Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-30
GANG
CAUGHTIN BERLIN
Count Wolff Metternich, Said to Be
the Leader, is Arrested at
Vienna.
MAY BE SAVED BY A RUSE
Prison Doctor Gives Out Impression
He is Insane.
GIVES CLUE TO HIS ASSOCIATES
Thieves Moved in Best Society and
Secured Large Sums.
REMARKABLE MURDERESS TAKEN
Caroline Hopf, MonOmRniRc on the
Subject Murder, Pursued Her
Operations in the Black
Forest.
Prison Doctor Gives Out Impression
He is Insane.
Ewes CLUE TO HIS ASSOCIATES
Thieves Moved in Best Society and
Secured Large Sums.
REMARKABLE MURDERESS TAKEN
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

BERLIN, April 29.-(Special to The Bee)
The Berlin police are thorough in their
work, slow but systematic and seldom do
they fail to round up a criminal whom
they are under orders to catch.
The police are slowing gathering the
threads which, is hoped will enable them to
capture all the members of gang of in
ternational swindlers. They were first put
on the track by the arrest in Vienna OF
Count Gilbert Wolff Metternich, who is
charged with uttering false bills of ex-
change This bearer Of name, which
has an honorable record in the annals OF
Austrian diplomacy, now lies in prison.
There is however, some doubt as to whether
his case will come up for trial. For
some time he has been under the obser-
walton Of the prison doctors, as his san
ity has been called in question Strong
efforts are being made to procure his
release on the ground Of mental ire
sponsiblity.
Associates Located.
Meanwhile the examination of Metternich
has been so far fruitful of results that
clues have been obtained to his alleged
associations in a series of swindling opera
tions, and one member of the gang has
been secured by the police. This person
is Stefan Bujas, who has been arrested
in Brussels. His capture was effected
and after being conducted TO the frontier
he was handed over to the German po-
lice. Bujas is fifty-two years of age, and
has had an adventurous career. The first
inquiries into the operations of Meter
mich led the police to the conviction that
they had to deal not with one man ony,
but a clever gang of card sharpers
Numerous complaints reached the author
tiles, showing that the swindlers had been
at work for some time. The chief Of the
gang, it was ascertalned, was Rudolf
| Stallmans His other associates in crime
were Count Metternich ana Bujas, who
have already been captured, and q man
who called himself Baron Korff Konig.
but whose name Is Julius Steinmann.
There was also a fifth member, sup
posed Englishman.
Gang Lived High.
The gang frequented only the very best
hotels. An officer was swindled Of ST.
500 and a doctor of $4,000. The officer
gave 10000 marks in cash and a bill was
presented by one of the swindlers and paid
by the drawer. The police have portraits
of all the gang. The whereabouts of the
Englishman is unknown, while KONG and
Stallmann are travelling.
Murdereas Caught.
A remarkable story of crime has como
| to light as the result of the arrest OF
! Caroline Hapf. A series OF murders in the
Black Forest had kept the people of the
neighborhood in a state of panic. Com
| plete evidence of her completely in the
crimes has now been obtained, and the
doctors have, after examination, come to
the conclusion that the woman is a mono
maniac of a dangerous kind. Insanity
has been traced in her family, and it has
been shown that from quite an early age
she has masQueraded in mans clothes
at intervals
Gay German SpendthrIft.
In the supplementary proceedings in con-
nection with, the bankruptcy OF August
Thyssen Jr., the eldest son of the million.
aire Rhenish- w estphalisn coal and iron
magnate. it was reported by the officia
receiver that claims for debts aggregat
ing over S1S,OOOOOO. had been filed.
Young Thyssen's heaviest creditor is his
fathers firm, to which he owes 1000 900
Other debts range in size from 81 to ST.
10000 the latter being the sum claimed
by Thyssen's former business manager, DR.
Borchardt, who has been sentenced t
four months arrest In fortress for fight
ing a pistol duel with his ex-employer II
February. The receiver stated there wa
no immediate prospect Of a dividend, but h.
had not abandoned the hope that the bank
rupt's father whose fortune was estimated
at S5O,OOOOOO would come to his sons rescu,
for the familys honor.