The Republican journal., 1881-04-14

rERATE PLoT TO DRAIN A RI"a MANS rCRSE
NlHILIsM IN NEW YORK.
The telegraph mentioned Il backmailing case in
New York ID which o1e of the principals shot
dead last week hy detective We gather the
man facts IN this remarkable affair:
The person upon whom the attempt at black
mailing made is Mr. Louis Strasburger, OF No
l;S East Sixty first street member of the firm of
Louis Strasburger d GO importers OF watches and
diamonds, No - Maiden lane Mr. Strasturger
IS well known in the trade. and does business of
from S2,000O00 to - coo 000 per annum. He is
rich. and his family consists of a wife his daugh-
Ter Rosa. aged II years, and three sons, two OF
whom are III Europe He, his wife and daughter
beard with Mrs Noah in East Sixty first street
Mr. Strasburger had been absent from America
three years-when on the 2jth OF October last he
returned to New 0rk with his wife and daughter
on the Baltic. They were accompanied by Miss
Eliza Spelten. ROsas goveTness, who is a native of
Nesphalia ON board the Baltic. as steerage or
second cabin passengers. were several Russian and
German refugees who were not vel liked by per
sons who saw and talked with them, On the 9th
of December Mr.. Strasburger was surprised when
his wife handed him strip of dirty brown paper
about two inches wide and four inches long on
which, with typewriter. was printed in execra
bic German the following letter:
"You will doubtless learn that yourmcn have been
sentenced to pay 100000. We apply for the last
time to You, and if you do not wish to soon have
dead body in the house You had better pay If YOU
wish to stop bloody work take at exactly l.30
o'clock, seventh avenue ride To the corner OF
Broadway and Barclay street, have the money
ready, and between $50 and O'Clock. Go alone
from Broadway to Barclay street three times.
Have IN envelope in your hand.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
The address Of the letter. type printed was to
Mrs Srasburger, No. l2S East Sixty first street "
Mr.. Strasburger took no notice of this letter. At
times he thought that il practical Joke
But about the 27th of March an attempt was
made to abduct their little gill from Sunday
School at the Jewish synagogue which they at
tended. This failed and had the effect to warn
Mr., Strasburger that desperate conspiracy was
Oh foot against hin. Detectives were accordingly
employed Letters continued to be received BY
the family Of a threatening character. On Thurs
day last circumstances occurred which resulted in
the shooting of one Of the Williams engaged in the
conspiracy, whose name was Sagert. The follow
ing facts are found in the New York papers:
Mr.. Strasburger was very anxious on Wednes-
day night, but had presentiment that the conspi
rators would fall INTO the hands of the police Dur
ing the evening man called at No l2S East Six
ty first street and asked for Mrs Srasburger
Miss Spelten went to the door. and the man be-
lieving that she was Mrs Strasburger handed her
a note, but Immediately after, probably on
pecting that he had made mistake, snatched it
from her and ian away. Miss Spelten did not see
his features and can only give poor description
Of his general appearance. Ward Officer Campbell
was at the house at O'Clock yesterday morning
He was instructed to be very careful, as blunder
might allow the most important of the conspirators
to escape. At about noon a messenger brought
the ninth letter of the ''cOmmittees' correspond
ence. 1t called for the $1,000, and directed that
the governess carrying it conSEicuously in an en-
velCpe, leave the house She was to walk until
she heard pistol shot, and then drop the en-
velOpe, turn and go home without looking to the
right or left Campbell could not leave the house
without fear Of detection by the conspirators He
Mr. and Mrs Strasburger, and the governess decid
ed to lay plan to entrap them. An envelope was
made up and Miss Spelten proposed to 90 out
Campbell sealed the fence in the of Mr.. Noahs
house. getting into the yard of No. ll9 East Six
tieth street, the residence Of Mr. Leopold Kaufman.
Mr.. kautmans little son bravely encountered the
officer. thinning that he was thief but Campbell
showed his shield and gave the signal agreed upon
for Miss Spelten to start. Then he darted out of
the front basement door of Mr. KautlnaDs house
INTO East SlXtleth street, west. waited at the
corner of fourth avenue, saw Miss Spelten pass in
Sixty first street. and then he to the northwest
corner Of Madison avenue and Sixtieth street, got
behind paling which surrounds vacant lot
bounded by Madison and Fifth avenues and Six
tleth and Sixty first streets. From there he saw
Sager on the south east Of sixty first street
and Madison avenue. He was watching in the di-
rectIon of Fourth avenue Soon man, who was
afterward arrested and who said that his name
was NOgel, appeared. He walked on the north
side of Sixty first street toward Fifth avenue and
Oh seeing Sagert waved him back. indicating that
the goyernesS was coming. Sagert retreated
along the east side of Madison avenue toward Six.
tieth street, and Voge went on toward Fifth ave
nue., stopped in the middle OF the block crossed to
the south side Of the street. and motioned to Sa-
CERT to go back to Sixty first street Sagert walk
ed toward the south east of Sixty first street
and Madison avenue, Campbell following close
TO the palings on the west side of the avenue
Sagert crossed from the south east to the north
east corner and walked few feet east Campbell
had crossed 10 the north west corner when Miss
Spelten arrived at the south east corner then No-
gel was near Fifth avenue, and he discharged the
pistol. Miss Spelten obeyed the signal, dropped
the envelope, and discreetly turned and walked as
straight as drum majo toward Fourth avenue.
Sagert Immediately crossed the street diagonally,
eyeing the envelope intently, so that be did not
see Campbell, who was crossing the avenue toward
him. Sagert was about to stoop to pick up the
envelope when he turned and saw Campbell com
ing swiftly toward him. Campbell says that Sa-
gert vomted foul oath and threatened to blow
his brains out at the same time thrusting his hand
to where pistol pockets usually are. Campbell,
with his left hand caught Sagert by the coat near
the junction of the arm and shoulder say ing,
Don't you shoot me" Sagert struggled and Camp.
bell with his right hand drew his revolver and
held 1t in Sagert's face. Campbell says that the
revolver was poor one and would go off under
small provocation Recently it fell in the street
and was discharged. He says that as he held it in
Sagerts face he did not know whether it was
cooked or not Sagert made blow at the revol-
yer with his left hand, and struck it on Campbell's
hand the revolver was discharged and the bullet
entered Sagerts left eye. He sank to the pave
ment Campbell holding him by the collar, and
died in two minutes. His body was taken to the
East Fifty ninth street station house. He had no
revolver in his possession. Coroner Brady, after
an investigation, discharged Campbell on his own
recogniZance.
In Sagert's pockets were found papers indicating
that he had a sweetheart in Havana, who expected
him to return rich on the Goth inst. and memo
randa which betrayed the address of himself, Vo-
gel, and another of his confederates Vogel was ar
rested in Stanton street at P. NJ and was fully
identified by Campbell as the man who fired the
pistol off. Vogel admitted that be was Sagert's
accomplice.
Albert Felix Vogel was arrested. He said he
was y years DID, native of Germany, and clerk
by occupation. He was a passenger with Mr..
Strasburger on the Baltic. In the East Fifty ninth
street station house he made confession which
the police could not make public, as it contains
clues to the whereabouts of third man who will
be arrested