Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-04-08
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES

CRIMES AND CASUALTIES
Tragical Ending of "a Break for Libert.
by Convicts of the Michigan p enitentia
ry-TwO of the Alleged Missouri Lane
Swindlers Discharged for Want of Evi
dence-An Ohio Murder Mystery Solved
by Confession of the CuIprit-M MiscelIa
neous.
BLACKMALER SHOT.
New YORK, April An extraordinary
scheme of blaekmail, concocted and planned
with remarkable persistency, the victims o.
which were Louis Strasberger & Co.
importers OF watches and jewelry, Il
Maiden Lane, came to a tragic end to-day
The blackmailer or one of them, was shot
dead by policeman in an attempt TO arrest
him, at the moment mis- plot appeared to be
crowned with success. The accomplice of the
! fellow, who is known, escaped. How many
there are, it, indeed, two were not alone in
their enterprise, the police were making every
attempt to discover tonight.
Strasberger resides with his wife and four
children at 12 East Sixth street. The black
mailer's efforts were always directed against
the families and addressed to the ladies, upon
whose fears they were expected to work.
| Operations began as far back as Christmas,
and as they progressed the police were called in.
On Wednesday night Miss Spetten, COVER
ness, was alone in Strasburger's house, when
a man who kept his face from the light pre-
sented letter which was addressed to Mrs.
Strasburger He was told the latter lady was
out, and when asked to leave the letter he
snatched it and ran away. This was reported
| to the police, and detectives set to watch the
house from early morning for the return of
the stranger. This was to-day. The man did
not return, but III his stead n boy
presented the letter at noon and ran away af-
ter delivering it. The commands of the letter
were obeyed and the governess went out, pro-
tected by detective. On the southeast corner
Of Madison avenue she saw a man standing
looking toward Strasburger's house. Another
man walked past exchanging signals
of recognition with him. AS the
latter reached Fifth avenue pistol shot was
| fired, and the second man walked toward
Sixty first street. The governess crossing drop
ped an envelope and the man stopped to pick
it up. AS he did so the detective grabbed him.
The stranger sprang back and putting his hand
to his hip pocket, shouted, 81 will blow your
brains out" The detective drew his revolver
and his prisoners hand struck against it and
it went off, and the bullet crashed through the
mans left eye. He fell dead. A crowd gath
cred and the body was taken to
the station. Upon it were found
letters in the same handwriting
as in the blackmailing letters showing the
dead mans name to be Edward Hermann
Johannes Lagert, son of a merchant In Berlin,
Prussia. He wrote to his mother and said he
was poor and most destitute and was coming
home.
Albert f. Vogel, a picture dealer, has been
arrested as the leader in the plot and it is
| alleged their game was to secure some i'm.
portant papers held by Strasberger relative to
the Russian government. Astounding develop
ments are promised.
ATTEMPTED JAIL BREAKING.
DETROIT, April -Four convicts made a
desperate attempt to escape from the State
prison at jackson at o'clock this afternoon.
They were employed in the agricultural i'm
plements contract of the Wilmington Cooley
company, the four being in a
room near the north wall with a
keeper. Suddenly one of them, desperate
character named Lynch, sprung on him,
knocked him down, but was prevented from
killing him by one of the other convicts, who
said he would watch him while preparations
were perfected for escape, and If he endeavored
to get up or raise the alarm he would kill him
with pair of tongs which he held in his
hands. While he was watching him the other
convicts tied three ladders and then all rushed
out through the back door for the wall against
which they had placed the ladder. Lynch was
|
top of the wall and was East going
over when the alarm was raised
and the guards and others were quickly on
hand. One of the wall guards shot Lynch
three times, when he fell dead. The other con-
victs made slight resistance, but were soon
overpowered. The arm of one of tbs keepers
was quite severely injured in the melee. Two
or three convicts who assisted the authorities
also received slight injuries.
THE MURDERER DISCOVERED.
CINCINNATI, April 7.-Several days ago the
dead body of John Barenberg, wealthy
butcher and farmer near Greenfield, O., was
found tramped beneath the feet of his horse
in the stable. Yesterday David Ross was ar
rested on suspicion and last night he con-
fessed that he had committed the murder and
had robbed the house of about 800. He
had formerly kept horses for Barenberg and
claimed that S75 was due him and withheld
by Barenberg, and that he had gone there for
4 settlement, when Barenberg made move
ment to assault him. He then struck de-
ceased on the head with small club, and he
! fell. Ross has a bad record.
| SERIOUS MINE FIRE.
DENVER, April THE Republicans Lead
vile special says: fire in the Fryerhill mines,
which has never been completely extinguished,
but which has been smouldering for weeks,
broke out anew yesterday between the Little
Pittsburgh and Carboniferous, and is raging
furiously, necessitating the stopping of all
| work in the immediate vicinity and throwing
over 100 men out of employment. Prepara-
| tions are being made to push steam into the
drifts and smother the flames.
| DISCHARGED.
ST. LOUIS, April Linn and John D. Cor
win, charged with conspiring to defraud the
government in Missouri lands, and arrested
simultaneously with other parties in St. Louis
and Pittsburgh, were called for hearing to-day
before United States Commissioner Bushnell
| White, and dismissed for want of evidence.
SHOT BY \ DETECTIVE.
New YORK, April 7.-Detective Campbell
shot and instantly killed man this morning,
who resisted arrest and attempted to shoot
the officers.
| FATAL FALL.
DETROIT, April "a machinist named VIM.
H. Sproul, fell from the fourth floor, Linn's
grocery store, this city, this forenoon and was
instantly killed. He was repairing the pulley
at the top of the elevator. Sproul was skill
full and experienced mechanic. He leaves a
wife and four children.
Americans in Great Britain.
| NASHVILLE, Tenn, April THE legislature
adopted the following resolution to-day:
Resolved, That the rights Of our citizens in
| Great Britain who sympathlze with strupplipp