Evening star., 1909-06-14
THIS ROGUE |MPUDENT
Brags of Infamy in Letters to
Prospective Victim.
DEEDS OF CRUEL MURDER
Tells of Attempt to Slay Woman
Whose Husband Was Accused.
LAWYER UNDER SUSPICION
Communicat tions He Turns Over to
Police Lead to His Arrest as
Long-Sought Assassin.
DEEDS OF CRUEL MURDER
LAWYER UNDER SUSPICION

special Gahl"gram 10 The star.
BERLIN. June 14.-After weary months
of fruitless effort and perplexity the
Leipzig police believe they are on the
right track Of a murderer whose deliber-
ate infamy. cynical sangfroid and impu-
dent defiance OF the powers of the law
entitle nm 70 a prominent place in the
annals of crime
About a year and half ago a super
animated comoositor named Friedrich and
his aged wife were found lying in their
blood on the floor of the humble dwellin>,
which they occupied In an obscure quar-
ter of the great publishing town. AT
hrst II was Conjectured that they had
been sacrificed for the sake Of such sma Il
com ana trunip"ry trinketS as they car
ried on their persons.
II soon became evident. however that
these two murders were to have been
merely the preparation for third. The
real victim was the special poStmdn
whose duty it was to pay out money or
ders in that district
one of these for a paltry sum had
been addressed 10 the Friedrichs by some
person unknown. IT was evidently the
miSCrcantS purpose to remain on the
him down and rob him of his well lined
cash bag.
1t was also shown that only some un-
forseeable interference had prevented the
realization Of this plan. Further than
this the police could not go. After IL
while the horrible affair was forgotten
by the public.
Curious Blackmail Letters.
Early in the present year the head
of the Leipzig publishing house of J. j.
Weber began to be pestered with black
mailing letters, written in a fegned
antique calligraphy, which suggested
scholarly associations. and in a peculiar
pompous and f1orid style But the most
remarkable point about these commune
cations was that the writer claimed to
be the author of no fewer than twenty
murders, among them that of the two
Friedrichs, and offered the publisher
memoirs describing these crimes for the
sum of $1,250.
AS proof of his authenticity he men,
toned where the watches stolen from
the Friedrichs had been sold The po-
lice went to the address mentioned, and
there. sure enough, were the missing
articles.
It was now quite clear that the black
mailer was either the murderer himself
or in close touch with him. Consequent
ly elaborate arrangements We're made to
catch him.
The ciphered replies he asked for
was left at the shops designated by
him.
Though detectives encircled these
places in an almost impenetrable ring,
they We're unable to lay hand on this
clever scoundrel. Once or twice he ac-
tually succeeded in carrying off the bait
from under their noses.
After each failure the police received
deriSive letters, jeerfng at their In
competence and lack of penetration
Explains Strange Crime.
One Of these missives. which came
as sequel to an unsuccessful trap in a
confectioner's shop, contained the fol-
lowing passage:
"Ah, they never guessed that in the
lady in dark blue costume, who bought
various kinds of cakes and pastry, and
later promenaded up and down outside,
they had before them him whom they
sought so eagerly. Yet l can well believe
that many a lady would have envied me
that waist.
with the modern developments Of cos
metics at ones disposal il is not difficult
with a little adroitneSS-to perSonate a
lady, which the Leipsic authorities ought
to know. Apart from ignoring the lady
they showed themselves this time little
than in the past"
Whether or not the suggestion that the
blackmaier had personated woman
was true, II was quite clear lIdL ne Hdu
moved about unnoticed among the detec-
tives and was acquainted with every step
they took.
One shop was watched for quite long
period The first day on which the vigil
was relaxed a messenger slipped in and
fetched away the bait. The local police
were reinforced by the most skllful GRIM
inal investigators from Berlin. but all in
vain.
Meanwhile the affair had taken a fresh
turn which rendered the mystery still
more bewildering One of the blackmail-
ing letters contained the following mar
ration:
lone very rainy day Of September, 1907,
a we'll dressed lady. with a white boa
came with quick, short steps along the
sse. Immediately behind her
could be seen gentleman Of some twen
ty-eight or thirty years. also well dressed,
who was obviously taking great pains to
keep as nearly as possible only one step
behind the lady.
Clearly, the lady had no suspicion of