Connecticut western news., 1882-01-18
A MURDERER'S STRATAGEM .. -..t FOlLED.

A MURDERER'S STRATAGEM
 r. ., FOILED.
 Invention of a New Instrument of
 Death by a Berlin Locksmith. I
 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- scented 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 bs ill, and send for doctor. As soon as the physician arrived and bent over the bed an iron collar of special contrivance, hid beneath the counterpane, was to be applied to his neck until he had signed 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 8 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 59 Elisabeth Ufer, where the Schif- fahrts- -Kanal has an unusual width, and would facilitate the disposal of dead bodies. That very evening, the accom- pices declared, had been agreed upon for committing the first murder, and Dr. Lehrs, living close by on the Kaiser Franz-Gressdier-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 8 man who pretended to be employed at the Government Office for Weights and Measures had, 8 few days ago, hired 8 room and paid 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 al first assist their comrade in carrying out his diabolical plan, and only turr
 round upon him when the victims life
 was in danger. Several constables were
 concealed in neighboring room, ant
 at seven Wilke appeared, entered hil
 bedroom with his confederates, went tt
 bed and sent for Dr. Lehrs. Instead
 of the latter, 8 policeman came in dis
 guise, and inquired after Wilkes health
 The rufian 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 h.
 had very little money about him, h.
 was requested to fill up check. Ol
 his refusal Wlke turned the winch, un til the victim began to be afraid fo his life, and began stamping on tn
 ground. This was the signal for tn accomplices to let the constable's hand loose, and for the police to enter an seize the criminal in the very act.
 Thus arrested the scoundrel has sine , confessed that he intended procurin , himself sum of money, of which b F was in great need, by garroting, but d. nies having had any intention of takin 3 his victims life. He pretends that h
 purposed to abscond with his accon plioes after committing the deed an 3 cashing the check, leaving the doctt f to the chance of being released fro
 his iron collar in course of time. Will
 turns out to be 28 years old, native
 Austria, and possessing a wife and chi s dren, who live separated from him. F t has been for two years constructing h ! garroting instrument, and ever sim s Dec. has been bent on executing h l. plan. The instrument is described l being cleverly constructed after pri D ciple derived from a medieval instr @ ment of torture contained in the Mar '. ische Museum. pr. Langerhaus, mel 1T Der of the Prussian Parliament, was S O lected to be the second victim, and Ie member of the Reicnstag as the thir l, His Reward.