The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17
The Assassin Washes His Hands
and Departs Unmo-
Tested.
a BOOK AGENT is UNDER
SUSPICION.
A Young Man Named Blanther, Who
Visited Her on the Night of the
Murder, Being Looked For.

premeditation and the horror of reckless
butchery was committed in the upper
front room OF the elegant residence of pr
c. A. Kleineberg, 1926 Geary street, Fri
day night
Mrs. Philippine Langfeldt, an old lady
who occupied the rooms as patient of DR..
Kleineberg, was found yesterday morning
lying face downward upon the floor, her
head almost severed from her body.
Her fingers were stripped of rings,
valued at about 5000, and an uncertain sum
of money, perhaps $50, which was known
to have been in her possession, was miss
ing.
She had been entertaining Friday even
ing young gentleman of recent acquaint-
ance named BIanther and about whom
nobody seems to know much. He was
not heard to leave the house; indeed, no
sound was heard to issue from the room
during the night.
Patrolman T. H. Atchison, in his re-
port, gives 20 the case that feature of mys-
terry upon which the story of "The Muir
der IL Rue Morgue' was built. The
reasonable avenues of escape of the MUIR
derer were all cut off.
Atchison was the first man to enter the
room, and he declares that the bolts to
both doors were slid upon the inside, the
inside shutters all closed and windows
down, save those looking out upon Geary
street. Exit from these meant climbing
down the front doorposts.
The murder of Mrs. Langfeldt was the
tragic ending of remarkable career. She
was woman of culture and considerable
means, had been three times married and
twice divorced. For twenty years she was,
with her husband, leader among the
German-American nabobs of Japan.
At SO years of age, feeble from disease,
she still craved entertainment and society
and had a number OF regular callers, who
sought her for her amiable and entertain
ing qualities.
Mrs. Langfeldt dined with the family of
DR.. Kleineberg on Friday evening, as was
her daily habit. She was assisted up the
stairs to her room by Mrs. Kleineberg
about O'Clock. She said she was expect
ing the young man Blanther to call upon
her that evening. Later, a little after 8
o'elock, Blanther came and was heard to
go up and enter Mrs. Langfeldt's room.
The sleeping room of DR.. and Mrs
kleineberg is just back of the two large
front rooms of Mrs. Langfeldt They
retired about IL o'clock. DIR. Kleineberg
remained awake, reading for some time,
and heard some one come down with
heavy tread from the room overhead. at
that time it occurred to him that he had
heard lighter step down the single flight
OF stairs shortly before that, but the i'm
preston is vague.
Before retiring TO bed, he stepped into
the hallway and listened for any sound
from Mrs. Langfeldt's room, heard none,
supposed the old ladys visitor had de-
parted, and SO put out the light in the hall
At half-pa o'clock yesterday morn
ing Susie Miller, the serving girl, knocked
at Mrs. Langfeldts door for the purpose of
handing in the customary morning cup of
coffee. There was no answer and she re-
ported to the doctor. There are two doors
leading into Mrs. Langfeldt's rooms from
The hallway; both of them were locked
The girl reported to her master and Dr.
Kleineberg went up with his little son.
Opening the window at the END of the hall
the little boy stepped out on the portico
over the door from which he could lean
over and see through the window of Mrs
Langfeldt's room. He gave but a glance
and drew back. Trembling and frightened
he was lifted into the hallway, saying:
''She is murdered she is deadp'
telephone message was sent to police
headquarters and few minutes later Po-
Hceman Atchison responded. He climbed
into the room by the means described
The apartments of Mrs Langfeldt are
two large rooms with sliding doors be.
tween, which were seldom closed. Her
body was found lying face downward in
the front room, the head toward the win
dow, the feet just across the threshold of
the back room. Her arms were stretched
apart as though flung out in her fall. She
had evidently been dead some hours.
Blood had flowed in thick pool about her
and lay in splashes over the floor of the
inner room, where the death blow had
been struck. Blood in spots marked the
furniture and the walls.
A basin On its stand was filled with
bl lood-discolored water. a towel turned
red hung in rack beside it and a pitcher
with bloody handle stood on the floor
Captain Lees and the Coroner were
summoned before any part of all this was
disturbed and the chief of detectives
made a thorough search and inspection of
the prem ises.
The murderer had used a razor no doubt,
but no weapon was found. The blind
bolts on the doors were shot, as stated
and they were touched with blood, show
ing that the murderer locked the doors
after he had killed. There was the small
print OF a shoe upon the bloody floor be-
tween the spot where she had been struck
and where the body lay-whether of her
own, Tor 1t seemed TO be q woman's, or the
murderer's, could not be told.
The furniture of the room showed little
disturbance and there was no sign of
struggle. Everything indicated that Mrs
Langfeldt had been sitting at a small table
in the center of the back room with her
foot upon a stool; that her murderer ep-
preached from behind and struck her
throat with the razor from over her right
shoulder That is the theory Of the police
The body was found four or five feet
from where the woman is supposed to
have been seated, and the conclusion is
that she sprang to one side and toward
tie front window and fell.
Captain Lees is OF the opinion that the