Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-26
GETzHARDr CoNFEssEs.

.NNN VI ~, W. cal anu d
half ago, q girl was murdered in q
forsaken patch of woodland near Is
lip, Long Island: a week ago the crime
was discovered, when her bleacheo and
charred skeleton was found, with moth
ing to indicate its identity but her
ieweiry and a bill of sale from a Ger
man shop; three days later, through
the police of Hamburg. Germany, her
identity was established as Anna Luth-
err though the cables first carried the
rame as Latter; last night her fus-
band. Frederick GetZhardt, was caught
in Astoria, L. l., and tonight he con-
fessed over his signature that he is The
murderer The confession is as fol-
lows:
About December 1907, | first met
Anna Luther. We We're married i'll
February, 1905. and went to Europe to
live We returned April 6, 1905. She
went to Henry Wertupps in Newark.
n. j., to spend a day or two on the
pretense that 1 was going to rent an
apartment for us to live in. | returned
to my home and wife in Astoria.
Il met Anna again on April s, il
Newark, and we went to an address III
34th street, New York, and then to ia
maica. l.. |. We stayed at Jamaica I'M
til next day.
April g. we went to Bayshore, and
we walked about and I showed her
some property. | got into an argument
with her about some money matters
and | turned away and wanted to go
back She followed me up, screaming,
and / shot her in the head. | diam
look at her, and do not remember
whether | shot her more than once.
"Immediately after | went to the IS
lin depot and took a train tor home. 1t
was nearly dark on the way home on
the train / threw the revolver out OF
the car window
81 want to state that | dldn XIII
Anna Luther for her money, as the
newspapers have stated. MY ofl3iilal
reason for marrying Anna was that
didn't care to live with my first wire
any longer but as she-my first vile
had given me a child. my desire 10
again see nv child caused me to want
70 got rid of Anna Luther and return
to nv first wife and child
",rhis is the reason why | shot Anna
Luther and | told her in Bayshore that
| was married and had wife and child
and must leave her.
.She screamed and ran after me and
kissed me and wanted me back and
shot her.
"rhis confession is made of my own
free will without any hope OF recon-
psnse being offered me-
From the time of his arrest last
NIGHT until he broke down under the
question of the detectives, though ad-
mittiro that he committed bigamy
when he married Anna Luther, iet2-
hardt denied consistently all ki'o"
edge of her death.
"IIow about this letter? askeu VI
oncr Savage, and he began to read
note mailed last night to Inc oer'idi'
consul and signed Otto Mueller 'h'
name under which he was known Whef
he married the Luther girl!
1T an, the husband" it ran, Withou'
aouht Of the woman Anna Mueller. Alter
ma orrived in New York from Germany IN
April of last year we stayed IN ne" iorh
~ DAYS Then we went to FLORIDA LOT
the health of my wife. and settieo there
for the time being.
in Jamaica, where | formerly hved
With NV wife she had received visitor
whom she represented to me to be
Mr. BRADLEY of Denver. From Florida
va wont TO Denver and this Mr. Bradley
called again. In September, 1908, my wife
disappeared. after | reproached her lot
seeing Bradley when ! happened to be
away for two DAYS
+ ..rb;s man Bradley is about six feet
high. with light hair. smooth face. ana
claims to be a real estate agent |, Muei'
ler will at once go to Germany to see
nv parents-in-law and will then be at
your service.
The same inexplicabe impulse which
had prompted Getzhardt to write this IA
tai letter had led him to give to Bradley
who does not exist outside his own mag
nation, his own personal description. AS
soon as he saw the letter again his Jaw
dropped, he grew white and began TO
shiver, and before the reading was COM
pletcd exclaimed "Oh, what's the use,
anyway? You have me and l might as
well own I killed her"
Given verbally, the confession as relat-
ed was even more shockingly brutal, the
ponce Say, llidl IL appears III ehN A'ii''"
language of the police officers, whose YER
sion Getzhardt signed
Il had to get rid of her." he said, "but
I didn't mean to kill her. 1 thought first
could get her to give me some money
for land I didn't own. So I took her
down to Long Island near some lots I did
own, to let her see the land. She wouldn't
come to terms and told her then that
was already married and had child