The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-04-28
TRACKING A MURDERER.
The siranac Story Told by nm Actor, au
How Ii wns Verified.


How Il was Verified.
The Chicago correspondent OF the
Courier J)urnol could not help but
hear the story that follows, because he
was waiting for Florence, ,.ths actor, to
vacate barber chair, one day. DO
you know" said Florence, confden-
TALLY, to. the barber, " never get into o
barber chair without thinking OF Henry
Jumpertz, and resolving to write a
barber story" Gus had, in the mean
time, provided Mr.. Florence with
plenty OF lather and taffy and secured
passes for two to McVicker's that even
ing, when he continued his chatter
81 think 1t was in 80. l was on
my way west from Detroit and occupied
seat with quiet, intelligent gentle
man, that somehow got INTERCEPTED in
after while. but found it hard work
to draw out. I triei to size him up,
lint oouldn't ,aaho out vhather he was
a decent SOFT Of a preacher, well be-
haved commercial traveller, or some
modest sort OF q newspaper mani
knew he wasn't an actor, or he would
have commenced giving me hummer
wind right. of. The fellow knew 30
much, confound it, couldn't mention
n subject but what he was up in. I
Dever enjoyed q mans com pany SC much
in my life /; but there was no use, he
wouldn't give up anything.
"We got into Chicago early in the
morning, and as we actors all used to
stop at the cid Matteson house I in.
vited my fellow-traveler up there to get
something warm. After we'd had a
drink, as we both needed q shave, we
started for the barber shop. He got
in ahead Of me and got my regular
BARRIERS chair, SO I took paper and
waited. Then took my time and
went to chatting with Henry-that was
his name, Henry Jumpertz- Just as I
always do to the old boys that shave
me at the different places"
"My quiet friend, who had givSn
the name of Brown, courteously waited
fo~ rra urtil 7 woe th~o-ch. ond 7 saps
to him: "Say, Brown, Henry gives a
man mighty good shave, don't he ?
Yes he replied, hes splendid
workman, he keeps sharp razorsl'
"Of course I didn't pay any atten-
tion to such remark as that at the
time. When we got out into the office
MIR. Brown thanked me for the pleas
ure he had had in my company and,
Just as he was about leaving me, said
'Mr. Florence, to be frank with you,
am a detective. I have been looking
for a murderer; have got him. Good
day, Mr.. Florence
~ had some engagements further
west and after 1 had played them
came back, went to the Matteson house,
as usual, started in to get shaved,
lotEoL around for Henry, couldn't find
him, shouted to the boss and asked
him where he was. why, didn't you
know about Jumpertz? Well, we'll,
well Why Jumpertz was arrested for
murder fifteen minutes after he shaved
you the last morning you were in here,
sPa9 a9th th' w. %,GT the he" officer fiji who arrested
him. -as.. .s s-,esa,-.l
"Of course I was perfectly paralyzed,
but found, on inquiry; that Jumpertz
had been arrested for the murder OF
his mistress. He was charged with
numbering her, cutting her in pieces,
packing her in O barrel and shipping
her East. never heard what become
of Jumpertz, but the whole business
kept running in my head ever since,
and never get into barber chair
without I wonder il the man that's
shaving me isn't another murdererp
"Yes." said Florence, retlectively, as
he resigned his seat to your correspond.
ent, Il really am going to write bar.
ber story, and have it published in
Scribncr'S."
OF course all this was very interesting,
but your correspondent thought it
would be good idea to verify it, as
actors are rather inclined to fiction. So
l stepped over to Pinkerton's detective
agency, and ascertained that Florence
The facts are: henry Jirnt}eftx- litex.
with woman named Sophie Werner.
Tiring If her, as it was conclusively
proven, he murdered her here in 1859,
cut her body in pieces and shipped the
remains to Troy, n. Y. This was under
the police administration of SGperin-
tendent @. 7. Bradley. He was arrested
precisely AS stated by Mr.. Florence,
who will undoubtedly be glad to get
tho additional facts in order to
complete his story, tried and convicted
twice, but on the third trial was
acquitted. This case came about
through the friendship Jumpertz had
formed for another murderer then con-
fined in the Cook county Jail, who took
an oath that, were he lcquitted. he
would spend half his fortune-he was
man of wealth in securing Jumpertz's
Gcquittal. Jumperlz's plea was that the
woman committed suicide and that fear
ing that he would he charged with the
murder, he took this means OF disposing
of the remains and averting for time,
at least, suspicion, Mr.. William A.
Pinkerton, from whom l received the
facts in the matter. informed me that
he last saw Jumpertz during the war,
in Yicksburg, in 1862. where he was
then sergeant in aregiment belonging to
the regular army.