The midland journal., 1894-01-12
SILVER SNUFF BOX
It Solved a Mystery and Saved
Paul Kunkels Life.

= Gtn AuuA0l . 4JlB6s
'sThere is in the possession of a fam
lily in Ashland, Pa" said a well-known
resident of the Lehigh valley, "a silver
snuff box which. although handsome
and valuable, is not esteemed by its
owners so much on that account as for
the manner in which it came into their
possession, and for the remarkable
story connected with it. On the inside
of the lid is engraved the single word
Cooper That word solved the mys-
terry of a frightful tragedy, and solved
it in time to prevent another tragedy
about to occur under judicial sanction.
"Many years ago the farmers OF some
of the border counties of Pennsylvania
and Maryland had been for long time
victims of horse and sheep thieves, who
despoiled them of much valuable prop
erty. A young German named Conrad
Winter, who was bound to q woman
named Goodwin, of Parkston, Md,
was arrested, charged with being con-
cerned in the thieving, and he was
convicted and sentenced to six years in
the penitentiary. This was in 1s4s.
One day in the fall of 1s49 Mrs. Charles
Cooper, wife of a prominent farmer
who lived near Parkston, went to that
village to do some shopping Among
other things that she purchased was a
pair of shoes for herself of peculiar
make When she left the village to
walk home it was nearly dark. She
carried an alpaca umbrella with yell
low stain on one side Of it. Her pur
chases were in a paper package. Mrs.
Cooper was fond of snuff, and always
carried a supply in handsome silver
snuff box, which she had had filled at
the store on this visit to Parkston.
''Mrs. Cooper did not reach home that
night. Next morning search was made
for her, and toward evening, in a lone
ly spot by the roadside, covered with
brush, her dead body was found. The
back of her head had been crushed in
by blow with some heavy weapon.
Her umbrella and paper parcels were
missing, as was her silver snuff-box. A
stranger had tramped through the vii
lage in the forenoon, and it was remem-
bered that he carried an umbrella and
a paper parcel. Efforts were at once
made to get trace of the stranger, but,
beyond the fact that persons travelling
over the road between Parkston and
York, Pa, had seen two men going TO-
ward the latter place in company-each
with an umbrella. each with paper
parcel, and each in the iolliest of humor
wherever seen-nothing to give the
people of Parkston a clew to the
stranger with an umbrella and paper
parcel could be discovered. Then de-
tectives from Baltimore were put on
the case.
"Paul Kunkel, when he died only q
short time ago in York, aged 70 years,
was one of the most conspicuous and
respected citizens of that city. In 1S49
he had been citizen of York for sew
eral years, and was an industrious man
with character beyond reproach. He
had wife and three children, and all
were devout Catholics. In the fall of
1s49 brother of his, who had been in
York for some time, made up his mind
to return to Germany. AS he intended
to take the vessel at Baltimore, Paul
accompanied him to that city, and
after seeing him on board the ship
started to return home ON foot. He
left Baltimore early in the morning. He
carried common um brella, and had
under his arm a paper parcel con-
tanning articles he had bought in Bal
tinore for his wife and children. His
course took him directly past the spot
where Mrs. Cooper's body was found a
few hours later in the day. He passed
through Parkston, and mile or so be-
yond came up with man who was
sitting by the roadside. The stranger
arose, spoke to Kunkel, and as he
was also German and travelling to.
ward York, the two walked on together.
sit was not long before the men were
quite well acquainted. The stranger
told Kunkel that his name was Conrad
Winter. He had an umbrella and a
paper parcel He offered to exchange
the umbrella he carried.for Paurs. Win.
ter's umbrella, although it had big
yellow stain on one side. was much
better than his, and Kunkel did not
hesitate to make the exchange. Kunkel
was man of jovial disposition. and
Winter fell into his mood, SO that every
person they met was amused at their
merry greetings and snatches of song
When they arrived at York, Winter
said he would like to remain day or
so in that place before he continued his
journey, and Kunkel invited him to ac-
cept the hospitality of his household,
which he did. He was treated with
= l-s
and remained with the family two
days, during which time he created no
little amusement by his persistence in
trading valuable articles from the
paper parcel he carried for things of no
possible value or use to him. He traded
a new pair of women's shoes, of odd
pattern, to Mrs. Kunkel for an old
flannel shirt, and insisted on present.
ing Kunkel with silver snuff box.
This Kunkel would not accept, nor let
his wife accept.
1.-TWO days after Winter went away
Kunkel was followed home from his
work one day by two men. They were
detectives, and they arrested him on
the charge of being the murderer of
Mrs. Cooper. The house was searched.
The umbrella with the stain on it, the
peculiar shoes. and other things were
found and identified as the property of
the murdered woman. Kunkel had
heard of the murder through Winter,
and when he found himself charged
with the terrible crime he saw at once
that he had been made the victim of
the real assassin. The effect of this
sudden revelation, and the fearful situ-
alton he was in, deranged Kunkel's