The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-03
CATHOLIC PRIEST
ACCUSED OF MURDER
Father Waller Is Tracked
by BloodhOunds.
ARRESTED IN HIS CHURCH
Charged With Killing Miss Reichlin ii
Her Home at Lorraine,
Ohio.

LORRAINE, Ohio, May Am arres-
was made today in the Beichlin murder
case. The Rev. Father Waller, To-
ledo priest. aged ffty-one, who was in
the house when the woman was killed,
is held on the charge of murder.
Mayor King made out the warrant
about 8 o'clock this morning and said h
would take the reverend father into
custody as much for his own protection
as anything else. Bloodhounds were put
on the trail this morning.
After fruitless appeals to Ohio cities,
Mayor King succeeded in getting hounds
from Fort Wayne, Ind The dogs ar
rived at 1870 O'Clock on the Nickel Plate
They were in charge of Dr. T l. Hick.
man, their owner. Captain Ketchum,
who is in charge of the police force at
night, and eight men, the entire force,
were at the station to meet Hickman.
Straight to Priests Room
At 2:15 the party was at the Reichlin
residence. The dogs were taken to the
room formerly occupied by Miss Reich
lin. The scent was given them from the
when she was killed. The animals were
alert and shifted about the room for
moment.
Then said Hickman, they went
straight TO the room and to the bed IN
which Father Waller slept on the night
of the murder. Then they went back TO
the other bed. They would &c no farth-
er than this"
Hickman brought the dogs down into
the yard. The police, a few citizens, the
Reichlins and newspaper men We're
there. The dogs prowled, confused,
around the lawn. Hickman took them to
the yard in the rear. They nosed every
inch of ground without giving yelp.
Hickman was greatly disappointed. He
took the dogs upstairs again and all but
the police were excluded once more.
Performance Repeated.
Hickman, when he came down few
moments later, said the dogs went
through the same maneuvers as on the
first attempt, running from one bed to
another and back again. On the night
of the tragedy the police took the ladder
/ with which the murderer is supposed to
have assembled to the attic window and
locked it in the attic This ladder was
brought down and laid on the grass.
The dogs, freed, leaped for it, shifted.
and then lifted their noses into the air.
That ladder was not used by the per-
son who handled the clothing on Miss
Reichlin's bed" Hickman declared. 1.-The
scent is positively not there. The dogs
are keen and would find it if it were"
Accused Man in Church.
The animals were taken to the front
lawn again, and the officers held a con-
ference, All this. time Father Waller
had not put in an appearance When
asked about it. Father Reichlin said he
knew where Father Walker was, but
refused to diyulge his knowledge FL
nalIy the police learned that he was
at ST. Josephs Church where he had
gone early. He was arrested there
The excitement is intense. and as it
was feared some demonstration would
be made. Father Waller was taken to
EIyria, the county seat. and lodged in
Jail.
Protests Innocence.
Father WalZcT continued TO protest
his innocence after being locked up. and
said he could secure bail III any amount
| from the order to which he belongs. the
! Order Of the Precious Blood County
| Prosecutor Stroud says the preliminary
| hearing will not be held before Monday
/ OF Tuesday.
The warrant" said Prosecutor Lee
| STROUD. charges Father Waller with
murder in the first degree. in having
caused the death of Agatha ReichIin.
Father Walzer and Casimir Reichlin told
Us they retired early on the night of the
murder. We have information that at l
a. m. or a few minutes before the dis
covery OF the murder of the girl, people
were up in the house. The contradiction
| in statements we thought sufficient
| grounds; also We wished to protect the
! priest"