Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-21
CONSPIRACY IN. LEPPIN CASE
Facts Discovered Tending to Prove
Murder Theory.
LETTERS, NOT WRITTEN BY HIM
Belief They Were Forged ana Put
I'm Pocket Arises on Exaninn-
tion OF ITandwritinE-
Carried Mach Money.

Wen planned conspiracy 10 commit rob
bery and murder and then cover up the
trail by throwing suspicion upon perhaps
an innocent person may be disclosed in
connection with the death OF william
Leppin. the, aged German roundhouse en-
ploye found.dead and hidden IN the weeds
near the Milwaukee roundhOuse in Coun-
cal BUTTS Saturday. The conviction that
the old man was murdered and robbed
and his body carried TO the point more
than 200 yards from where his burned
shack stood was materially strengthened
yesterday BY the discovery Of additional
facts.
The first startling discovery was that
thes letters to the chief Of police which
save the only Suggestion Of suicide were
not written by the old man or signed by
him. Former Park Commissioner Martin
schmidt Is the foreman in charge OF the
roundhouse and was the employer Of Lep.
pin and his half-witted son. lilo exam
tned the letters yesterday for the first
time and AZ once declared his doubt that
Leppin had, written them. This was fur.
Their confirmed by examination OF the
signature. with which Foreman schmidt
was quite familiar, as II was signed fire.
suentiy 10 retelpts for pay checks. etc.
The signature OF the weak-mlnded son
was also familiar TO the foreman in the
same way. To settle this doubt a request
was yesterday sent TO Dubuque for the
return Of a number OF Leppin's signatures
Tor fhe purpose 'of comparison, together
with those Of the son.
Keys Inside Car.
Another bit Of evidence showing muir.
Cor was the finding OF the old mans keys
inside the partly burned dlsmounted box
ear that served as a clubhouse, and the
discovery also that the door was locked
when the fire was discovered.
The discovery was also mado that an
old trunk In the car In which the old
man kept his papers and little keepaakes
had been. broken open and the contents
scattered over flie Surface OF a table and
the floor Among them were papers and
letters ofsscmg importance. These were
left, butin tbs, old mans coat were found
q number OF keepsdkes and photographs
which hid apparently been thrust into
his pockets. IN a ,oharred part OF the
car was also found tho metal frame
work OF an Ivers-J ohnson revolver. The
old man was lSnown only to have As
ealiber Colts automatic. with which he
had evidently been killed and winch is
missing.
The belief Is becoming stronger that
the old man was robbed and, murdered
and his body carried to the point where
found, the car locked with another key
after being set afire on this inside.
e NO Trace of hoy.
The conviction ds equally strong that
the weak-minded boy could mot have
written the letters. as they Indicate the
work OF q fairly well educated person.
No trace OF the boy has been found. II
the conspiracy was planned TO cast sua-
picion upon liiin Il Was well executed.
The old man could not have locked, hts
doot without his Keys left on the Inside.
The son had q Key and Il is mot be-
iieved that there were any others.s search
was made yesterday in The fields Tor the
body OF the unfortunate boy. who may
also have been murdered, The fact has
been well established that the aged man
had several hundred dollars which he
carried on his person. lie exhibited 500
several weeks ago and received $50 on
Friday. a few hours before his murder