Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-02-04
TALE OF TWO WORLDS
RECALLED BY ACTION OF GOV.
PIN0REE.
Pardons Four Men Upjustiy Convicted
of the Murder of Albert Moiitor,
"Kinr of Pressure Isle" and Son OF
the King Of wurtemburg.
!. Reads Like a Romance.

Reads Like Romance. 4 - !,
Another chapter in one of the most
famous criminal cases in the history of
Michigan was written by Gov. Pingree
Thursday when he attached his signature
to the pardonss of August Grossman, Au-
gust Fuhrmann, Henry Jacobs and Carl
Vocgler, who were serving life sentences
in Jackson prison for the murder of Al
bert Molitor, at Rogers City, Presque
Isle County, in August, 1873.
Molitor was known as the liking of
Presque Isle" He came to Rogers City
when the county was a wilderness and
established himself as lumberman and
storekeeper. Through his efforts col
ony came from the old country and set
tied themselves there. Being a man of
rare education and great natural abilities
Molitor became the leader and actual
ruler of the county. He was despotic in
his methods, having himself elected to the
principal county and township Offices, and
handling the funds at his pleasure. 1t
was alleged that through his command
ing influence as a member of the County
Board, he would secure the leyying of
taxes for all manner of improvements and
then pocket most of the money, expanding
but a small part of the amount raised and
giving no account of the balance. Finally
he came to be the most hated man In the
county.
Conspired to Kill Him.
When patience was exhausted 400 of
Molitor's neighbors and victims held a Sc
cret meeting and entered into conspiracy
to take his life. Each participant took an
oath of secrecy, and it was further vowed
that if any one revealed the seafet the
others should swear the crime upon the
victim.
Subsequently twenty of the consSirators
met one night in August, 1873, aud went
to Molitor's store Surrounding the build
ing, they shot through the windows, NOR
tally wounding both Molitor and hs clerk,
Edward Sullivan.
Molitor was so ardently hated by the
community that practically no attempt
was made to bring the murderers to JUS
tice. 1t was not until nearly twenty
years later that William Repke. one of
the conspirators, spurred by Ills con-
science, made a confession, duplicating
himself, the convicts above named, Ste
phen Reiger, Herman Hoeft, Andrew
Banks, August Baragas and others now
dead. On his confession the arrests were
made. The trial of Grossman az Alpena
in January. 1893, attracted widespread
attention. The peoples case was con-
Quoted by Attorney General Ellis, and
the prisoners were ably defended. On
the testimony of Repke, Grossnan was
convicted, and several months later the
conviction of Jacobs, Voegler and Fuhr-
mann followed. Reiger was subsequently
tried, but Repke refused to testify, and
he was acquitted.
The accused strenuously denied their
guilt. Although admitting their connec-
ton with the original conspiracy, they
denied having been present on tho night
of the murder. During the year3 inter-
vening between the crime and the arrest
the convic.s lived honest, upright lives
and were highly respected in this COM
munity.
After they had been in prison year or
more Repke made another confession
wholly generating them from any parti-
cipation in the actual crime, and the care
full investigation made by the pEtdon
board convinced the members that the
men were innocent. The result was that
unanimous recommendation that they
be pardoned was made to the Governor.
The report of the pardon board severely
reflects on the conduct of Attorney Gen
eral Ellis, who is accused of knowingly
introducing a false certificate of birth of
one of Cheeseman's children in order to
impeach his testimony.
Repke. having confessed participation
in the killing, had nothing to hope for
from his second confession, and will spend
the rest of his days in prison. Fuhrmann
is now % years old, Jacobs 60, Grossman
"a and Voegler 81.
Gov. Pingree went to Jackson Thursday
afternoon, and after interviewing each
convict handed him his pardon.
The Son of King.
The investigation of the pardon board
revealed the fact that Moltor was re-
puted to be the natural son of the king of
Wurtemberg and one of the maids of
honor. He was an engineer in charge of
the Notifications, and for selling the plans
to the French Government price was
put on his head, and he was forced to Zee
the country While being pursued in his
own country woman hid him between
the mattresses Of bed, and kept him cen
cealed there for two days, during which
time the officers searched her house sew.
eral times. She followed him To this coun.
try, but he deserted her and her child.
She obtained judgment Of $4,000
against him, but never was able to col
lect it.
At one time during his career in Presqie
County he refused to surrender the books
of the county treasurer's Office to his sue
cessor. and on that occasion came near
being lynched. A committee waited upon
him, tied rope around his necl; and led
him to the road. where the rope was
thrown over limb. Here they kept him
all day. but he never quailed, sending for
his dinner and eating it with the rope
around his neck. Finally the courage Of
the would-be lynchers failed, and they
released, him. Molitor's career was So
rics of sensations from his birth tn his
death.