The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-27
NOTHING TO SHOW MURDER.
No Evidence to show HeileGenberg
Did Not Fall and XIII Himself.

No Evidence to show HeiIeEenberg
Did Not Fall and XIII Himself.
Nothing tangible. was developed in
the hearing before Mayor Myers yes
terday of the testimony of witnesses
who had been summoned to tell what
they knew about the death of August
H. Heilegenberg, a well-known Ger
man, who was found dead early on the
morning of Aug. 16, 1898. on Oglethorpe
avenue Rumors and gossip were all
that could be adduced to show that it
was not through a fall that Heilegen-
berg met his death.
All that the hearing resulted in was
a caution to Policeman +. J. Coffee,
who set it afoot He was told by the
Mayor that he should not give cred
ence to nor repeat such idle talk as
he had heard.
1t will be recalled that Policeman
Coffee had remarked to superintendent
Reilly of the police department, that
members of the department knew
something about the death of Heile-
genberg. This was while Policeman
Coffee was talking with the superin-
tendent about the Warning reward OF
IS for the recovery of stolen goods,
which the officer thought should have
fallen to him. The superintendent re-
ported that matter to Mayor Myers
who very promptly decided that he
would investigate the matter to see
what truth there might be in the Of
ficer's statement.
Policeman Coffee told his story to
the Mayor, saying that he had heard
from Policeman Woods that certain
members of the police department at
that time knew something about the
death of Heilegenberg, in fact, that
they had been guilty of or parties to
his murder This would have been Sc
rious, had it not developed that it was
all a joke. Policeman Bostick had told
Policeman Coffee the story as a joke.
and Policeman Woods was no more Sc
rious. The Mayor said after the hear
ing that it seemed that they had only
put up a joke on Policeman Coffee.
About an hour and a half was oc-
cupied by the nearing, during which
several witnesses were heard. Among
them were Mr.. F. II. Opper, who had
concerned himself at the time of
Heilegenberg' death in an effort to
discover the cause. He and other Ger
mans We're anxious to ascertain how
he had died, and Mr.. Opper told the
Mayor that he nor his associates in the
endeavor were ready to accept the po-
Ices theory that the man had met
his death through stumbling over a
stone and falling, striking his temple
against a projecting curbstone. Mr..
Opper told the Mayor that he had even
heard of one man who said that he
was an eye witness of the death of
Heilegenberg, but had thought at the
time that the officer, now dead, was
simply trying to make an arrest.
Had he found anything that served
to show that Heilegenberg had met his
death through foul play, the Mayor
said, after the hearing, he would GER
the grand jury. AS it was however,
he saw absolutely nothing in the case.
Ex-Chief of Police Frank McDermott,
who was at the head of the depart
ment, said after the hearing that it
was absurd to suppose that it could
have been through any other cause
than fall that Heilegenberg died. Mr..
McDermott said he had made a per-
sonal investigation of the case. and
had been so convinced. as had the then
Coroner John Goette, that Heilegen-
berg's death had been due to nothing
save a fall. that no inquest was held.
1t had not been regarded as neces-
sary.
"Heilegenberg fell in the glare of an
electric light. He was found opposite
the fire station. Certainly no murderer
would have selected such a place for
the preparation of a crime. Every cir
cumstance pointed to an accidental
death, and not a single one that I
could discover indicated anything to
the contrary"