Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-04-23
Many Murders.

ScheDk, his brother Carl and Schlossarek
for long time pursued the calling Of mur.
der as a regular trade and for the past three
years lived luxuriously on the profits Of
blood. The schenks, Silesiars by birth, are
the sons Of Judge, who caused them to be
we'll educated. How they first took to the
occupation of murder is not known, but
the authorities have discovered that they
associated themselves with Schlossarek, a
confirmed criminal, and with several other
bad characters. 1t Is not uncommon
in Vienna for servants who have
saved money to advertise for husbands
in the local papers, and Hugo Schenk-
a married man, living apart from his
wife-used to answer such advertisements,
sometimes under pretence OF being sn en-
ginee- in receipt of q good salary and oc.
casionally as a wealthy aristocrat with con-
tempt for class preiudices. He woald
meet the girls by appointment, aud after
paying court to them for few days or
weeks, induce the silly, trusting creatures
to draw their money out OF the bank, and,
so provided, accompany him on journey
TO get married. Hugo Schenk would gei
out at some romentic spot, where he had
arranged that his accomplices should be
in readiness, and together they would
strapgle or shoot the girl, secure her prop
erty, conceal her body and return quickly
to town, as II nothing had happened, to
plan fresh murders and to carry out their
regular business of killing.
A Dastardly Csime.
4 man somewhat of Hugo's stamp was
observed at one time from passing rail
way tram struggling with woman not far
from Luudenburg, on the Northern Rail-
way of Austria. The passengers were slre
they Saw the man in the act OF raising his
arm to stab the woman with dagger which
be held in his hand, but when the police
arrived at the spot indicated, both were
gone, leaving not d trace behind. Schenk
sfterward admitted that he Gid murder q
women in that neighborhood. There is
little doubt that he killed a great many
women besides those whose disappearance,
some twenty, has been reported to the
police, Two are accounted for in May,
done 10 death after four weeks courtship;
al at the time the house OF Schenk had
no fewer than fifty others on their books,
with all of whom Hugo correspoa aded
in love-like terms, while the intimacy,
which was to lead to their graves, ripened.
Had these Austrian thugs continued. TO
conduct their frightful and abomina6le
trade with ordinary prudence they might
killed a servant girl, had the sudacity to
take her bank book To the postotiice, with
the object OF drawing the deposit standing
to her credit. The woman had been miss
ed. Suspicion was naturally aroused at
the postoffice and the three principal mem
bers of the firm were consequently arrest
ed. The Schenk brothers and Schlosssrek
were placed on trial on the 18th Of last
month and convicted and sentenced TO
death. The sentence OF Carl Scbenk, who
seems to have been but tool in the hands
of the two arch tends, will probably bt
commuted TO imprisonment for life: On
the trial, the three murderers pleaded "e1'
tenuRtIng circumstances
An Austrian Execution.
The method OF executing murders in
Austria is somewhat peculiar. Sixty per
sons are allowed to witness the execution,
which takes place in a small courtyard in
side the prison. A post about eight feet
high is erected in the centre o. the YARD
Al the top of the post is n small hook and
at the bottom q pulley. The condemned
man is brought out steven O'Clock in the
morning precisely end placed with his
beck against one OF the posts. He Is not
b,indfolded. In front OF him the troops
End spectators form an irreg ular semi-cir.
Gle. Nnlle In the CculTt JuubVo W
the last Court Of Appeal, in ordinsry morn
ing dress. After some little time is occu
pied by the residing of the sentence,
signal is given by tho Public Prose
cutor for the execution to pro
coed. Two steps are placed at The ne
is hidden to mount, his hands being then
p,nioned to h.s left thigh. The chief exc
Gutioner then mounts ladder, and, taking
out of his pocket a rope with loop a.
boib ends, passrs il around the cu!prits
neck, and securing knot under the left
ea-, tightens it, Meanwhile one OF his as
sistanIs ties his feet together with another
roEe. ard, passing " through the pulley
keens the utaer end 10 his hand. The
chief ex.cu;iorcr then gives the siRna',
spd. with the aid Of smother assistant, the
condemned IS lifted by the rope attached
70 his neck shOnt six inches end hsnge1 on
the hook at the top OF the post. The at
tepdsnt bolding the rope attached TO his
legs simultaneously pull with for2e, while
his chief pieces his hands on the criminal
mouth and eyes. Schenk and Schlosssrek
,,at .beir doom in this manner.