National Republican., 1883-03-16
A STRANGE CAREER.
A Man Who Once Excited Europe Dici
Under mn Assumed Name In ChIcngo.

n Wan VINO Once Excited Europe Dies
Under mn Assumed Name I'm Chicago.
Johannes StauG, n man whose crimes at one
time excited all Europe, died under an as
sumod name in Chicago, a few days ago, after
having had most remarkable career
Some thirty-six years ago staufr was cham
berlain to the Count Won Gorlitz, wealthy
nobleman of Hessc Darmstadt. One day the
Grand Duke, LOWS II, gavo state dinner,
at which Count Won Gorltz was present.
When the count returned TO his home in the
evening, he went to visit tho apartments of
the countess, but found them locked. Think
ing his wife had been out riding, and be-
coming tired had come home and retired
early, he went to his own apartments and was
assisted to retire by Stauif. Half an hour
later the cry of fire " rang through the
corridors of the palace, and it was discovered
that the fire was in the apartments of the
countess The doors were broken open, and
the countess was found sitting in the midst
of the fire and smoke dead. On her dress
there were marks of blood.
Every effort was made to unravel the mys-
terry but for q long time no Glow could be
discovered A valet, Frederick Schiller, and
his wife were confident that no stranger had
entered the palace. About this time the Duke
of Praslin caused great excitement in Parsian
fashionable circles by killing his wife and
then poisoning himself, and sOmo one sug-
gested that the Count Won Gorlitz possibly
might have made away with his wife. The
count was arrested, but he courted the fullest
investigation. Public feeling, however, was
greatly against the count, because il was the
popular opinion that justice would miscarry
in favor of the nobleman, oven if he were
guilty.
Stauh, all this time, still served the count
oh ,h,v1 v1,s.. ef,tss t,,sl
proved, he conceived the scheme, suggested
by the Praslin tragedy, of killing the count,
and of making it appear that he had commit
ted suicide in rcmorse for the murder of his
wife. SO, one day, Stauf empted some poison
into the gravy of one of the dishes for the
counts dinner, but he was detected in tho
act and was put in prison. Then both pop
ular opinion and suspicion changed. Tho
count was honorably discharged from the
courts, and Stauf was placed in the dock in
his stead, Investigations disclosed the fact
that Stauff had committed the murder, and
he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to
imprisonment for life
In prison, in the fortress of Marionschloss,
StauG professed great pioty, and potitioned
again and again for his release, declaring he
was innocent. After awhile, however, he
took new tack and confessed his guilt. He
acknowledged that he killed the countess,
but averTed twas not through prcmeditation.
Ho had loved, he said n young woman who
was also in the service of the family, but he
was too poor to marry her. After waiting
for some time he saw only one way of get
ting rich enough to enter into matrimony-
that was by robbing his mistress. His oppor-
tunity, he said, was the state dinner given by
the grand duke. In the absence of the
master and many of the servants he made
some pretext to enter the countess chamber,
where, in secretaire, she kept her jewclry.
He was in the act of taking some of the val
uables when the lady entered from an adj
joining room. She ran for the bell. He pur-
sued her and struck her down. She struggled
and rose and again made for the bell. Stauf
seized her by the throat and choked her TO
death. He said he did not know what he had
done until the purple hue came in her face. In
falling she cut her head against bureau. He
hastily left the room and met Schiller on the
stairs and further on his wife. But they did
not suspect. Then he returned and locked
the dead body in the room. He went to tho
ducal palace for his master, came home with
him and helped him to retire. Then he re-
paired to the chamber Of death, carried the
body into the room where was the secrctairc,
put il on a chair in such position as to make
1t appear as though tho countess had fallen
asleep with her head on the desk, took the
least valuable of tho jewels, and then set fire
to the chamber which he locked after him.
III loi~, porsons WHO Nlslteu unc prlsOH III
terested themselves in behalf Of the repentant
convict, and he was released ON condition OF
leaving the country and going to America
He was assisted to come to New York, and
upon his arrival found employment in cigar
box making, trade he had learned in prison.
Here he lived, under the name of Muller, for
several years with his wife, who was the same
young girl for whom he had undertaken to
rob, and had subsequently murdered, the
Countess Won Gorlitz, Stauf joined Bohe-
mian lodge of Odd Fellows after ho had lived
here for some time, and new member from
Darmstadt, recognizing him, made his secret
known. The news spread rapidly through the
German quarter, and Stauff had to leave the
city. From there he went to Chicago, where
he lived. successfully concealing his identity
until short time before his death.