Morning journal and courier., 1891-06-18

however, anu aSKeu CudU tuo W1uuOWo 10
opened again as it was too hot II don't
want to burn up while I live. l know
what they are doing: They are fixing
said. His request was complied with,
and when he heard the noise Of the
dropping bag few minutes later, it did
not seem to disturb him. He spent the
day as usual in reading, playing cards and
talking with his guards. He ate three
hearty meals, for dinner consuming large
plate of roast lamb together with gener-
Gus amount of vegetables, pudding, cake,
Strawberries and beer. AS usual he smoked
a large quantity of cigars, with which he
has been kept literally supplied by Sheriff
Clarkson, Albert Winter and others.
He retired at a seasonable hour last
night and considering the heat slept we'll.
He awoke seemingly much refreshed this
morning and ate hearty breakfast Of
boiled ham, eggs, potatoes, bread and but
ter, rad1shes and coffee. He conversed
pleasantly with his guards with no refer
ence to tomorrow.
The windows of the cell rooms fronting
upon the scene of the execution will be
covered with canvas SO that the prisoners
may not be able to witness it. They are
very much excited and many of them ex-
press deep sympathy for the unfortunate
man. Others treat the matter heartlessly,
as though it were a matter of no conse-
quence. The officials at the Jail are much
disturbed, too, dreading the enactment of
their painful duty. Although Scheele has
at times been surly and unappreciative of
kindnesses extended to him, he has in the
main caused them very little trouble or in
convenience.
The rope which will be used is one-inch
MANILA and eighteen feet in length. It
has been worked to make it pliable.
limited. The sheriffs of the various coun-
Der of physicians, several city officials and
the newspaper men connected with local
papers, and also those of neighboring
cities and towns, will be among the wit
nesses of the execution
Scheele's body will be buried in the
Park cemetery His German friends have
raised money enough to defray the ex-
penses of the burial, and have employed
Undertaken Augustus Lieberum to take
charge of the funeral arrangements. Rev.
Mr. Warner will hold services at the grave.
In accordance with his duties Sheriff Clark
son will have charge of the body until it is
laid In the last resting place.
The story of his crime was thus review
ed by the Bridgeport Farmer of to-day:
"Scheele's crime and the subsequent Incl
dents connected Herewith up to the pres
emit time form one of the most sensational
chapters in the criminal history of the
state of Connecticut. He is Prussian,
and at the time of the commission of his
crime was sixty-two years of age. For a
while he kept a saloon in New York and
then moved to New Canaan, this state.
He opened saloon there, but shortly
afterward the town voted no license. This
was thing that Scheele either could not
or would not understand. In his native
country beer drinking is part of the daily
life of the inhabitants. In their large pub
lie gardens the rich and poor gather alike
to partake of the national beverage and its
sale there is looked upon much in the same
light as is the sale of milk in this
country. Scheele being brought up with
those ideas could not apparently realize
that things could be SO different in this
country, nor could he understand the laws
regulating the liquor traffic. He persisted
in selling liquor and was four times ar
rested by Constable Louis Drucker. He
still persisted in selling and when told that
Drucker had warrant to arrest him the
fifth time he openly expressed his intention
of taking the life of any man who again
attempted to interfere with him. Drucker
was regarded by him as his special enemy,
and he looked upon his arrests as nothing
less than malignan. persecution. In writ
ing to friend he spoke of Drucker as a
"dog of Jew" and said that he thought
that Drucker had committed sacrilege in
celebrating Christmas day. In the same
letter, which was written in German and
afterwards formed one Of the strongest
pieces of evidence against him, he spoke of
his intention of first fixing Drucker and
afterward making way with himself. On
one occasion when arrested by Drucker he
started for his gun with the exclamation,
''Drucker, I be a d fool if I don't
shoot you" Two years before that when
Officer Light approached him with war
rant for his arrest, Scheele shot at and
barely missed him. He then came to be
regarded as desperate and lawless char
acter, and those who incurred his dis
some violent attempt at retaliation. His
aged wife was in terror of him, as if she
refused to do his bidding and sell liquor,
he would beat her. 1t is regarded as one
of the saddest incidents in connection
with his stormy life that the poor old
woman was forced to serve term of thir-
ty days in the Bridgeport Jail for violating
the liquor law at the order of husband,
for very fear of whom she dared not DISC
hey.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, Janua-
ry IS, 1888, Constable Drucker went to
Scheele's house to arrest him upon war
rant charging him with violation of the
liquor law. Although he had full knowl-
edge of the threats which Scheele had ut
tered, the officer did not falter in doing
the performance of his duty, doubtless
thinking that Scheele would not dare to ex-
10 T. H.
the door of Scheele's house closed and
locked and when he demanded entrance it
was refused him. Scheele pointed gun
through the window and pulled the trigger
but the gun did not go off. Drucker then
left the house after telling Scheele that he
would have him anyway. He returned to
the town and in the interim Scheele fas-
tened all the doors and windows of his
house securely. Armed with adouble bar
relied shotgun, dirk, Ratchet and . g.
calibre revolver he stationed himself at the
window of room on the second floor
overlooking tho front yard and awaiting
the return of Drucker. In about an hour
the latter drove up to the gate in a sleigh,
land and Thomas Freeman. Wilfred s.
Stevens, the son of New Canaan livery
man, remained in the sleigh. The three
first named walked toward the house with
Drucker in the lead. They had proceeded
but short distance whom there was the
noise of breaking glass, and the muzzle of
gun was thrust through the second-story
window. A stunning report followed and
Drucker staggered, threw up his hands and
with the exclamation, ooh! Branty, I'm
shot," fell to the ground. He said nothing
more and died within three minutes
Twenty-eight buckshot entered his body,
two of which passed through his heart
and four lodged in it. After Drucker's
fall the sound Of pistol shots were heard
inside Scheele's house. The rest of
the party forced in the door and going up
stairs found Scheele lying upon bed COW
cred with blood. Constable Hall said to
him, edo you know that you have killed
Louis Drucker?" ~ don't care d if
have" Scheele said. They then saw that
the murderer had fired four bullets into
himself; three on the left side and one in
the head. Owing to the small calibre Of