The San Francisco call., 1904-02-19
NEW EVIDENCE
FROM GERMANY
American Consul at Kehl Says
That Soeder'S Father Died Tn
der Suspicious Circumstances
BLAISE HAD LITTLE COIN
Dispositions Received by Police
From Widow and MOther-in-
Law of Murdered TeutOn

The father of Leon Soeder died un-
der suspicious circumstances a few
years ago in Hub, Germany Such
was the information received yester-
day by the police from the American
Consul at Kehl, Baden, Germany
Leon Soeder also attempted to get his
brother to accompany him to this
country at the time he and Joseph
Blaise, whom he is accused of muir
dering here, came over, but the other
Soeder took sick and could not come.
The police believe that Leon either
expected to have used his brother as
an accomplice or intended to also take
out insurance on his life and murder
him, as they allege he did Blaise. The
investigation conducted by American
Consul Joseph l. Britain verifies the
theory of the police and strengthens
the evidence already CLEANED.
The fact that Soeder's father died
under suspicious circumstances, COM
ing on top of the strangeness of the
death of Soeder's wife in Petaluma
year ago, more strongly than ever
impresses Chief Whitman with the be-
lief that Soeder is the man guilty of
the murderer of Blaise.
The information received from Ger
many yesterday was to the effect that
Blaise had but $17 when he left home.
Soeder has always alleged that the
dead man had $500 when he left home
and $50 in his pockets when he was
murdered. Soeder claimed that Blaise
and his wife kept hotel in Hub, Ger
many. The United States Consul
states that the family are poverty
stricken and never kept hotel.
Several letters written by Soeder
and Blaise in this country to Mrs.
Blaise show that Blaise did not want
to come to the United States, but was
induced to accompany Soeder on the
promise of a job when he arrived
here. All of the letters written by
Blaise tell his wife of his lonesome
ness and his anxiety to get home
again.
Three Of the letters were written by
Blaise to his wife, one from New
York and two from San Francisco; ;
the other letter was written by Soeder
to Blaises wife who is Soeder's sister.
CONSUL VISITS MRS. BLAISE.
Consul Britain also sent a detailed
account of his visit to the home of
the widow of the murdered man,
which bears out the theories and evil
dence already advanced in the mur-
der case that Blaise had but little
money when he left his home in Hub,
Germany. Consul Britain states that
instead of finding Mrs. Blaise in pos
session of a hotel he found her living
with a family of six in little hovel in
the woods. The Consul secured deposit
tions from Mrs. Soeder, Soeder's
mother, and Mrs. Blaise, the wife of
the murdered man.
The letters from the Consul in part
were as follows:
On receipt of the telegram from Chief witt
man on the 26th of January 1 wrote to Mrs.
Blaise Informing her of her husbands sad
death. The next day went to her home near
I Hub. I travelled far possible by rail
and then went twelve miles by team. The
roads became steep graded that / was
compelled TO walk six miles When / reached
Hub 1 found that Mrs. Blaise did not live
there.
The Mayor of Hub went with me and we To-
Gated the party a half mile from Hub in
deep ravine in the heart of the woods the
little hut being covered with snow. When 1
told Mrs. Blaise of her husbands death she
appeared very much affected. There were six
of them living in the small cabin. She gave
me all the recent letters she had received
from her husband and her brother and said
that Joseph Blaise sick at the time he left
home and had pension from the Government
for small amount The account of Mrs
Blaise's keeping a hotel as stated by Soeder
which l in The Call you sent me- is not