The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-03
FOE IN THEIR TRAIL
WILLIAM LIEBRECHT AND BRIDE.
OF MANKATO, VICTIMS OF RE-
LENTLEsS PERSECUTION
ENEMY STOPS AT NOTHING
Home of bride Burned Down and
Many Threats Being Received by
Mystified COupIe-No APP
parent Motive.
SncciaI to The Globe.

Liebrecht and his young bride, prominent
| German residents of Mankato. Arrivals
| from that city furnish the details OF the
mysterious persecution of the young
| couple by an unknown enemy, who seems
| determined to make life miserable for
the groom and bride, who until a few
months ago, when the series of perEecu-
lions commenced, were not aware that
they had an enemy in the whole world.
The story contains all the elements
which go to make up the successful mover
| of the yellow back detective vaIety,
only in this case the bloodhounds Of the
| law, Notwithstanding that they have
made strenuous efforts, have been com-
pletely and persstently baffied. They
| have not been able during the many
| weeks that the prosecutions and myS-
terious assaults have continued to secure
! the slightest clue which would reveal the
| identity of the person or persons who
! are pursuing the young couple.
The bride is the daughter of Carl
KaWell, a veteran of the Civil war, who
| is at present an inmate of the state SOL
diers' home at Minnehaha. Mrs. Kawell
and her five children, including her
daughter Emma, who is now Mrs Vii
liam Liebrecht, were last November oc-
cupying the Kawell homestead, situated
| short distance from Mankato. Emma
was engaged in the dressmaking busi-
ness in Mankato, but was living at home
with her mother and brothers and sis
ters She was at the time keeping COM
pany with the young man who is now
her husband, and this fact doubtless was
the reason for. the commencement OF the
long series of prosecutions of which her
self and Liebrecht have been the vic
tins, the motive of the unknown, as re-
veaIed by letters found at various points
about the premises and in the vicinity,
being jealousy, and the purpose of the
persecution originally being to prevent by
threats of personal injury the marriage
of the young couple.
Apparently No Motive.
But what adds deeper mystery TO the
matter is that Emma had no other lover
who could have been prompted to m
dulge in the prosecutions by jealousy.
| The prosecutions were preceded by g
number of letters written in the Ger
man language, and two of which were
mysteriously placed in the Kaweil resi-
dence The first letter was found iasten-
ed to a rear window 1t contained thu CO IS
of a serious nature, and warned the fam
lily that their home would be burned. The
family paid no attention to the warning,
believing it to be the work Of some boys
who were trying to play a joke upon
them.
The second letter was found tied with
screen door at the rear of the house. Il
was left there during the few minutes
that Charles KaWell was caring for the
horses for the night, his sister Emma
having just driven home from town. - his
was shortly after 8 o'clock in the 8ven-
ing, while the other members of the
family were at the supper table. This let
ter also contained warning, telling the
family that the house was to be barn
ed.
At o'clock on the morning of Nov,
the strange series of events eliminated
in a successful attempt to destroy the
KaweIl home by fire. The fire was dis
covered by Emma Kaweu now Lieb-
recht, who was awakened by the crack
ling of the flames as they were eating
away the woodwork She aroused her
mother and the elder brothers. They in
turn rushed into the rooms occupied by
two younger children, who were saved
with great difficulty. The escape from
death of the whole family was narrow
one The house was entirely consumed,
as was most of the furniture and the
wearing apparel with the exception Of
such articles of clothing as the members
of the family could hastily gather to-
gether.
When daylight appeared and curious
| spectators gathered around the scene Of
the unknown was discovered nailed to d
| butternut tree about thirty rods from
! the Smouldering ashes of the burned
| dwelling and on the SIDE nearest to Man
| kato. This letter was also written in
| the German language and stated in sub
| stance that the house had been burned,
! but that the worst was yet to come.
The first two letters sent to the KaWell
! family were in envelopes, while that
found tackled to the tree was written on
large piece of wrapping paper, and was
more in the nature of white-capper's
warning. The first two letters We're
quite lengthy. The handwriting in ali
the letters apparently was the same.
Prosecutor Did Not Let Up.
1t was supposed that with the destruc-
ton of the Kawell home the work of
the fend would cease. However, the
! Nemesis without delay turned his or her
attention to the work of plotting the
| destruction of the house where Lieprecht
| lived Just at dusk a few evenings after
| the burning of the Kawell home Chris
| TOPPER Boknner, neighbor of Liebrecht,
| was seated in his home when his chill
| dTen came running in to inform him
that they had discovered a sheet of paper
| tackled to a telegraph pole, and they
| wanted him to read it.
Bonner went to the pole, removed the
| large piece of wrapping paper and read
| the words written upon it. 1t was sim
| liar to that found on the tree near the
| ruins of the Kawell home. 1t stated that
the Kawell house had been burned, but
! that the worst was yet to come.
Bonner lost no time in notifying the
! owner of the house of the threat con-
tanned in the letter. All the rest of that
night close watch was maintained,
ana had anyone appeared for the pur-
| pose of setting ire to the house they
! would have met with a very warm re-
ception. Another letter was found the
next morning tackled to tree about
half block south Of where a former
note had been discovered This also con-
tanned the warning that if Liebrecht did
not cease paying attentions to Miss Ka-
we'll the Tome house. where he lived
would be burned. This warning was
tackled to the tree in the evening. as
several men saw it there while going
home, but paid no attention to it or
gave it any thought at the time
Translated into English one of the let
tiers reads as follows:
That Liebrecht must go to Saltwater
| for life. He burned that Kawell house.
His house will be burned the - if he
let that girl alone"
More Letters Came.
During the next few days several more
letters were found at various points All
of them were in substance the same.
Then for a period of about three weeks
not single letter was found. On the
morning of Dec. the unknown letter
writer again resumed business. A letter
In the same handwriting was found
tackled to the, door of the German Metho-
dist church by Emil Fenske Janitor of
the Mankato Union school building, as
he was ON his way to work. Led nv
curiosity Fenske read the epistle. and he
soon discovered that it related to Lieb
recht and the Kawell family. This was
turned over to the police.
Notwithstanding the threats Lebrecht
continued to keep company with Miss
Kawell and, during the holidays. led
her to the altar. For several weeks
thereafter a close watch was maintained
through fear that the writer of the
threatening letters would attempt to in
lure them or their property. But moth