Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-03-26
4 MURDER LEAGUE.

The trial 0f tho three men charged with
carving otlt g systematic scheme for the
murder Of servant girls has begun IN Eien-
na. Tickets of admission 10 the court were
at premium for days and the photographs
OF the prisoners were oG view in al the win
doWs. Tie chief Of the accused Hugo
| schenk. is Il good looking man, Of gentle
manly appearance. At the age of twenty
one he was sentenced TO five years impris-
on!ncnt for swin,i!ins, and three years ago
a,ys convicted Of Il similar offence and
condemned to two years. imprisonment.
In prison he made the acquaintance Of his
accOmpicc. Karl SchloSsareck, IL black
smith, who was serving Il term Of eighteen
months for THEFT The two appear 20 have
planned together % series OF fresh crimes,
Schanch, who knew something OF chemistry
promising great results from his knowledge
Of narcotics: The latter left prison before
Schossareck, and while waiting for his
companion presented himself III several
newspaper Offices for the purpose Of calling
attention 10 new narcotic Of his invention
composed chiefly Of cyanide Of mercury.
At this time he was associated with his
brother, Karl Schenk, a married man of
SO, and on SchloSsareck's IS release the three
formed Il sort Of partnership for carrying
out their planE.
Tho system adopted was as follows:
They carefully scanned the advertisements
in the Vienna papers, and entered into cor
respondunce with such OF the advertisers rs
offered Il small capital or Il security OF Il few
hundred forins, inducing them TO come to
Vienna with the money, and then murder
In. aud robbing them. They appear at first
10 have tried the plan with men, but, find
ing this somewhat dangerous, had resort 10
servant girls and such like deienceless per-
sonS The first case brought against them is
thus of ~ mile;,s man, named Opera, who
advertised for situation, and offered 500
llyiias security. They induced him to come
| 10 Vienna on the pretence OF getting him Il
place in Mo.avia They tilen accompanied
| hin. some distance on his way, partly by
| rail an,: finally on foot, carrying with them
| reyoivcrs and u bottle of drugged brandy.
| Passing through IL thick wood at night tEey
attacked podpera firing three shots ut tiiGt
| He was. however, Il strong man and Eigo-
rouslv defended himself, succeeding finally
iu making his escape. Three weeks later
| thcy were more successful with 4 coach
man. called Bauer, whom thcy led away on
! similar prctencc, auu robbed OF l'o l0GlnS,
| leaving him insensihie.
After this they turned their attention 10
servant girls, for whom the, advertised or
whose advertisements they answered, offer
ng them marriage, this plan OF match MAX
inc being very comuon III Vienna: where
s;,cl. advertisements iorm a regular feature
| il :A., icc..i papers. Hugo Schenk generally
| called himself All engineer q: small manu-
| Gactlrcr, and ieing = handsome fellow OF
GOOD address, soon gained ali influence over
| the Door Girls, who left their situations at
his bidding, bringing with them their say
ngs bank books and jewelry, and followed
| him blin,!iy. He then LED the victim away
to some lonely and romantic place, carefully
chosen beforehand, his two companions ac-
companving him rs relatives or friends.
The gi:! was then stupciied with drugs,
murdered, and the body concealed. The
| first victim appears 10 nave been house
maid nancd Josephine Tima!, who was
taken 10 the Geva!terlock, a romantic spot
in Norayla, where her senseless body, bound
aa.i weighted, was thrown into the lake,
| thu three sc0undrcis securing by this 2o6
iiori:ss oI savings and Il golo watch. Cath
! crime 'i'!tnal =. relative of Josephine'S, az
rived IN NiennaN few days after the crime,
| intending 10 ba present at the wedding.
| She was; also inNcig.ed 10 4 remote spot on
the Danube, aud her throat cut-her body
being disposed Of in the same way us the
last. Twelve hundred forms were secured
by this murder.
Another case that has been traced by the police
is that Of Tcresina kctterl, who left her master,
Baron Buschmann. and accompanied Hugo and his
acconpccS To the Syrian Alps, where she was shot,
and her body thrown down a ravine. in this case
they secured nearly two thousand forins, besides
| iewclry The last charge Of murder brought
against them is that OF Rosa frenchly, cook,
whom they killed in the VOLTS Valley, near the
Danube and whose body was thrown into the
river The life of one OF their victims, Josephine
Edcr. a ladies maid, was spared only because they
expected to make uso of her for further theits
She was, however seized by the police and SEN
fenced to seven years Imprisonment for stealing
her mistress jcwclry. She declared that it was
impossible to resist Schenk, and that she was com.
pelicd to DO whatever he told her. The facts OF
these cases are practically not disputed all the
accused admitting their guilt, but pleading ''ex.
trnuating circumstances.