Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-16
A MURDERER FolLED.

A MURDERER F0lLED.
Invention of n New Instrument Of Death By
q Berlin Locksmith. How His Plan
Failed.
A Berlin letter OF recent date says:
A new system Of garroting has been in
vented here by most dangerous crimi-
nal by the name Of Wilke, who, fortu-
nately, is in the hands Of the police.
On Thursday last two men, conscience
stricken, presented themselves before
the authorities, accusing themselves of
having conspired with locksmith (the
man Wiike) to hire furnished rooms in
different parts OF the town for the pur-
pose Of extorting money in the follow
ing manner: One of them was to go to
bed and, pretending to be i'll, send for
physician. As soon as the doctor ar
rived and bent over the bed an iron col
lar of a special contrivance, hid beneath
the counterpane was to be applied to
his neck until he had signed a bill Of
Exchange, then he was to be strangled
and thrown intoa canal which was close
at hand. Wilke had devoted much in
genuity to the construction of this in
strument, which they described as
something like pair Of tongs or PIN
GERS 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 a
room at No. SO Elizabeth Ufer, where
the Schifahrts- -Kanal has an unusual
width, and would facilitate the disposal
Of dead bodies. That very evening, the
accomplices declared, had been agreed
upon for committing the first murder,
and DR.. Lehrs, living close by on Kai-
ser-F Franz Greaedier-P -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 q
man who pretended to be employed at
the government Office for weights and
measures, few days ago hired room
and paid a fortnight's rent in ad-
vance, but that he had not shown him.
self since; he had, however, sent trunk
in to his room the day before. The di-
rectory having been referred to, and
showing that no person by the name of
Wilke was employed in the Office III
question, the constables proceeded to
open the trunk, in which they found
two mantraps and all the compo-
nent 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 neighboriDg room, and
at Z o'clock Wilke appeared, entered
his bedroom with his confederates, went
to bed, and sent for DIR. Lehrs. Instead
OF the latter, policeman came in dis
guise. and inquired after Wilkes health.
The rnffian at once sprang up and ap-
piled his pincers to the pseudo physi-
ician's neck. Phe latter having managed
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 until
the victim began to be afraid Of his
life, and began stamping on the ground.
This was the signal for the accomplices
to let the stable hands loose, and for
the police to enter and seize the crimi
nal 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 the course of time.
Wilke turns out to be % years old, a
native OF Austria, and possessing wife
and children, who live separated from
him. He has been for two years con-
structing his garrotting instrument. and
ever since December Sd has been bent on
executing his plan. The instrument is
described as being cleverly constructed
after a principle derived from me-
diaval instrument Of torture contained
in the Markische museum. DIR. LANCER
haus, member Of the Prussian parliament
was selected to be the second victim,
and member Of the reichstag as the
third.
A Butter TEST.
This test Of butter will be read with
surprise by some. 1t is from the Paris
Journal de Pbnr1,ooie Rnb SOME ~