The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-26
POLICE SENSATION
OFFICER CoFFEE's TALK of AL
LEGGED MURDER.
INVOLVES CITY DETECTIVES.
MENTIONED TRAGIC DEATH OF
AUGUST HEILEGENBERG.


ing Money Under False Pretenses.
Alleged. TO Have Gotten $5 From
Assistant Postmaster Warning
That should Have Gone to Coffee.
Detectives Say They Will BE Ex-
Onerated by Superintendent and
Report BOOk-In Reporting the
Case to supt. Reilly Coffee Recall
ed the Death of HeiIegenberg in
1S9S-His Language Caused Aston
ishment and Mayor Was Asked to
Investigate.
What promises to be a sensational
double investigation will be held by
Mayor Myers at the City Exchange at
noon to-day, when Mounted Patrolman
Z. ]. Coffee end Detectives julius Stark
and Frank Wall will be before the
Mayor. The sensation is expected in
the Coffee investigation.
Coffee told Supt. Reilly that every
thing had not been made public con-
corning the tragic death of August u
Heilegenberg, a well known German
citizen, on the early morning of Aug.
| Is, 1898. The patrolman had been told
certain things about the tragedy that
the superintendent thought the Mayor
ought to know. Although Heilegenberg
was found dead on the street over
three years ago, Supt, Reilly decided
! that if there is any clue to his STAY
ers the matter should be investigated,
and mo;e particularly when the mares
of persons in the police department had
been mentioned in connection with the
killing.
The superintendent reported the
matter TO the Mayor, and an investiga-
ton was ordered at once. Although
the hearing will be a most unusual one
| Mayor Myers has decided to stand by
his policy of investigating police de.
partment cases privately.
In the caucus room the patrolman
will review the stories he has heard in
connection with Heilegenberg' death.
| and promises to refer the Mayor to
certain percons,. who are reported, ac-
cording to Coffee's statement to. the
superintendent, to know something OF
the tragedy that win be in accord with
the theory at the time it occurred.
Detectives Stark and Wall are
not personsonally interested in
the investigation of Patrolman
Coffee,s story in the Heilegenberg case.
The detectives are char scd with in
cornpeten ~ and obtaining money un
der false pretenses. Patrolman COT
fee and Assistant Postmaster P. A.
Warning will appear as witnesses
against them. 1t is alleged that the
| Oh
ing that should have gone to Coffee
The detectives say they do not fear the
| investigation, and can not only prove
| by the report book at headquarters,
| but by Superintendent Reilly himself
that they acted in good faith in the
matter.
Detective Stark says that some
clothing had been recovered by himself
and brother detectives for Mr.. War
ing, and that in Police Court Mr.
Warning offered him SIS. The detective
replied that he would have to give
him the money in the superintendent
office, and left the court room. it being
a rule in the department that all re-
wards must pass through the HANDS
of the head of the department. Ac7
cording to the detective Mr.. Waring
forgot, or neglected, to go across the
building and pay the reward.
Later Patrolman Coffee sent a BIZ
cycle that he had found to police head
| quarters and the detectives went over
the report book in an effort to identity
| it. They found that the bicycle had
been reported as lost by Mr.. Warning.
| Stark. recalled that Mr.. Waring had
promised him IS and suggested that 1t
would be a good idea to take the bl-
cycle to it's owner, and probably get
the IS at the same time. He suggest
ed the matter to Superintendent Reilly
| hi iccin to a
wheel to Mr.. Warning suggesting that
ne would probably get the money
promised to him when the clothing was
recovered.
Detectives Stark and Wall carried
the bicycle to Mr.. Warning and during
the conversation Stark remarked that
the assistant postmaster had been
fortunate in recovering stolen property
Mr.. Warning agreed with the officer and
turned IS over to Stark and Wall. AS
is the custom with the detectives, the
IS was split in three parts, Stark
Murphy and Wall each getting $1.66
When Coffee learned that the bicycle
had been turned over to Mr.. Waring,
and that the detectives had been Civ
en- S., he called on the assistant post
master. The conference between Mr..
Waring and the patrolman resulted in
the filing Of charges against the detec-
t.ves.
Coffee charged that the money had
been obtained upon a misrepresenta-
ton, and that it was a deliberate plan
to beat him out of money
which rightfully belonged to him.
He called upon Superintendent Reilly
and insisted upon an investigation be-
fore the Mayor. During the conversa-
ton with the superintendent Coffee
showed plainly that he has no love for
the detectives. and made certain state
ments in connection with the death of
Heilegenberg, which, while they had no
| reference to the present members of
the force. caused Superintendent Reil-
ly to open his eyes in establishment.
The superintendent decided that he
| would find out just how much Coffee
| knows of the matter, and asked the
Mayor 20 investigate.
Heilegenberg was found dead on the
northwest corner of Abercorn street
and Oglethorpe avenue with a CHASTITY
wound in his head. II was charged by
his friends that he had been murdered,
although the theory of the chief OF po-
lice and the city detectives at that
time was that he had fallen down and
sustained the wounds that resulted in
his death. The coroner's jury that in
vestigated the death failed TO AK the
responsibility, and &c never became
certain just how the man met his
death.
The air was fun OF rumors months
after the tragedy and IL was stated on
several occasions that Heilegenberg
had been murdered, but by mistake.