News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-02-02
A MURDERER'S STRATAGEM
FOILED.
Invention of a New Instrument O
Death by a Berlin IIOcksmith.

Invention of a New Instrument of
Death by Berlin Locksmith.
A Berlin letter says: A new system
of garroting has been invented here by
most dangerous criminal of the name
of Wilke, who, fortunately, is safe in
the hands of the police. On Thursday
last two men, conscience stricken, pre-
sented themselves before the authori-
ties, accusing themselves of having con-
spired with locksmith (the man Wilke)
to hire furnished rooms in different
parts of the town for the purpose of
extorting money in the following man
ner: One of them was to go to bed pre-
tending to be Ill, and send for doctor.
AS soon as the physician arrived and
bent over the bed an iron collar of
special continuance, hid beneath the
counterpart, was to be applied to his
neck until he had signed a bill of ex-
change; then he was to be strangled and
thrown into canal which was close at
hand. Wilke had devoted much inge-
nuity to the construction of this instru-
ment, which they described as some
thing like a pair of tongs or pincers
fixed on the end of long iron tube,
with winch at the bottom, by means
of which the tongs could be made to
close as tight as one liked. The pecu-
liar virtue of this nefarious invention
was to consist in preventing the victim
from crying for help by Immediately
depriving him of the power of utter
ance. Wilke had also constructed two
steel traps for the victims feet. The
conspirators had begun by hiring room
at SO Elisabeth Ufer, where the Schif-
fahrts- KanaI has an unusual width, and
would facilitate the disposal of dead
bodies. That very evening, the accom-
plices declared, had been agreed upon
for committing the first murder, and
DIR. Lehrs, living close by on the Kaiser
Franz Gre@dier-platz, was selected as
the victim.
As soon as this confession had been
made policemen were sent to the house
mentioned, where they were told that
man who pretended to be employed at
the Government Office for Weights and
Measures had, few days ago, hired a
room and paid a fortnight's rent in ad-
vance, but that he had not shown him
self since; he had, however, sent a
trunk into his room the day before.
The directory having been referred to,
and showing that no person of the name
of Wilke was employed at the Office in
question, the constable proceeded to
open the trunk, in which they found
two mantraps and all the component
parts of the garroting machine. The
trunk was carefully reclosed, and the
landlady warned not to say word about
the visit. An agreement was then come
to between the police and Wilkes two
accomplices that the latter should at
first assist their comrade in carrying
out his diabolical plan, and only turn
round upon him when the victims life
was in danger. Several constables were
concealed in a neighboring room, and
at seven Wilke appeared, entered his
bedroom with his confederates, went to
bed and sent for DR.. Lehrs. Instead
of the latter, policeman came in dis
guise, and inquired after Wilkes health.
The ruffian at once sprang up, and ap-
piled his pincers to the pseudo physi-
clans neck. The latter, having man.
aged to make Wilke understand that he
had very little money about him, he
was requested to fill up check. On
his refusal Wilke turned the winch, I'M
til the victim began to be afraid for
his life, and began stamping on the
ground. This was the signal for the
accomplices to let the constable's hands
loose, and for the police to enter and
seize the criminal in the very act.
Thus arrested the scoundrel has since
confessed that he intended procuring
himself a sum of money, of which he
was in great need, by garroting, but de-
MES having had any intention of taking
his victims life. He pretends that he
purposed to abscond with his accom-
plices after committing the deed and
cashing the check, leaving the doctor
to the chance of being released from
his iron collar in course of time. Wilke
turns out to be % years old, g. native of
Kustria, and possessing a wife and chill
dren, who live separated from him. He
has been for two years constructing his
garroting instrument, and ever since
Dec. 3 has been bent on executing his
plan. The instrument is described as
being cleverly constructed after prin-
ciple derived from a medieval instru-
ment of torture contained in the Mark
ische Museum. DR.. Langerhaus, men,
Der of the Prussian Parli ament, was Sc
lected to be the second victim, and
re +hn oo Aba thir5