Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-10-26
SH0TWOMANAS AS
SHE PLEADED
FOR MERCY
BLEACHED SKELETON
REVEALS CHASTITY CRIME
f Frederick Gebhardt, Run Down
by Police ConfeSses to Brutal
Murder of FriendleSs Ger
man Girl.
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wirel


half ago friendless girl was mur,
dered near Islip, L. |. A week age
her skeleton was found with nothing
to indicate its identity but her jewelrN
and bill of sale from German shop
three tiays later, through the police o
Hamburg, Germany, her identity wa
established as Anna Luther: tonight hel
husband, Frederick Gebhardt confess
ed over his signature that he is The
murderer.
about December. 1907" Gebhard
told the police, II first met Anna Lu'
ther. We married in February, 1905
and went to Europe to live. We re
turned April 6, 1908 she went tt
Henry Wertuph's in Newark, n. j., for
a day or two. On the pretense that
was going to rent an apartment | re-
turned to my home and wife in Astor-
ia. L. l.
II met Anna again on April 8, in
Newark and we went to an address in
3sth street, New York, and then to
Jamaica. l.. I. We stayed in Jamaica
until next day
April o. we went to Bay Shore and
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
headI did not look at her and do not
remember whether / shot her more
than once.
Immediately after I went to the Is
lip depot and took a train for home.
It was nearly dark. | throw the re-
volver out of the car window
IT did not Kill Anna Luther for her
money as the newspapers have stated.
My original reason for marrying Anna
was that [ did not care TO live with
my first wife any longer but as she
my first wife---had given me child
my desire to see my chiid caused me
10 want to get rid of Anna Luther and
return to my first wife and child. This
is why | shot Anna and told her in
Bay shore that I was married and
had a wife and child and must leave
her.
"She screamed and ran and kissed
me and wanted me back and | shot
her"
From the time of his arrest until he
broke down under the questions OF
the detectives, Gebhardt. although he
admitted committing biganly when he
married Anna Luther, denied all
knowledge of her death
How about this letter." asked Cor
oner Savage, and he began to read .
note mailed last night to the German
Consul and signed Otto Mueller. The
letter trapped him into confcssing.
II am the husband" it ran, with
OFT doubt. of the woman. Anna Muel-
Ter. After VIC arrived in New York
from Germany. In April, of last year,
we stayed in New York ten days. Then
we went to Florida for the health of
my wife and settled there for the time
being.
"In Jamaica where I formrely lived
with my wife, she had received Nis-
itor whom sh represented to me to be
a Mr.. Brady of Denver. From Florida
we went to Denver and this Mr.. Brady
called again. In September, 1908. my
wife disappeared, after I reproached
her for seeing Bradley when | happen
cd to be away for two days.
Bradley Is about six feet high, with
LIGHT hair. smooth face and claims "a
BE- real estate dealer. I. Mueller,
will ut once go to Germany to see my
and will then be at
your service
The same inexplicablc impulse
which had prompted Gebhardt to
write this fatal letter had led him to
give to Bradley, who doesn't exist out
side his own Imagination, his own per-
sonal description. As soon as he saw
the letter he grew white and began
to shiver and. before the reading was
excla.-s cd:
"Oh, what's the use anyway? You
have me and ! might az well own
killed her"
Given verbally. the confession was
even more shock kingly brutal. the po-
lice say. than it appears in the formal
language OF the police officers. whose
Gcbhardt signed.
81 had to get rid of her" he said.
'but | did not mean to kill her.
though first 7 could get her to give
me some money for land | did not
own. So I took her down to let her
see the land. She would not come TO
terms and / told her then that I vas
already married and had a child
loved that I was tired of her anc
wanted to go back to my wife. Sht
began TO cry and plead and screamed
and iun about. She told me She loved
me and kissed me. As she put mp her
fac, to kiss me again. ! shot her in
the head
Gebhardt told the police he never
thought IL worth while" TO go back
10 bury her. Instead. he wrote letters
to her friends i'm Newark and Germany
telling them that Anna was in poor
health and had to so TO Florida. Then
he quit "bothering about her"
Gebhardt when he was in Germany.
bought two German police dogs and
II was by tracing the dogs that the