New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-01-15
New Ulm Shocked Once More by
the Taking of a Human Life.
The Victim--Ag ed Chris. Walther;
the MOtive-the Lust for
Gold.
Scene of Tragedy-An Eccentric
Bachelors Filthy Howell.
Time Uncertain, but Probably
Tuesday; Weapon Used
A Small Club.

| ing when, shortly after six O'Clock,
| the news spread from mouth to mouth
that another murder had been CON-
mitted, and that murder, too, for
money.
At first they refused to believe; then,
when the details BECAME known and
the glaring evidence removed all rea-
sons for doubt, they disgustedly set
| tied down to wondering who the
perpetrator might be, and why New
Ulm, otherwise SO peaceful and we'll
behaved, should thus be cursed with
occasional visitations of mysterious
and dastardly crime.
Only a few years ago, on Fourth
Of July morning, someone, unknown
10 this day, murder ed Policeman
Winkelmann.
/ Three and a half years ago DR.. Geb-
hardt, a promising young dentist, was
struck down in most brutal manner
in his own Office, and the murderer,
whoever be was, is still at large.
Last Thursday Chris. Walther, an
. aged and eccentric bachelor who had
lived quietly and alone in shack of
house on North German street for
over twenty-five years, was found
murdered in his howell of a home. and
, up to this time nothing but mystery
has surrounded the identity of the das-
tard who committed the deed.
The particulars accompanying the
p discovery and investigation of this
last outrage on the peace and dignity
. of the community are as follows:
Walther's nearest neighbor is Carl
Fritz. On Wednesday Fritz saw no
smoke issuing from the chimney OF
Walther's howell and when on Thurs,
day he again noticed the absence OF
any sign of fire in his neighbour
building he became suspicious ano
y telephoned the police.
His first telephone message went in
:, to the station at II o'clock Thursday
morning but Chief Klause was no
:; there.
Towards evening he telephoneC
, again and between five and six O'Clock
the chief appeared on the Walthel
premises and proceeded to investigate
70 The place he found surrounded will
"A a picket fence and the gate to thi
10 fence securely locked.
mol The building consisted of two room
20 facing on German street, both of which
If we're empty, and third room in tn
in rear, running the length of the othe
no two but separated from them by
;s solid wall,
Walther occupied the rear room an
kept the windows thereof either Sc
- :. curely nailed down or boarded up o.
the outside.
!. The only entrance to his apartment
: was through a sort of shed or muse
kitchen.
- To get into this kitchen it was neces
=, sary to open storm door closed wit
a hook and an inner door closed wit
= lock and key.
The storm door opened outward
:. and against it there had been place
a large drygoods box, evidently PIT
there to give the passerby and tn
neighbors the impression that w althe
= was away on visit to friends in tn
to country.
When the marshal removed this DO
he found both doors unlocked.
He also found the door leading int
the Walther living room in the sam
condition and when he opened this h
! came at once upon the unmistakabl
i levidences of terrible tragedy.
Stretched out on the floor before hin
! with his head to the door and partl
| covered by an old coat, lay the lifeles
body of an aged human being.
Il The surroundings were a frigh
II The air was foul with the doors {
s. years and years of neglect, the plac
was dirty, in fact filthy, and in ever
nook and corner there was disordt
that plainly indicated robbery as tt
motive for the crime.
Walther was known to be a mise
i and in their desperate search for b
4 hidden gold the robbers did not owe
4 look single place of concealmen
Il Mattresses were cut to pieces, a trur
Il was emptied OF all its contents, be
ID a filthy cellar underneath the roo
= was ransacked and even the clock "
j. searched for a treasurer that possib
didn't even exist.