Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-08-03
NILE. SOHLKE'S DELUSION.
A Victim OF Bysterical Mania The
Strange story which She Told TO
the POIice-An Alleged brutal
Outrage by Two Men.
a Medical Examination shows the Alb
surdify Ofthe Charge-But her Dia-
mOnds and Gold Watch and
Chain have not yet been
Recovered.

pened to be IN University place, near
Eleventh street, at half past eleven
clock yesterday morning, were somewha;
astonIshed to see Mile. Augusta Sohlke, the
well-known Hungarian b let dancer. APP
pear at the door of her residence, No. 4S
University place, 10 a state of the widest ex-
element. Her long hair hung in disheveled
masses about ner shoulders, her clothing was
In dlsordered condition, and her face wore
look of the deepest distress. The driver OF
an lce-wagon which stood opposite the house
asked her what was the matter She SAID
that two men had entered the house and as
eaulted her IN the most dastardly and indie
cent manner. She implored him to inform
the police at once, and then sank fainting IN
the hallway. An officer of the fifteenth pre-
clnct appeared minute later, and, after lis
tenlng to brief recital of what appeared to
he horrible outrage an unprotected
woman, hastily repaired to the stationhouse,
10 Mercer street, and made a report to Cap
tain Byrnes. Accompanied by Detective 9
Slevin and Dolan, the captain called at Mile
Sohlke S house, where they found her seated
on sofa in the front parlor, apparently suf-
fering from mental and bodily anguish. She
was attlred In a long wrapper, the waist OF
which loosely fitted her somewhat matronly
form. In compliance with the captain s re-
quest, she told a connected and consistent
story of the circumstances attending the al.
legged outrage. Early In the morning, she
said, about seven O'Clock, she discovered that
her female servant had appropriated some OF
her money, and she Immediately discharged
her. A few hours after the departure of the
dishonest servant, Mile. Sohlke, who rents
furnished rooms to dramatic agents and man.
ayers of theatrical companies, went up to the
second floor rear room for the purpose of re-
l~1l- IL
bath-tub IN au adjoining apartment, her neck
was suddenly clutched by the strong hand of
a man, and her head forced down until it
came In contact with the dirty water in the
tank. She was then turned on her back and
indecently assaulted by one of the two men,
who stood over her holding her down. When
one OF them had succeeded In accomplishing
his design, the two removed her to the bed,
and. while one sought for plumber in the front
rooms, the other again outraged her person,
and attempted to choke her with a red scarf,
which he tightly wound around her neck.
The two ruthans then rushed down stairs and
into the street through the front doorway
Mile. Sohlke added that she barely gathered
strength enough to follow them few mo-
ments after, and to give an alarm on reach
ing the hallway. One of the men
she described middle-aged, with a full,
brown beard, and wearing battered and dirty
clothing. The other was a younger man,
with a sickly face, small, black mustache,
and had the general air of tramp or va
grant. During the recital of her story she
frequently contradicted herself In several i'm
portant particulars. First, she described the
outrage as having been perpetrated while
she lay Frustrated In the bath-tub, and at
another time persisted in saying that the
man threw her on the bed in an adjoining
room. She also stated that her clothing was
saturated with the dirty water in the bath
tub, but the only wet garment found by the
captain was Il chemise, which she had left In
the bathroom. After leaving the house,
captain Byrnes sent messenger for DIR.
Dorm, the police surgeon, who Immediately
visited Mile. Sohlke. He found her still
seated IN the parlor, very much excited and
loudly bewaillng the loss # three diamond
rings and a set OF diamond ear-drops, the
loss of which. she assured him, she had lust
d -overed. When he announced that he
was doctor, she at first refused to submit to
an examination, but consented after much
persuasion. The doctor found no marks of
violence, except two discolorations on the left
thigh, such as might have been produced by
the grip OF a strong mans hand. Even these
marks presented the appearance of having
been made five or six days before Mile.
Sohlke insisted, however, that they were
caused by the rutfians who assaulted her in
the forenoon. The surgeon left the house
with the belief that the woman was the VIC
tim of a hysterlcal delusion, and this view of
the case was strengthened after consultation
with DIR. Z. G.. Bartlett, of No. 43 East
Eleventh street DIR. Bartlett informed him
that on Wednesday Mile. Sohlke, who had
complained of teverishness and nausea, dis
missed her regular physician and summoned
BIN to attend her. While converslue with
her at her residence she excitedly informed
him that doctor who had been paying her
attentions, and whom she had forbidden the
house, had poisoned her with some drug
which he surreptltiously deposited in a glass
of wine. Notwithstanding this assertion, DIR.
Bartlett failed to find in her case any Symp-
toms OF poisoning, and was about to prescribe
a simple curative when she stopped him in
alarm and begged him not to poison her
Her strange conduct convinced him that she
was victim of hysterical mania, aud subject
to the most improbable Authorizations. The
two physicians on comparing notes, conclud
ed that the alleged outrage of yesterday was
a mere delusIon. Last evening a Times
reporter visited Mile. Sohlke at her house,
four-story high stoop brick structure. She
personally opened the door and escorted her
visitor into the front parlor. She is about
thirty-hve years of age, has a rather pleasant
face, a well-rounded figure, and speaks Eng
lish very imperfectly. She is Il Hungarian by
birth, aud came to this country with Boa
tanh, with whom she appeared In the origi
Hdt NcESlOH Vi l. ne DtuCH CIOOh, db NlUiO ;
garden. Her last appearance here was at
the Fifth Avenue theater, where she led the
ballet in the play Of Life. Three weeks ago
she rented the house now occupied by
her, sub-lettlng the upper portion
to dodgers. When questioned con-
corning the alleged outrage, she
told a story somewhat different from that
recIted to Captain Byrnes and DIR. Dorm. She
believed that the men were relatives or friends
of the discharged servant. who had admitted
them to the house. After the latter left the
house Mile. Sohlke went up stairs to veutilate
the rooms of her dodgers, and while IN the
rear bedroom of the second floor vas seized
by the neck and thrown on the bed by one Of
the men, who sad to his companion: Come,
let's have some fun" They then, after re-
moving all her clothing, outraged her, after
which they dragged her into the bathroom |
and submerged her head in the water 1t |
was not until after their hurried exit that she |
discovered the loss of her jewelry, consisting |
Of one diamond and one turquois ring, pre- |
sented to her by NJ. Gambs tia; solitaire |
diamond ring, an opal surrounded by twelve |
small diamonds, and a set of diamond ear |
lrops. While relating these particulars to |
he reporter, Mile. Sohlke discovered that she |
1ad also lost valuable gold watch. Mr.. |
James Pike, a clearinghouse keeper at No. |
10 East Tenth street, in whose house Mile. |
Sohlke lived month ago, said last evening |
hat she was addicted to imbibing beer In
lrf kl,aE IL. l..