Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-04-24
More Than Twenty Servant GIRLS Pay
the Penalty Of Their Crimes
with Their Lives.
The yfe4ims Lured to Their Deaths by
Offers Of Marriage-A Terrible
Story Of Crime.


through, the word was given, and
the prisoners were drawn up and
slowly strangled to death. Schenck
was rather good looking and hardly thirty
years of age. He was tall, well-mannered
and spoke fluently several languages. In
| fact, he was the sort of man to win the
hearts of young servant-girls, inexperi-
enced seamstresses, shop girls and such
like, and 1t was among this class of wom-
anhood that this fend in human shape
sought his victims. His mode of opera
tons was as follows: After making the ac.
quaintance of o girl he used first of all to
ascertain what the amount of her savings
was. If the latter was sufficient he began
to make love to her. After having by
| promise of marriage won the heart
and confidence of his victim, he gener-
ally coaxed her into intrusting him with
her money. Then he proposed days
| trip into the country, always contriving
to arrange matters so as to meet his "be-
trothed" at some lonely place where
he was pretty sure not to be seen with
her, and where he killed her and con-
cealed the body. This system Scherlck
practiced with such flendish craftiness that
he remained undetected for more than FIVE
years. A trinket which. he had given to
the last of his intended victims, and which
was recognized as having belonged to a
girl named Theresa Ketterl, who had un-
accountably disappeared about four months
ago, and whose body was ultimately found
in the Danube, led at length to Schenck' s
arrest.
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Schenck some months ago stated that he
was a naturalised American, and had an
uncle in Cincinnati.
The editor of the Belletristrisches Journal
said to New York reporter: 81 do not
believe that Hugo Schenck was ever in
| this country. He said that he came here
in 1865 and had an uncle living in Gin
cinnati, but | do not believe he was tell
| ing the truth. The last that we have
| heard of him is that he is writing poetry
in his prison. Schenck, 1t is said, also
stated that he became an American citizen
while in this country. A thorough search
through the books in the naturalization
Office in this city was made, but his name
| could not be found. AS he is only thirty
years old at present, and as he came to
this country in 1865 and remained until
| 1870, it is.not probable that he could have
| obtained naturalization papers when fif-
teen years of age"
| WHOLESALE MURDERS PLANNED.
Before being delivered up to justice
| Schenck also confessed to the police that
he had planned five murders for the week
ending with January eth last, which were
to provide him with 10000 fiorins. With
| this sum he intended to escape TO America
with Emily Hochsmann, his sweetheart.
| Two of his intended victims are daughters
of respectable families. One is a servant
to the Baroness Malfatti, whose chamber
maid he had induced to steal pearls worth
10000 fiorins, which the imperial
family had presented to DR.. NAL
fatti for attending Napoleon's son,
the Duke of Reichstadt, during
his last illness. The maid, who had
lived in the family twelve years, was SO
trusted that the pearls were not missed
until Schenck's arrest gave clew to the
robbery. She had prepared everything
for Schenck and his accomplice's recep-
ton in the house on the very night he
was arrested. Schenck said to her he
would give all the inmates, herself includ-
ed, dose of morphia; but he has since
confessed that his real intention was to
murder them all.
CONFESSION OF THE BROTHER.
Schenck acted by minutely- prepared
plans, and several times he plotted against
one girl even before he had disposed o.
another who seemed ready to give up all
to him. His brother has confessed to hav
ing helped him to dispose of the body o
the cook, Ketterl, whom they threw into
the Danube. A man answering Schenck
description was seen from railway trail
near Lundenburg, on the Northern rail
way, wrestling with woman whom he
seemed to stab. This affair was not cleared
up, because the police sent from the station
where the train stopped could find no trac'
of murderer or victim. Schenck confesse.
to having murdered woman near Lun
denburg, but refuses to give details. Th
principal witness against Schenck will b
Emily Hochsmann, whom he first enticed
like his other victims, but finding he
poor, yet attractive, spared her life, ant
even spent upon her much of the none,
obtained by his terrible crimes. She oil
fered herself as witness when she heart
who her lover really was. His acquaint
ances were all made by means of advel
tisements in the local papers.
THE FIRST CASE.
The first of the cases in which Schencl
| is suspected dates back to Agust, 1875
and the last is supposed to have occurre
in December last. At that time two girl
informed the police that their sister an
aunt, each having saved over 1000 fiorins
had left Vienna with one Schenck, an en-
gineer, who promised to marry the sister
Josephine Timal, but that neither of tn
women had been heard of since their de
parture in May. 1t was found that thei
books had been presented at the saving
. bank by an official of the Western railway
| named Schenck, who was known to hav
, often called himself the servant OF Hug
. Schenck, who was really his brother. Tn
latter was traced to Linz, but had left hi
lodgings, which were searched and i
(which much property belonging to tn
women who had gone away with him wa
found. On the night of January 10th b
| was traced to Vienna to the house of
friend and arrested in bed. He shove
| excessive terror and had to be helpe
, down stairs. His brother was also a
J / rested.
fl CoLD-BLooDED CRIME.
: One of his victims was Theresa Ketter
Ithirty-seven years of age, from Munich
{ who was employed as cook in the hous
, hold of an official of the Ministry of F
! | nance. He became acquainted with he
j | in July last. In the latter days of Angus
he invited her to an excursion to st. Poe
ten, suberb of Vienna. There they ran
: bled the whole day through the solitar
l woods. She became very tender
Schenck and kissed him repeatedly.
: last she said to him, go, for til
, love of God, dear Hugo, be true
! me! If you will ever desert me
, shall commit suicide. Schenck lauehe'
, "You shall not. You do not even kno
how" 81 will shoot myselfv' "You q
not know how to handle a revolver. Lool
J. that is how it must be DONE" Scheme
I pulled pistol out of his pocket, pointe
the muzzle at his head and pulled tt
: trigger The girl cried in terror. Don
s fear, little goose" Schenck said, laugl
: ingly, 'sit's not loaded. Now you tr
Hark!" he cried, interrupting himsel
"is there not somebody comine
He rose to his feet and went benin
e a bush close by, seemingly watchin
S There he loaded his pistol, and bringing
back to the girl said, in light, jestiI
tone, "There was nobody there after a
Now, my dear girl, try your suicide!" +
: gave her the pistol. She took it, laughin
e and raised the cock. "Now, attention
e cried Schenck. "One, two, three. Fire
+ Theresa pulled the trigger, q shot resoun
It ed through the stiffness of the farest, ar
the girl dropped dead, streak of bloc
running down her temple.
HIS LAST VICTIM.
i The most pitiable of his victims was h
last, Rosa Ferenczy. The natural dang
ter of q Hungarian nobleman, she "
full of fanciful ideas, and when, ct the q
- - +b;,<x, fbiu bou1orYna man offered h