The San Francisco call., 1908-08-04
KRABEL A SUICIDE.
THINK DETECTIVES
Believe Young Baker Threw
Himself Under Wheels When
Wedding Was Opposed
Mystery Surrounding Death Is
UnsOlved, but Developments
Weaken Murder Theory

ALAMEDA, Aug 3.-The mystery
surrounding the death of Richard
Krabel, the young baker, whose man
gled body was found on the Southern
Pacific track near the United engineer
ing works yesterday morning, is still
puzzling the police of two cities. The
sleuths of Oakland. after investigating
the affair, are inclined to accept the
theory that Krabel was waylaid and
slain by thugs and his body placed
upon the rails to make it appear that
the yeung man had come to his death
by being run over
This theory is given strength by the
testimony Of Engineer Robert EIDE,
whose train struck the body Of Kra-
bel EIDE did not observe the man in
time to stop the train before hitting
it. Eide says the bruises and abrasions
had the appearance of having been in
hicted for some time.
Krabels father, Ferdinand Krabel,
of Sherman street and Lincoln avenue,
declared that his son usually carried
considerable coin with him, although
only 81 was found in the boys pockets.
The police of Alameda began an in
vestiSdtion today and the developments
lead them to believe that young Krabel
committed suicide by deliberately lying
down on the tracks before the train.
The local police learned that Krabel
had taken out a license to wed Miss
Alice Fischer, a daughter of Frederick
Fischer, cooper living on Sherman
street, between Lincoln and Santa Clara
avenues. Miss Fischer was employed
in the bakery which Krabel conducted
al Bay station. According to the po-
lice. the families of Miss Fischer and
Krabel objected strongly to the pro-
posed marriage, which friends of the
young couple say was to have taken
place yesterday.
Krabel and party of friends spent
some time in saloons at Bay station
Saturday night and left this city for
Oakland about IL o'clock. After at
tending a meeting of bakers in that
city, krabel and his friends, among
whom were Gottfried Roesch, living al
1913 Grove street, Oakland, and Hans
Anrehen of 1869 Bush street, Oakland
remained around town until o'clock
Sunday morning. KrabeI then left the
party at Eighth and Washington
streets, Oakland, and started toward
Alameda. The police say that before
Krahel left his Oakland friends he gave
the marriage license to one of them
named Schultz and as he did so re-
marked, Il will never use it. l will
never see the old town of Alameda
again"
Krabers companions paid but little
attention to the remarks at the time
Miss Hattie Fischer, sister of the
girl whom Krabel intended to wed, de-
clined today to discuss the engagement
of her sister and the young baker, but
volunteered the statement that her par
ents were opposed to Miss Alice Fischer
becoming the bride of Krabel
An inquest in the case will be held
Friday evening at o'clock IT is Drob-
able that an autopsy will be performed
on the body and the contents of Kra-
bells stomach subjected to a chemical
analysis for poison, which some of the
detectives working on the case say may
have been administered to or taken by
Krabel.
The poison theory, # correct, would
tend to show that KrabeI was dead
when the train struck his form.