem
the trunk Wahen sold the clothing, which
consisted Of shirts marked "M. H." being
hard up for money, and retained the other
tritles, which were diary. album, pass
port, and some letters and papers of no val
ne. He does not deny that he wrote TO the
father OF the murdered man, imper
ing his son, at the same time not knowing
the son was dead; but when confronted
with the question why should he take such
a fearful risk, as, if living, the son would
have written himself, and the fraud could
not have succeeded, his only reply was, II
was hard up and took the risk
The theory of the detectives is that Wha-
len committed the murder; that he bad an
accomplice, who euticed Hoehne TO the
spot where the body was found, and killed
him 10 obtain his money and clothes, and
then to extract money from his family by
personating The victim but the persisten
cy OF The mans denial and the ingenuity Of
his story throw around all the circumstances
of the case shadows of doubt as 10 the guilt
or innocence of the man which it is to be
hoped an impartial trial will dispel.