The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-04-19
|OHAACKER'S CRIME.
Letters Tell the Story Of.
Guilty Love and
Flight.
A WOMAN's DVUBEE TaEAeRERY.
She Would Have Deserted the Man
for Whom She Had Left
Her Husband.
VICTIMS OF THE ELDER TRAGEDY


Side by side on marble slab in Pars-
lows Morgue in Hoboken there lay last
night the bodies Of the victims of the
awful double tragedy which was enacted
on the steamship Elder as she was about
10 leave her wharf in Hoboken yesterday
afternoon. Knots of curious people
gathered In front of the entrance to the
morgue, and attempted to peer in. No
one was allowed to enter, however,
except the police and members of the
press.
The bodies Hooked CHASTITY in the dim
light. The story Of the tragedy told in
The JERSEY City NEWS last night, though
SO quickly prepared, was substantially
accurate, indeed 1t contained every fact
obtainahle at that time
1t now appears from letters found in
the possession of the dead Philip
Ohnacker that he was an officer in the
German army. He was stationed at
Maenz when he met Mrs. Barth.
She WAS married, and had TWO children.
From the time they met it was a case of
love at first sight, and although the
friends and relations Of Ohnacker at
tempted TO separate the couple, they were
unsuccessful.
THE GUILTY FLIGHT.
Finally about twelve o'clock one night
about three weeks ago according to the
letters found in the dead mans pockets,
Mrs Barth deserted her husband and
children and fed to Bremen with her
lover,
There they embarked on a steamship
and arrived in Hoboken. The cou-
pie remained In Hoboken for few
days. Then they both secured employ
nlent on farm which Ohnecker
states In his letters is five hours ride from
New YORK While at this place Ohnacker
received a letter from mis- brother In Ger
many. The letter is in German and was
found In the dead mans pockets. Trans
lated, reads as follows:--
GndPsHEIM, March 81, 1891
DEAR BR0THER-I received your letter
on the 21st of March and | saw by the
look in your eyes that you felt sorry when
left You surely thought that I saw
You for the last time, but 1t grieves me
more that could not see you again.
knew that you had been wild but
did not think that you would leave und er
such circumstances. You were too weak.
/ always thought you would better your
self but could not influence you
II you had remained in Gimpsheim you
would have been better of, but you were
always In trouble. and made II unpleas-
ant for me aud my family. Dear brother,
don't forget me. We will always like TO
hear from you. Don't forget me.
IL l often told you things you did not
like you must acknowledge that was
right -Four days after YOU left thre came
that poor man With his two children to
show them TO me. They are two nice
children. A mother who could leave
such children must have q heart of iron.
could not help him, and we had to cry.
Dear brother, you have written that God
would forgive you. but don't believe 1t,
because you do not believe that you
should make reparation. Our good God
cannot forgive 1t. If You are not pun
ished In this world you will be punished
in the next. | must send you your cloth
ing, although you had plenty of time to
get them when You idled around in
Maens.
1t is good thing that mother Is dead,
she thought SO mush Of you. She always
said to us that You would do we'll yet
Now everything is over. We were asked
only cnce by the police about you, and
then we were not bothered any more.
Barth does not want TO hear Of his wife
any more
Ii anything like that happened to me /
could not have stood 1t so long. You have
written that / should give my counsel
power OF attorney, but be refuses to have
ANYTHING to do with it.
He is glad that he and Elite have re-
ceived their money. Write to me about
how you are getting along. l keep every
thing to myself. and when anybody asks
me about you don't know anything. 1t
is now time for planting. We are all well,
and hope YOU are the same. RUDOLPH.
P. ST. am too busy 20 get your things
from Malenz. but when / have time /
will get them and send them on.
This letter must have had depressing
effect on Ohnacker.
DETERMINED TO DIE.
* That he determined to commit suicide
is evident from the reply which he wrote
to his brothers letter This letter was
found sealed and addressed in the dead
m ans pockets. 1t is also in German, and
reads ae follows
DEAR BRoTHER-I have received your
letter this evening and answer 1mmedi-
ately. You would like to know how we
travelled. We left Saturday noon ana
went to Gernsheim, from there ny ran 10
Frankfort; then TO Cassel, and from there
at twelve o'clock at night we stole away.
Dear brother, did not want 10 go
away. You can believe me, Dut tne
woman said to me, either you go along OF
something will happen and was slupld
enough TO do wrong. | have done SO faT
only what Mrs Barth told me to do and
it will be my death.
In two or three weeks / will be buried
In America like q wild animal ana MIS-.
Barth will be glad and joyful at nome;
cannot say anything yet because VIII
10 "a tHtt0 ithS - ASt8s ohSA -
quiet and cry over my sorrowful lot. :,
On the Goth of April my time VIII pc
up, and on the 2sth l will be dead. She
often scoided me because did not want
80 20 away. I had no more OF my saw
ings when left you, but she told me to
go to you and get money NOW every
thing is over, and have only what 4
earn, and few rags 70 clothe me When
wanted my clothing mended had 10
ask her three or four times, and then she
would not it.
Last week had to sew some buttons on,
myself, and then she scolded again.
VAIN REGRETS.
Dear brother, you do not need to Tor
give me. will die like wild animal
shot down in the wilderness. No one
viii know my grave That which prom
lsed You in the depot in Maenz IS coming
true now. feel sorry that l must
cause you so much grief. am employed
by q German farmer, receive s14 monthly,
good food, coffee in the morning, fresh
eggs, mear ~ noon, assmuch as want to
eat and meat or sausage in the evening
again. We also have Wine TO drink, more
than YOU get on a farm ia Germany, but
ouly In the summer. The people here are
just the snfnc rs they are in Germany,
good and bnd, rich and poor, but / can
tell You that prudent man can save
1nnney here A good workman can save
All