The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-10-04
SLAYER HANGS HIMSELF
Charles Herzig; After Committing
Murder Years Ago, Takes His Lite,
A Guilty Conscience Caused His Confess
ston-Noted Case in Ohio at
tho Time.

Minot, S. D.-With 4 piece Of the
green veil lie used thirty years ago TO
strangle pretty Lizzie Brombacler.
near Youngstown. Ohio, tied around
his neck. and a paper containing his
confession Of the murder for which he
permitted an innocent soul to br
smothered out on the ga!lows pinned
to his breast. the dead body OF Char,es
Herzig, a modern Eugene ATam. was
found. hanging from a tren in a Sc.
cluded ravine near this toWE.
After thirty years of torment. dread
ing discovery every moment Of all that
terrible period of time, and haunted
nightly by the face Of his victim dis
torted by his strangling clutches, Her
zig in his confession says he was be-
ginning to overcome his conscience
when inexorable fate threw in bis path
q magazine containing the story CT the
crime. and the banging Of Charles Ster-
ling, q supposed tramp, for it. The
story emphasized what was at the time
regarded as the one redceminS feature
in the character of the condemned
man. Sterling had denied his identity
to his mother when she visited him i'll
the death cell in order that she might
be spared the pain and disgrace at
tendant upon his conviction and death.
Herzig for the first time realized that
the blood Of two innocent persons was
on his head. The fortitude displayed
by Sterling, who was young man OF
good family. so impressed him that the
agony he had endured for years re-
turned with renewed force, and he
could suffer it no longer.
A few days ago he left the house OF
Frank Byer. q farmer here. with whom
he had been employed. He walked
into the woods a few miles away. and.
choosing the most lonely and dismal
spot he could find, he ended his miser-
:.ble life. Before he started ON his way
to death Herzig wrote his confession.
He addressed it to Byer and placed it
in a soiled envelope on the table in his
room. where he was sure it would be
found when search for him was begun.
On the outside Of the envelope was q
piece of paper containing the following
request:
when my lifeless body is found no
tify my mother, Mrs. Catherine Her
zig, Girard, Ohio. The inclosed letter
will reveal my identity and the awful
secret Of my wretched life. could en-
dure it no longer"
In telling of his terrible crime Herzig
related all the details. Following IS
the text Of his letter:
Dear Mr.. Byer-In early seventies,
Charles Sterling, supposed tramp,
was tried for the murder Of Lizzie
Bromhacher, residing near Youngs-
town, Ohio. The trial resulted in his
conviction on purely circumstantiai evil
dencc and he was hanged. Charles
Sterling was an innocent man.
II am guilty of the murder of that
young girl, and have paid the penalty
in a wretched, haunted life for many
years. Her face. distorted by the
strangling clutches of my then power
full hands, made stronger by the power
of brutal beast passion, haunts me,
and for years nightly has that face
appeared at my bedside until now l am
a physical and mental wreck, who can
only find relief in death, which will
soon be mine.
'At the time I murdered this girl 1
was twenty. A few weeks before COM
mitting the crime I removed with my
family from Lockport, N. Y, to Girard.
Ohio, where L believe my mother still
lives, although 1 have not heard from
her for years.
'I visited Youngstown one week
prior to the murder with the hope of
securing employment, and with num-
ber Of other men, Sterling being in the
crowd, went to Poland for work two
days before the woman was killed.
"I was standing in secreted place
along the roadside when the girl came
along unaccompanied. The devil must
Lave taken possession Of me.
grabbed her by the arm and pulled
her into a cluster of bushes. She re-
fused to yield to my desires, and.
clutching her by the throat, [ strangled
her to death, while I accomplished my
purpose.
81 left the body where it had died
and where it was later found. Sterling
passed the scene of the murder in
search for me while was committing
the awful crime.
II found him later and persuaded
him to change shirts with me by Offer
ing him twenty-five cents in money.
He accepted the offer. There were
blood stains on the shirt from that
innocent girl, and they proved one of
the strongest circumstances in the
chain of evidence against Sterling. L
was not seen in the vicinity OF the spot
where the murder was committed.
Sterling was arrested shortly after
the crime. fed.
my real name is Charles Herzig. 1
will endeavor to die in some place
where my body will never be found.
but if it should be, notify my mother.
1 make this confession that the grave
Of Charles Sterling may no longer be
looked upon as that Of murderer"