The Elbert County tribune., 1916-12-01

TO some o. the minor mfsdeeds of the
gang and then she went a little further.
and confessed sundry grave crimes.
and then, as the magistrate still kent
up his questioning, she told story
that shook Switzerland from one. end
to the other.
She said that her brother and two
or three others of the celebrated gang.
had murdered Her Keller. They had
been hired TO do so by two eminent
citizens of Lucerne. and had ambushet.
themselves in some shrubbery border
Ing the path along the Reuss on that
night OF storm. They knew Keller
would come that way, but were not
expecting his daughters. When they
saw the outlines of the girls in the
darkness they thought their plans were
frustrated, but just then one of the
girls turned back to find her shoe, and
at that moment they seized Keller and
threw him into the water. The stery
agreed in every particular with the
known facts, and the resulting sensa.
ton was tremendous.
The alleged instigators of the crime
were at once arrested and thrown into
jail. They were Joseph Pfyffer and
DR.. Leodegar dOrelli, citizens of high
standing members of the cantonal
council and leaders of the Uluamon.
tame party. Their hatred of Keller
had been well known, and 1t was
against them that the dark hints OF
foui play were directed Immediately
after the death of Keller.
A dragnet was put out for the va.
grants and many of them, including
the chief, were brought In. The trial
was long drawn out, and Switzerland
was In ferment while 1t lasted. The
confession of Klara Wendell was cor
roborated by her brother and the al
legged accomplices. They confessed so
freely and fully, and with such en-.
gaglng candor, as to create some sus.
picion. Their story was that they had
met Doctor dOrelli and Pfyffer Mt an
ale house on the evening of the crime.
ana had agreed to remove Keller for a
certain sum of money which would be
handed over as soon as the deed was
done. The doctor Informed them that
Keller would return home on foot after
eight o'clock. and they laid in wait for
him, as related above. The job done,
John Wendell waited upon the doctor
next day and was paid his wages I'm
gold.
Inc story was circumstantIal and
covered every possible point, but Wen
uei was such notorious liar, and his
associates were so celebrated for plain
and fancy perjury, that the very
smoothness of their story created
doubts In the minds of the jurymen. As
the trial went on, and the witnesses
We're examined and re-examlned. and
badgered by lawyers, they began to
contradict each other and to confess
things which were known to be untrue
so Ii was easy in the end to shoot their
testimony full of holes, and the doctor
ana Pfyffer were acquitted, after hay
ing been In jail six months. They suf-
fered more than the Imprisonment.
however, for they were ostracized MS
long as they lived. The acquittal failed
10 convince their neighbors that the
story of the Wendels was untrue.
In order that nobody might accuse
the court Of grinding away for six
months to no purpose, John Wendell
was placed on trial at once, and, after
brisk and breezy trial. was convicted
Oh murder, perjury, arson, assault and
oattery, mayhem and sundry other
crimes, and was promptly hanged, to
the great qualification of the leading
business men. Deprived Of Its chief
ana inspiration, the heImatlosen lost
its grip, and twenty years later 1t was
practically extinct.