River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-30
4 LOVERS CRIME.
Sow the Lack OF Marriage Portion
Led TO Il Curious Murder.

Vienna Correspondence New York World
Yesterday the city was shocked by
the news of terrible murder, similar
in many respects to the crime commit
ted Just four years ago by a young man
who murdered a postman and robbed
him of the valuable letters which his
pouch contained. 1t appears that on
Wednesday evening young man Of
about twenty entered a small lodging
house near the great Franz Joseph 5
barracks and asked for Il room. He
had no luggage, and when shown a
small room in the second story object
ed, and said he was used to better ac-
commodation. He was then shown n
nice bedroom in the fourth story,
which he accepted, and left, after hav-
ing written his name in bold, CONNER
cial hand upon the bill which the pO-
lice leave at all hotels, and which it is
customary to sign He did not occupy
the room that night, but returned at S
o'clock in the morning. The porter
asked him when he entered if he had
spent pleasant night, and he answer
ed: "A very expensive one" laughed,
and begged the porter to send the post
man up to his room if he came with a
letter containing money for him.
Shortly afterward the postman appear
ed and delivered several letters at the
hotel. which he carried to the rooms of
those to whom they were addressed,
because for letters of value the postman
must get receipt. He went up to the
fourth story, and after not more than
ten minutes the door of the room was
torn open, and the young occupant, as
well as the postman, rushed down
stairs. The young man went into the
empty porter's stall, and then ran out
into the street. The postman called
out for glass Of water, adding
that he felt giddy But before it was
brought he tainted and fell. OF course
no one supposed that murder had been
committed. but the belief was that
the old postman had had a fit of apo
plexy. He was laid on a couch md the
doctor was called, but he did not sue
coed III reviving him. In the mean
time the hotel-keeper searched the va
cant room and then, of course, the
truth came out On the table stood a
small bottle and glass, both contain
ing a few drops Of a sweet, unpleasant
smelIng liquor. Notnlng else WIS
found but two articles Of woman's I'M
derwear, trimmed with lace and spot
ted with blood. In the stove, which
had been cleaned the day before, was
found an envelope torn to tiny pieces.
Strange to say, the murderer had not
completed his work, for the postman's
pouch was found intact with about
100, 600 FORMS worth of money-letters
in it. He had even left the letter
which the pcstman had brought for
himself unopened in the porter's
ch air. He must have addressed this
letter to himself the night before, for,
although he had taken his room but an
hour before the letter was posted, the
address was minute: Room No. p, on
the fourth story, to the left. The MUIR
dered postman was g. years old and
was considered so honest and trust
worthy that large amounts were in
trusted to him daily. He died at the
hospital at noon without having reeov-
cred consciousness.
While all the clever detectives of Vi
emma were hunting through the city for