Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-29
ANSCHLAG TALKS,
He Tells What Prompted the
Awful Deed.
AN IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE.
The Murderer Holds Long and
Interesting Conversation With
a Fellow Countryman.

There is one person in Los Angeles
that takes very little interest in the
question of who is to be the next Presi-
dent or for that matter in any of the
events which may take place after the
9Th of next month. That person is the
condemned murderer Anschlag who is to
receive, two weeks from next Friday,
the punishment which the law has de-
creed for his terrible crime. He has
made it practice for some time to refuse
to speak to visitors evidently appre ciating
that they are merely actuated by curios-
ity in their desire to see him.
A representative of the HERALD visited
the Jail yesterday in company with a
gentleman whose birthplace in Prussia
is but few miles distant from Kmnigs.
burg, the former home OF Anschlag. II
was believed that the murderer meeting
with one whose former associations were
the same as his own might feel stirred to
| talk, and the expectation was not disap.
pointed. Anschlag's knowledge of Eng
lish is limited to the words in commonest
| use, with which he is not able to express
himself satisfactorily. In the German
language he is voluble and easy
talker, and shows that he possesses a
| mind rather above the average, as well
as considerable degree of culture.
After introducing himself and explain
ing his acquaintance with the locality OF
Anschlag's home, the visitor asked him
how he was treated in the Jail.
81 have no objection to make" said
| Anschlag. "Mr. Russell and all the
others are very kind 10 me, and seem to
try to make everything as pleasant as
possible for me. l am very tired of
being kept in confinement so long, but
my health is all right. 1 suppose it will
last me through" he continued, with a
ghastly smile.
fI wish you would tell me, Apschlag, 4"
said the visitor, chow you came to leave
GERMANY"
1t was to avoid serving in the army"
answered the prisoner. "When was of
the proper age they examined me for SER
vice, but was of too small stature and
they let me of for another term. On
the second examination my lungs We're
found to be very weak, and was Judged
not strong enough. When the third time
came around my brother thought best to
get me off, so he secured pass for me to
England and little while later l sailed
from there to America. have had bad
luck all the time since l came to this
country" he added, meditatively, "but
this is the worst scrape of all"
81 should like to have you tell me,
Anschlag." said the visitor, chow you
came to do this thing that has gotten you
into such a fix"
81 have told just how 1 did it several
times" said he. His manner of speak
ing, which up to that time had been cool
and easy, became suddenly nervous and
confused.
81 know you have told how you did it,
but l want to ask you honestly why you
did it. Did you think you could get that
farm? You must have known that the
killing of the Hitchcocks would be dis
covered and you would be punished"
eyes" said the murderer, "Iknew that
we'll enough and | did not kill them for
the farm. cannot tell why 1 killed
them and l have regretted it every
minute since. Once in while there gets
to be something the matter with me.
cannot tell you what it is but feel as
though l wanted to tear up everything
that | can get my hands on and kill
every living being. When feel one of
these fits coming on it is all I can do to
control myself. Drinking makes it worse
and on this occasion l drank good
DEAL" Anschlag shifted about uneasiIy
| in his chair, opening and closing his hands
and rubbing their palms together. His
eyes rested first on one thing and then
another, and he breathed fast like man
undergoing mental strain. "The more l
drank the fiercer l got, and although l
was not drunk at any time am sure l
could have controlled myself if had
kept my head perfectly clear"
"Do you mean that you think that you
are insane?" asked the visitor.
II do not think that l am insane now,
but know that 1 could not keep from
killing those people, although l did my
best not to do it. The more l thought
about it the harder it got to
| keep away from them. 1t was
in my mind all the time, and 1 could
not get rid of the idea. AT last did it,
and hardly know how nor why"
els there any insanity hereditary in
your family?" the murderer was asked.
J II have one first cousin now in mad
}house in Germany and another who is
! afflicted with melanchol;a. This last is
full-grown woman, yet she is little more
than an idiot. sitting silent and sad all
day long"
''Did your lawyers know all this?"
81 had very little money to give to the
lawyers" said Anschlag. "They might
have done good deal more for me il
l had"
"You said, Anschlag, when you were
sentenced that there were others in this
thing with you? Can you tell me any
thing about that? ?"
"There is something in that" he an.
swered, and I will finally explain what ]
meant"
The condemned man expressed great
gratitude for the German papers which
were brought him and hoped that his
visitor would call frequently. 1t will be
noticed that his own explanation of the
causes which led to the perpetration O
the deed does not accord with his state
ment that others were concerned in the
affair.