Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-15
NEW YORK.

The Silver Lake NIurder-Executfon of
 Reinhardt-A Dismal Scene in the Rain
 Story of the Crime.
 NEW YORK, Jan. 14.-Edward Reinhardt, the wife murderer, was executed this morn ing at 10 o'clock in the yard of the Rich mond county jail. He met his fate with stolid indifference and died easily. He re- mained up walking about the prison corridor until 5 8. m, when he lay down, but did not sleep. He refused, the ministrations of Cath olic priests, as he had repudiated that faith in which he was born, but he allowed Bap- tist minister access to his cell, the latter re- maining until the culprit was led out. At 9:45 the death warrant was read to him, but Reinhardt manifested no emotion. He was then pinioned and the procession was formed, Reinhardt walking in front with firm step. MT. Brinkerhoff prayed at great length, while the heavy rain poured down and thoroughly wet the black cap on the head of the doomed man. Reinhardt stood the ordeal with great firmness. Several times he raised his head and scanned the crowd, but his lips never moved. After the cap had been drawn down Mir. Brinkerhoff again prayed, while many exclamations of ssThis delay is crueln were heard from per- sons present. The prayer being finally end ed, MT. Brinkerhoff Sheriff Connor, two of the keepers and the hangman shook hands with the culprit, who clasped their hands firmly and audibly murmured under the black cap 'tGood-bye." Immediately the trap was sprung and Reinhardt shot up into the air about four feet. He swayed for 8 few moments as if ifeless then he tried to raise his hands and struggled little. He died apparently very easy. He died of strangulation.
 The crime for which Reinhardt was exe- cuted was a particularly atrocious one. He had married young woman named Annie Degnan, but from the start their domestic life was one of misery. He averred that he had been forced into the marriage. Early in June, 1878, he married in Newark, N. J., young woman named Pauline Ditmar, and with her he removed to New York city. As he could not maintain two homes he decided to rid himself of his first wife. On the night of July 19, 1879, he murdered her in her Staten Island home, using for the purpose mufied ham mer, so that the blows should be inaudibleto the neighbors. Noises, suggestive of a saw and hammer, were heard in his room all night, and next day Mrs. Reinhardt was missed. Reinhardt explained that she had gone away early in the morning to visit an aunt. That day he borrowed wheelbarrow on which he removed his wife's body after placing it in 8 large half-hogshead, the mouth of which was covered with a square carpet. He told fellow tenant that the barrel z contained crockery, which he was taking to his sister. He wheeled the bar row up hill to Silver Lake. At the side of the lake he dug hole, in which he placed the body. Two lads playing by the lakes side some days afterward discovered the new made grave, and dug down with sticks until they reached the body. Mortified, they ran home and told their parents. The sudden and mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Rein hardt was instantly remembered, and there being sufficient evidence to warrant his ar rest, Reinhardt was taken into custody.
 Shortly after the execution the mother, brother, cousin and the brother-in-law of Reinhardt's murdered wife arrived from New ark and expressed satisfaction at the carrying out of the sentence. Reinhardts wife, Pau line Ditmar, did not visit him during his con- finement, but wrote him one letter after the birth of child. This letter he tore up and burned in the stove last night. It is under stood that she upbrsided him in it.