Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-26
ONE MURDERER'S sTRATAGEM
A Remark a BILE Instrument of Death
and ITS Work.
London TeIegraDh.


A new system of garrOting has been in
vented 10 Berlin by a most dangerous erimi-
nal OF the name OF Wilke, who, fortunately,
is safe In the hands Of the police. Recently
two men, cOnscience-stricken, pre- sented
themselves before the authorities, accusing
themselves Of having conspired with a lock-
smith (the man Wilkt) to hire furnished
rooms In different pats Of town for the pur-
pose Of ex-Oring money in the following
manner: One Of them was to go to bed,
pretending TO be i'll, and send for doctor.
As soon as the physician arrived and bent
over the bed an iron collar of special con-
tTivaIce, hid beneath the cOuOteTpane, was
to be applied to his neck until he had signed
a bill of exchange; then he was TO be stran-
gled and thrown into canal which was close
at hand. Wilke had devoted much ingenuity
to the construction of this instrument,
which they described as something like
pair Of tOngs OF pincers fixed on the end Of
a long iron tube, with a winch at the bot
tom, By means Of which the tongs could he
made to close as tight as one liked. The
peculiar virtue of this nefariOus invention
was to consist IN preventing t1e victim from
crying for help by Immediately depriVng
him Of the power OF utterance. Wtlke had
also constructed two steel treps for the
victims feet. The cOnspirators had begun
by hiring q room at 80 EliZ4beth-Ufer,
where the Schiff 4hrts-Kanal has an unusual
width, and would facilitate the disposal OF
dead bodies. That very evening, the ac-
completes declared, had been agreed upon
for committing the first murder, and DIR.
Lshrs, living close by on the KaiseT-Frauz-
lireaedlerpla' z, was selected as the victim
As soon as this confession had been made
policemen we're sent TO the house men
toned, where they were told that a man
who pretended to be employed at the gov
eminent Office for weights and measures
had, few days ago, hired room and paid
a fOrtnigbt's rent in advance, but that he
had not shown himself since; be had, how
ever, sent q trunk into his room the day
before. The Directors 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
/ me trunk, in which they found two man
traps aud all the competent parts of the
/ gaTrOtiug machine. The trunk was care
| fully reclOsed, and the landladY warned not
/ to say a word about the visit. An agree
ment was then come to between the police
| and Wilkes two accOmplices that the lat
/ ter should at first assist their cOmrade in
| carving out his diabOlical plan, and only
! turn round upon him when the victims life
was in danger. Several cOnstables were con
/ cealed in the neighbOring room, and at
/ seven Wilke appeared, entered his bedroom
/ with bis cOnfederates, went to bed, and sent
/ 1Or Dr. LeQrS. lusLedu Ol tue ldbItI5 q pO-
/ liceman came in disguise. and Inquired after
| Wilkes health. The ruffian at once sprang
up snd applied his pincers to the pseudo
/ physicians neck The latter, having man
/ aged to make Wilke understand that be had
/ very little money about him, he was request
/ ed - fl up a cheek. On his refusal Wilke
i turned the winch until the victim began to
| be afraid for his lif and began stamping on
tue ground. This was the signal for the
| n LET the POnSfQhlplE hands
loose, and for the police to enter and seize
the criminal 10 the verv act.
Thus arrested the scOundrel has since con-
| fessed that he intended procuring himself q
| sum Of money, OF which he was in great
need, by garrOting, but denies having had
| 3 intention Of taking his victims life. He
| pretends that he proposed TO abscOnd with
mis- accOmp ices after committing the deed
and cashing the ok, leaving the doctor to
the chance of being released from bis iron
collar in course of time. Wilke turns out
% be twenty eight years old, naive OF
| Kus'ria aud possessing a wife and children
| who live separated from him. de has been
! for TWO wears constructing bis gaTrotiDg in
| sgrument, aud ever since December 3 has
been bent on executing his plan. The IN
strument is described as being cleverlY con-
strucred af er a principle deriFed from q
med 8Val instrument OF torture contained
in the Markische museum DR.. Langerhaus,
member OF the Prusslsn Parliament, was Sc
| leeted to be the second victim and mem
Der Of the R-ichstag as the third.