The herald., 1896-05-20
THE AUSTRIAN NOBLEMAN
Charged With the Murder OF Mrs. Phil.
ipina LangfeIdt
Real Noble and Also Past Master Of the Art
Of Dodging the Sherih's
Officers

| S<1AN Ae<AANS4oSOp MAY lS.-JOSepn
Blanther, the suspected murderer of Mrs.
| Phlllpina Langfeldt, is a knight of the
! AuStro-Hungarian empire, entitled to
place the aristocratic won" before his
name. He was a lieutenant in the army
| OF Emperor Franz Josef and served with
| such distinction that he received as
special tokens of imperial favor at least
| four crosses and decorations of knightly
orders. In the possession of Captain Lees
are the decorations themselves and the
| documents accompanying them, all
| found among the enects OF the missing
man, which establishes these facts be-
| yond doubt.
The most important of these docu-
ments is the highly Illuminated imperial
order of December IL, 1873, comforting
knighthoOd, a crest and a coat of arms
| upon Josef Blanther who is described as
| first lieutenant in the siXty-fifth Aus
| trian infantry, commanded by no less
! an important personage than the Arch
| duke Ludwig Victor. This document
! interests the police OF this city mostly
! from the fact that it fixes beyond a doubt
| the age OF Blanther at 81 years. He was
born in the year 1859 at Rankerburg, in
Steirmart. He must have entered the
army at very early age and have been
descended from good family to get
such berth as first lieutenant in the
archduke's regiment when only 10 years
old. Previous to that he had evidently
done some peculiarly noteworthy ac-
ton, for the highly priced iron cross of
the third order had already been con-
ferred upon him. Later on, from papers
found in Blanther's effects it would ap-
pear that he was with his regiment
in Bangkok, Siam, with the title Of
major
BY some special act of bravery the at
tention of King Humbert was attracted
to the knight, Won Blanther. Among
other documents found by the police is
hoo t11 Nf Coll
whereby knighthood in the Order of the
Crown of Italy is conferred. This was
in November, 1881, and in obedience to
the royal will the golden insignia of the
order, the double-headed eagle of the
House of Savoy and patent comforting
the right to wear it, was dispatche1eo
Blanther, who was then a lieutenant in
the Thirty infantry regiment of
Austria.
With such record in the army, the
wearer of so many highly priced deco
rations drifted into other walks of life
for what reason is not known. During
the four years following his service in
Siam he probably travelled in the Orient
and became tinged with that mysticism
which his acquaintances have noticed
cropping up in his works. 1t is more
than likely that his action in leaving
the army was not altogether voluntary.
That at one time in his career Blanthe~
decorations is attested by photograph
of himself in that uniform wearing
those decorations. The photograph was
found among his papers. 1t was taken
in Vienna about fifteen years ago and
shows very handsome young man.
Blanther arrived in the United States
about ten years ago and has resided in
this country continuously ever since
He resided in New York, Chicago and
numerous towns in Florida. Blanther
arrived in San Francisco on February
2 and with the exception of a short trip
to Portland. Or, has remained in this
city ever since
He is now in the shadow Of the gal
lows The web of circumstantial evil
dence that is being woven around him
is drawing closer and closer. 1t has
been left to the man himself to supply
the most damaging testimony of his
own guilt, and although he has not vet
been caught the energies of the police
have been redoubled in the last twenty
four hours.
STILL MISSING
STOCKTON, May 19.-Blanther, the
man wanted for the murder of an old
German woman in San Francisco. is be-
lieved to have been here today at noon
and left on a bicycle for Sacramento
He called at the T. x. L. store at II
o'clock and bought a suit of overalls. He
was riding a Wheel The clerk who
talked with him reported the matter to
Sheriff Cunningham and he has been
looking up the matter ever since. Tt is
believed the wheel had been repaired
here, but that cannot be ascerta iped
The officers believe that the man is the
fellow who is wanted.