St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-30
Hammerbacker Out West.

seduction. The Pinkerton people have
sworn to capture him within the week,
and are leaving no stone unturned to
catch the fellow. If they do it
will be creditable piece of
work for Hammerbacher is a
master of disguises. and in him the
sleuths have quarry worthy the
chase.
Nine years ago few men in st. Paul
were better known or more respected
than he whom every detective in the
country is waiting to clasp the steel
bracelets on to-day. Hammerbacher
was handsome fellow, of German par
entage, tall and graceful in bearing,
with a face that bespoke gentle heed
ing. He was extremely popular among
the Germans. In 1876 he married
Apploena Peterman, sister of George
Peterman, the st. Peter street baker.
They were married at New Ulm and
lived in st. Paul until 1882, at the corner
of German avenue and Robie street. in
the same house where still resides the
wife. Mrs. Hammerbacher, whom her
husband deserted in the year named,
leaving her with five children.
Hammerbacher was a book binder in
the employ of the Pioneer Press, and
Sons of Hermann in st. Paul at that
time, On August 2S. 1882, there
was picnic of the above mentioned
order at Shades Park. Grand Secretary
Hammerbacher was there. +. w. Zert-
ler, OF 231 Carroll street, was with him
all the afternoon. That night Hammer
bacher disappeared as etfectually as
though the earth
Had Swallowed Hims
or his consort in hades had suddenly
requested his presence there. st. Paul
knew him no more. With the grand
secretary went 81, 400 of the funds of the
Sons of Hermann. George Benz and
Henry Orlemann were his bOndsmen.
They paid the money.
Hammerbacher was next heard of in
New York. He was met in the street
there by a member of the Sons of Her.
mann, who had him arrested for embez-
Element. He was very handsomely
dressed, wore diamonds, and swore with
great nonchalance in the police court
that he had never been farther west
than New York in his life; had never
heard of the lodge he was accused of
robbing, and said that he regarded the
case dS Oll6 VI Hlioldhcil luSHtlbS. liz
Judge accepted that view of tine affair,
and discharged William Walters from
custody. In vain the prosecuting attor-
ney represented that the mans true
name was Hammerbacher, who had
dyed his mustache with blondine.
The evidence given in the case, how
ever, set some of the New Workers who
knew Walters thinking, particularly
Mrs. W alters, or the charming lady who
believed herself his wife. This lady
met Hammerbacher in 1882. Her name
was Dillenburg. She was a widow,
thirty-eight years old, wealthy and at
tractive. She married him shortly aft
erwards as William Walters. They
were married in 1888 by Henry w.
Jaehne, then an alderman of New
York. now prisoner in Sing Sing.
Mrs. Dillenburg owned the Murray Hill
baths, on Murray Hill, near Lexington
avenue. Her suspicious being aroused,
she opened up correspondence with a
finn of st. Paul lawyers. sent a photo
graph of William Walters, her supposed
husband, and established later by cor
respondence with Mrs. Hammbacher of
this city that Walters was thorough
scOundrel, a bigamist and the father Of
FIVE children in st. Paul. Proceedings
for annullment of the marriage were in
stituted by Mrs. Walters last winter
while the man Of disguises and
aliases was in Germany in supposed ILL
health. The case came up before Judge
Lawrence, of the supreme court OF New
York, last Friday. No answer was filed,
and the decree will be granted. Mrs.
DilIenburg is determined to prosecute