Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-10-19


people in the court so much as he con-
sdered they had a right to know and
then declared a recess, during which the
excitement ran high. Judge Dick turned
the letter over to the district attorney
and both officials positively declined to
allow it to be seen. They said that It
was private to Mrs. Rambusch and
could not be made public.
The letter was dated October II and
was written from the Colonnade hotel
i'm Philadelphia. 1t was very long and
is supposed to have gone into details to
some length. But that is mere con-
secure. All that could be learned about
1t was that in it MIR. Rambusch made
confession of greater or less length, ex-
plaining how his crookedness had com
mcnced and continued until it had over
whelmed him. He asked her to forgive
him for his misdoings and then ex-
pressed a desire not to have his BODY
brought back to Juneau for burial.
1t is generally taken for granted that
Mr.. Rambusch has not carried out his
threat to commit suicide, because IT he
had done so the fact would probably
have become known from Philadelphia.
There is diversity Of opinion as to his real
intention to end his life. Those who
think he spent the money as fast as he
got it believe that he has killed or will
kill himself and take his statement as
proof of the correctness of their theory
about his stealings. Those who believe
that he has boarded his gains think that
the letter is a bluff intended to throw the
authorities off the track. The authorities
in Philadelphia have been communicated
with and if he is not dead an attempt
will be made to trace him from that city.
Had False Keys to the Courthouse.
Today's developments in the case have
shown that Rambusch had operated with
a. boIdness that is startling. This morn
ing L set of keys were found which
proved to be duplicate keys for all the
Offices and vaults in the courthouse and
the further discovery was made that
the official records have been tempered
with. 1t seems that Mr.. Rambusch had
yTiyileges extended to him because of
has high standing that could not have
been granted by the officials to anybody
else, and it is said that when his doings
were criticised by officials who were
styled over-of1icious the people were in
dignant that anybody should accuse Mr..
Rambusch of doing what was not right.
Ii is now evident that he used his keys
TO get into the offices and vaults when
nobody was around and make such use
Of records as he saw fit. ExRegister
Of Deeds Miller makes the statement
that three of four years ago he was as
&onished to find Mr.. Rambusch in his
vault very early one morning, and when
SIC found that Rambuscl had a key
to the vault he threatened him with ar
Test if he did not surrender it at once.
A careful examination of the records
is being made as d part of the investiga-
ton, which is expected to show up all
of Mr. Rambusch's cr0Okedness. This
morning some erasuresH were found. An
unSuspocting examiner would not notice
anything was wrong, but by holding the
books in q certain light faint traclngs
of lines can be discovered, showing that
whole paragraphs have been wiped out
Inv some process. That discovery has
flied the officials and lawyers with
alarm, because it is not known to what
extent the records may have been
changed.
middle Grows Worse Every Minute.
The muddle grows worse every minute.
PeoDIe are coming to town by the score
to see what they have lost and new steals
are being discovered every hour. 1t is
m0Vv known beyond doubt that Mr.. Ram
busch drew absolutely fraudulent mort
cages, signed the names of the holders
of the land and filed the mortgages. A
saioonkeeper in Juneau who never has
had occasion to borrow money finds that
he has a $4,000 mortgage upon
his farm, and many others are
learning that their mortgages
have been tinkered with in one way or
another In small batch of mortgages
examined this morning three were found
chat were wholly fictitious and they SVEN
the total amount of Mr.. Rambusch' S
steg,Iings by nearly $4,000. There is no
telling what the total amount will be. 1t
viii take weeks and perhaps months to
gel at all the crookedness, but Sheriff
Binte and his assistants, who are making
the investigation, still believe that it will
be more than 100000.
Some of the Largest Losers.
So far George Hawkins of WATERFOWL
is the principal loser and his losses are
variously estimated at from $4,000 to
see. 900. Mrs Spence and the Nelson
estate come next with losses of about
$40, 900 each In addition to these there
are small cases almost without end
Judging by the rate at which they are
being discovered they will aggregate
more than 100000. In the case of the
Nelson estate some genuine notes and
securities have been discovered which
reduce the loss ny aboHt $4,000. AL
manner of stories are afloat about indl-
vidual losses, but many of them are
without foundation and in several in
stances where crookedness was sus
pected things have been found to be all
right.
Last night it was stated that no eVi