River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-08-06
AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS.

The Mystery of Murder in Michigan
Cleared Up-Leading Citizens Are linz
plicated and Warrants for Their Arrest
Issued.
PETosKEY, Mich, Aug. 3.-The pros
ecuting attorney of Pressure Isle county
has issued warrants for the arrest of
the following men for the murder of
| Albert Moliter and Ed sullivan, of
Rogers City, sixteen years ago: Her
man Hoeft, Andrew +. Banks, John
Rauder, Redmond Bruder, Frederick
Bruder, August Groseman, Carl Noge-
( Ter, Gottlieb Menda. Charles Weissen-
CERT, August Sorgenfry, August Fur
man. Fred John Henry Jacobs and the
confessor, William Repke. Two are
dead There is great excitement
in Rogers City over the arrests, as the
men are all prominent and some hold
! public offices. Herman Hoeft, one of
the oldest and wealthiest citizens and
for several terms the county treasurer,
was 1t is claimed, one of the ringlead-
ers in the conspiracy to murder Moliter
and Lark. but Lark was not convent
emily around on the evening fixed for
the shooting, and the young clerk, Ed
Sullivan, fell victim instead.
The confessor, Repke, states neither
Hoeft nor Banks were with the
gang in the evening of the
shooting; that Banks remained at home
and Hoeft alleged he was obliged to
leave on business and took the boat
during the afternoon, but he had
promised if the killing was successful
the men were to receive the reward
agreed upon, and that it had been de-
posted at some place known To them.
A German woman by the name of
kraus, who is now living near Bank
house, having seen frequent gather
ings there became inquisitive, and
on one occasion crept into an addi-
ton adjoining the house and overheard
the whole conspiracy. She has men
toned this, but fearing bodily harm
might come to her if She divulged too
much, never gave any names, but her
story is how confirmed by Repxe.
She removed To Detroit last fall.
where she and her daughter now re-
side. August GrOseman, of Bis
marek township, for many years the
supervisor and holding the posi-
ton now, and Henry Jacobs, of Belk-
nap and eX-superyisor were also of the
leaders, and Repke says the latter is
one of the two who fired the fatal
shots according to a preconcerted ar
I rangement by lot. John Bruder.
Ferdinand Brudcr and Frederick
Bruder were also of the crowd, and at
least two of them now live in Wayne
county
The confession of ReplSe brings with
it the stories of Molitors life. 1t APP
pears that he vas a natural son of old
King William, OF Wurtemburg, and came
to this country when quite young be-
ing banished for trying to steal plan
of the Notifications at Uhlan. After
coming here he enlisted in the army
and soon rose to a place on Gen.
Siegers staff. After the war he
went to Detroit, married and
formed partnership with a man
named Rogers. They came to
this county and built a mill, i'm
porting Germans and Poles to work
it. The burning of the mill caused
Rogers to draw out. He left Molitor
without money. by his influence with
the Germans MOlitOr got himself
elected treasurer of the county, and it
is said that by manipulating the money
and juggling with the funds rebuilt the
mill and acquired a great deal of
money. He refused to make any ac-
counting and ruled the people with a
rod of iron, bringing upon himself, SO
many people say, the fate he met. a
queer part of the case and the con
fession is the remarkable series of hard
blows which have followed Repke.
Two years ago his house harmed, and
since that time has experienced many
misfortunes His horses died in the
fields, two of his children were
drowned, his wife was the only one
that died of the grip in Pressure Isle,
and two of his tenement houses
burned. II was this hard luck and the
fact that he could not sleep nights for
thinking of the crime that led to the
confession.