Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-07
CALLING S,cAnAcr, TO AccouNr
Property OF Murdered American
Gnn nnacntcl hN thn L.nA crm mo mt.

Property OF murdered American
ConHscatcd by the Government.
CHICAGO. DEC. 6-The Daily News Wash
ington special says; Moro than year ago
Joseph Ilissmaer former citizen Of Chicago,
was assassnated at Matagalpa, Nicaragua.
and his estate has been since confscated by
the local authorities Of Nicaragua. notwith-
st6pding the Efforts OF our minister, Mr..
Baker, to have II turned over TO a curator.
The strangest part of the astounding story
is that Chicago relatives, chief OF whom is
Dr. Henry Gegcr. a brother-in-law Of the
victim, assisted by Congressman Edward
Cooke OF Chicago have been working for a
year TO account for what was supposed to be
nnother case OF remarkable disappearance.
This information, which was communicated
TO Congressman Cooke today by Secretary
of State Olney will be the first authentic
news DIR. Gelger and the other relatives have
received Of the fate Of their unfortunate rela-
tive.
1t Is needless to say that State department
authorities arc astounded at the revelations
and that another International complication
will result. Congressman Cooke wrote to DR..
Geiger OF Chicago, requesting him to furnish
necessary proofs to establish the fact that
Joseph Hissmaer was naturaliZed citizen of
America, and as soon as the proofs are at
hand, Congressman Cooke will present the
case to the secretary of state and ask him to
den and full indemnity for the outrage.
The dispatch goes on to say thst Hissmaer
on coffee plantation. letter returned to
one OF his relatives some months ago with the
endorsement dead" was the first intimation
that anything had gone wrong with him.
Last July Mr.. Cooke laid the case before
Secretary Olney. This morning in his mail
he received from the secretary of state let
ter transmitting communication from Min
ister Baker of Nicaragua. The latter stated
that liissmaer was assassnated and robbed
at a coffee plantation near Matagalpa in
October 1894. "No papers were found giving
Information as to his citizenship, but he was
supposed to have been a naturalized American
citizen" says Minister Baker
After his death, at my request, there
being no American consul at Matagalpa Mr..
charles T. Manning was appointed as curator
OF the small estate. and the government of
Nicaragua endorsed the appointment. When
Mr.. Manning applied for possession of the
property his request was denied unless he
was able to prove Mr.. Hissmaer had been
citizen OF the United States. This proof
Manning could not furnish, therefore the
native authorities appropriated such prop
erty as was found.
II understand $4,000 in gold, a small piece
Of land near Matagalpa, which Hissmaer pur-
chased for 5000, and a mule and few cat
tie comprised his estate 1t is believed he
had much larger sum of gold, but no one
seems to know what became of it,
1.-THE chief of the assassins was lynched
and hung up to a tree, and those charged
with the lynchng were not convicted"
The dispatch adds: "There is some sur
prise shown at the State department because
Minister Baker did not report the circum-
stance that a supposed American citizen
had been assassinated, with his name (Which
was known to the State department, but he
ject, and his letters show that he was aware
of the details from the start"