The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-20
FATHER WALSER FREED
Priest Exonerated Of the Charge Of
Killing Miss Agatha Rsichlin.
, Brothers of the Girl Swear at Coroner'A
Inquest That They Believe Him
Innocent OF the Crime.

Elyria, Ohio.-At the end of m in
vestigation into the, cause of The death
Of Agatha Reichlin, who was murdered,
Coroner French, Of this county, gave
rs his conclusion the verdict THAT
Agatha Reichlin came to her death
from wounds inflicted by stone in the
hands Of a person unknown" The
conclusion reached by the Coroner re.
suited in the freeing Of Father Walsel
from confinement later in the evening
The witnesses examined included po.
licemen who had been called to the
Reichlin home and Casimir Reichlln, q
brother Of the murdered girl. The Rev.
Charles Reichlin, another brother, also
testified. The consensus Of the testi.
mony Of the witnessesswas favorable
to Father Walls ar's claim Of innocence
and in support Of the theory that a
burglar or some other desperate man
had committed the crime.
Casimir Relchlin, the younger broth.
er of the murdered girl. who was In
the house when the crime was com.
o'clock by the priest rushing into his
room and excitedly saying that burg.
lars were in the house. He apose and
ran to his sisters room and found he1
lying in her bed, covered with blood
and life extinct. He then searched the
house, but found no one. Casimir said
he notified the police and took them
into the attic, where they found fresh
mud on the attic floor under the attic
window and afterward on q ladder
which stood outside under window
Of the murdered girls room.
"You have every confidence that
Father Walser is not guilty Of the
crime with which he Is charged?" he
was asked.
IF Father Walser is guilty, then
am guilty. If he should hang, then
they had ought to hang me. know he
is innocent"
Later the same question was asked
of Father Reichlin. He said: II have
absolute faith in Father Walser. I
know he is innocent"
The Rev. Charles Reichlin said as to
a possible motive:
My first thought was that it might
have been Tilted lover. A Mr.. Ros'
pert YVES her last lover. 1 think the
motive for the crime was robbery. Ny
sister never expressed to me any love
for Rospert. He called twice since No.
vember."
MaStin Reichlin. another brother Of
the girl, testified that Rospert had
come to see Agatha last summer, but
SIZE refused to accept his attentions.
Father Walser was brought from
the county Jail and discharged from
the charge Of murder. Mayor King
went through the formality Of
reading the warrant for Walser's
arrest, and his attorney, e. G. Johnson,
entered a plea Of not guilty. Prosecut'
ing Attorney Stroup, addressing His
Honor, said that, after having listened
to the evidence presented at the inquest
he could see that there IS not sufficient
evidence to hold the defendant.
Mayor King then announced that. as
the Prosecuting Attorney had said
there was not sufficient evidence to
hold the accused he had nothing to do
but discharge him from custody.
Father Reichlin, brother Of the muir.
dered girl, listened attenHvely to the
proceedings. and upon adjournment Of
court was the first to approach Father
Walser with q hearty handshake, af-
ter which the handshaking became gen.
eral, and the freed priest was the recip.
lent Of congratulations on all hands.