The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-20
A MYSTERY AT LAST SOLVED
THE INFERNA l. MACHINE PLACED
ON RICH,S DOORSTEP
In New Britain Placed by RheinOld
Scherr-Arrested by the Police Yester-
day Afternoon--Thc Woman In tho

i
day Anernoon-Thc Woman In the
Case.
New Britain, July 49, - Rheinhold
| Scherr was arrested at 2:30 o'clock this
afternoon at the Corbin shop by Officers
| Lee and Lamphere on the charge of be-
ing the author of the threatening letters
| to j. A. Rich, and also on the charge of
placing the internal machine on Rich 8
doorstep June 80.
Scherr is q mechanic in the lock room
of the Corbin shop and boards at LILO
Cherry street. He is about thirty-one
years old and single.
The girl, about whom Scherr is alleged
to have found reason to attempt Rich $
life, is Annie Erb. The police have
worked on the clue that Rich at one
time kept company with this girl and
Scherr believed he had led her astray.
The case was worked up by Officer
Danforth and Chief Johnson. Scherr Is
now at the police station. Scherr, 1t is
understood, made a confession to the
chief-of- police this afternoon. A war;
rant has been issued for the arrest Of
Rich, and he will be arrested this af-
ternoon. The charge is not known.
Scherr was corporal in Co. A, list
regiment, at Camp Alger. He, served
five years in the United States cavalry.
The Rich case has been New Brit
aims greatest sensation in years. The
early phases of the case are known
only to the police, to whom Rich gave
the threatening letters received by him.
The public was fret made acquainted
with the Rich case on June 80, the day
Rich picked up the Internal machine on
his doorstep. This occurred a few min
ltes after. ~ o'clock when Rich return
ed from the factory for dinner, Rich
saw cigar box with the address ~. A.
Rich" written on a card on the cover,
Tying on the doorstep. fIe naturally
picked it up and had raised it only
few inches from the step when it eX-
ploded. The box was partly wrecked
and five chambered 3S-callber revolver
fell to the ground. The noise of the eX-
plosion was heard by people living In
the vicinity, and a large crowd soon
gathered. Officer Lee, whose residence
is near by, was called and he took pos
session of the revolver and the broken
cigar box and carried them to the police
the box was an 7S90$1$5I U5UI6UN6N6
station. Examination disclosed that
the box was an internal machine. There
was a spring in the bottom after the
fashion of a mousetrap, which discharg-
ed the revolver when the box was pick
ed up. There was one empty cartridge
and two loaded ones in the revolver
when the police examined it. The other
two chambers were empty The house,
upon the front steps of which the box
was placed. is 81 Seymour street. Mr..
Rich occupied the tenement on the first
floor, and Henry w. Flagg the tenement
on the second. The entrance where the
machine was placed was used by both
families.
Rich had his face and hands badly
blietered by the explosion which show
ed that the box contained some eXplo-
sive, like nitro-glycerine, as well as the
revolver. The bullet from the revolver
close to Rich's forehead and
lodged in the veranda over the steps.
1T was dug out by Chief Johnson some
DAYS later. The affair having occurred
a few days before July A many were in
clined to think it was a Joke, some
thoughtless person being the perpetrator.
When the fact of the subsequent threat
ening letters to Rich became known the
belief was then general that an enemy
had concocted the plot to take Rich's
life without possibility of detection
j. A. Rich Is thirty-on years old and
is a tool maker by trade. He was born
in Hoosic Falls, N. Y, and is graduate
of business college Of that place. He
came to New Britain six years ago last
March and has wife and baby girl of
two months. He always bore a good |
reputation in Hoosic Falls, and he
the same good reputation In |
this city. He is a good workman and |
earned high wages at Traut & Hines. |
A few days ago Rich told The Times re- |
porter that he had no idea who sent him |
the threatening letters or placed the in
fernal machine on his doorstep. He said |
he never gave anyone cause for being |
an enemy, and that there was nothing |
in his past life that he had reason to
He despared of an arrest be-
ing made because he was not able to
give the police any information that !
would furnish clue.