The morning call., 1892-02-22
VIENNA'S STRANGLERS.

A Victims Prayer Before the Altar
Prior TO Being Choked to Death.
With the sentence condemning Franz
Schneider and RoSalie, his wife, to death
came the close OF the most remark
able criminal trial in the records of Aus
trian justice. Few State cases have been
conducted under more impressive circum-
stances. Princes, dipomates, generals,
members Of Parliament, high officials and
women from the court society of Franz Jo-
seph's capital crowded the courtroom daily.
The stOlid brutality Of Schneider and the
fiendishness Of his wife were displayed.
moreover, under the dramatic light of Aus
trian procedure, the judges in their robes,
the witnesses swearing with uplifted hand
before the Illuminated crucifx and the
prisoners guarded BY soldiers in snowy uni
forms.
The long trial was replete with dramatic
scenes. DEPRIVED as the two prisoners are,
they were moved when the aged parents Of
the girl klenrath were examined and when
the box containing er skull and belongings
was opened. The mother asked for the
fair plaits from the head Of her murdered
daughter as remembrance. a request
which was not refused. Il was the stran-
Cling OF this poor unfortunate that whetted
the unnatural appetite OF the Schneider
woman for crime,
She gave up her place as cook in the house
hold Of Baron Falk and began devOting her
self exclusively to finding victims for her
husband. She went from servants agency
to agency daily, looking for girls of suifi-
cient comelineSs TO suit her husband, and
with good enough clothes to suit her. After
frightening off several girls by her require
ments that they should bring all their be-
Ongings with them through the lonely
woods toward New Lengbach she eventu-
ally engaged Marie HOttwanger atan agency
without STIMULATING that she must bring all
her property with her.
She was pretty, we'll dressed, and refused
to accept an offer Of less than S12 a month.
The Schneider woman and she met Schnei-
der In the street before the agency and
started on the way 10 New Lengbach. They
stopped at the saloon near the chapel In the
woods. Schneider drank a quart of wine
and was becoming somewhat intoxicated
when reused by his wife's admOnitiOn:
Here, here, my man, keep sober, so as
to be ready for the work we have on hand"
Schneider rose aud told his wife and Holt
wanger to 90 TO the chapel and pray. Be-
fore the altar the murderess and her victim
knelt for ten minutes. Then they returned
to Schneider, who waited for them outside,
and all three started through the woods
They wandered about for an hour until
they came to secluded spot at about 5
o'clock In the afternoon.
the Schneider woman whispered several
times to her husband; but he hesitated.
At the lonely spot all three sat down.
Suddenly the Schneider woman cried out:
Now make an end of itv' and caught
the girl by the wrists. twisting her arms
back over her head. In an instant Schnei-
der had his right hand on Hottwanger's
throat and his left hand over her mouth.
She was strangled to death almost without
a sound. Mrs. Schneider stripped off her
clothes and did them up In bundle. Both
dug a shallow trench in the leaves and
mound, dumped in the dead girl, and scat
tered leaves and twigs above. The Schnei-
der woman had found few dollars in the
girls pocket, and with them they had
carousal at a tavern in New Lengbach.
Schneider joked with the walters, and his
wife joined him in n general merrymaKlng.
The prisoners are known to have MUIR
dered four young women. to have planned
and TO have attempted to murder two others.
and to have spared seven or eight more
only because the young women refused to
be lured to their death.