The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-27
CAUSED MURDER
OF AN EMPRESS
Processes Anarchist Arrested
by Cincinnati Police.
HE TELLS OF HIS WORK
Speeches Prompted Assassin alton of
Empress of Austrla-story May
be Rusc TO Get Free Ride
TO Washington.
HE TELLS OF HIS WORK
from the New York World.

From the New York World.
Cincinnati.-The police have in custody
here, awaiting Instructions from Wash
inston. man whose confession has filled
them with loathing for him.
He declares he was for many years the
chief orator in Europe of the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Anarchists. and
that his oratory led to most of the assas-
sinations including that of the innocent
aged Empress of Austria He gives the
name of Charles Ernst Keppler, and is q
German about SO years of age.
This man, who, according to his own
story, has evaded time after time the
cordons OF troops and police thrown
around cities after the murder, or at
tempted murder. of some royal parsonage
and has eluded the detectives of every
country, walked into the central police
station here and gave himself up, ac-
cusing himself of the petty larceny Of SIC
at Washington.
When questioned why he had surren-
dered he gradually unfolded history
that held the police spellbound
Warned by n Vision.
In a Dream he said. 81 saw as in a
vision. the spirit OF my dead mother. and
she was weeping for me. / could see her
features plainly. and as she sobbed she
said to me. Ernst, my son, remember
as you have sown go shall you reap.
And | was afraid of death. A Pole. a
former brother anarchist. who calls him
self William Richardson. is trying to
hound me back to our old bloody work.
He followed me from Washington and
was threatening me- But L want to be
through with the old life.
81 have never killed anyone myself. I
never drew the number that meant being
the minister of death. But / have many
times caused the doom of sovereign to
be passed and the fatal lots to be cast.
For | was the orator of the movement
and mine was the voice that stirred the
orga nization to action.
'That Pole was threatening me. ] want
now, il ] can. to earn an honest living.
1t was for that / came to America last
May. and would have succeeded I think
but that circumstances drove me to steal
$40 at Westinghouse that Pole knew
of it,
1T was easy enough to get into this
country. Anyone can do so If he is
smart. Only the fools butt up against the
authorities and get stopped | came in
as sailor. There was no difficulty, no
question. / went direct to Paterson. N
j., where I had some friends, anarchists
/ got money from them and went on to
Washington, stopping at Philadelphia and
Baltimore on the way.
Had to Hurry.
But at Washington my friends found
had made up my mind to leave the
party, and | had to get out quickly
had not enough money, SO / took that suit
of clothes and the $40. And that Pole
knew of It,
IT might have known that he would
soon trace me. We all know where the
others are. and what their business is
Your wireless isn't better than our sys-
TEN of communication.
MY father was, a schoolmaster at
Wurtemberg, and he gave me a good edu-
cation. But | got into bad company al
the university and was expelled. Then
Joined the anarchists, and because l had
the gilt of CAB they made me their mes
senger from city to city, all over the con-
tinent of Europe.
Language came easy to me. | visited
Russia. France. Italy, Austria, Spain,
Switzerland. Portugal, England and Bel
GUM. Everywhere preached the mis-
sion of blood, for | was an active believer
in our work then.
More than that, | was a very good
spy l seemed to have the knack of
evading the police, and that helped to
make a spy of me.
After the ASA ssination OF the EN-
press of Austria 1 got away. simply dis
guised as musician. Geneva was in the
hands of the troops at the time on ac-
count of the murder. l stayed and played
to them and then played myself off.
''The Empress's murder was due to a
fiery speech l made at our meeting. l
could talk we'll then and could stir them
all up to action.
THE story that Giuseppe the Empress
assassin, died in prison isn't true. He is
alive and they are letting him have a
good time in prison. for his cell is full of
books and he spends all his time in study.
He was fond of books and learning. l
was in Zurich last March and talked with
a man who had seen and spoken to Gui-
seppe only few days before.
my last job, ] mean one due to my or
atory was the attempt on the King of
Spain on the day of his marriage to
Princess Victoria of England, when a
bouquet of flowers with bomb in it was
thrown at the carriage and several troop
ers and citizens were killed because of
the bad aim. l got out then disguised
as a donkey driver and made my way to
Barcelona and then to Hamburg"
And on the man went, showing his in
innate acquaintance with every, miscreant
who ever welded dagger. hurled a
bomb or pressed the fatal, and his famil-
bomb or pressed the fatal trigger, and
his familiarity with the circumstances of
every one of the assassinations that
spread terror throughout the world. The
police grew sick with the details.
Keppler concluded by saying that after
he had arrived at Cincinnati he obtained
work shovelng snow in front of Hoem-
ers hotel. in Twelfth street. and after
ward was taken on regularly by Hoem-
en- But then Richardson came along and
said he was wanted by the circle at
Washington.
So he gave himself up, he said, so that
his former friends ''could have nothing
to hold over my head.
The police here are waiting to hear
from the capital whether the theft of the
suit of clothes and the $40 is true. Mean
while they have received instructions to
keen Kpnpler close