The Washington times., 1917-10-11
NURSE WHO SLEW
RICH TEXAN CLAIMS
JUSTIFICATION"

SAN ANTONIO. Tex, Oct. 11.-De-
claring that she will plead before the
world justification for the killing,
Miss Emma Hedda Burgemeister, at
trsctive German nurse, is here to
answer the Indictment charging her
with the murder of Otto Koehler, null
ti-millionaire president Of the San An
tonic Brewing Association, who was
shot and killed on the afternoon of
November IL, 1914.
With her attorney, ex-Gov. Thomas NJ.
Campbell, Miss Burgemeister appear
ed in a district court and surrendered.
She was weeping, but when the war
rant OF arrest was read by Sheriff
John w. Tobin she quickly regained
control of herself.
Enters $4,000 Bond.
Habeas corpus proceedings for her
release Immediately were instituted.
Judge w. S. Anderson refusing to ac-
cept a bond of $500 offered. By
agreement. hearing OF the application
was set for Friday morning, October
10. Judge Anderson then fixed the
defendants bond until the hearing at
S25,OO0.
Miss Burgemeister now has pending
suit to Fescind action forfeiting her
bond OF 1900, which was given in
1914. She failed to appear at that
time, and her attorney read a note In
court to the effect she had gone to
Germany.
Miss Burgemeister alleges the bond
was given without her consent, that
she was forced to leave San Antonio
under threats from county Officials,
and that the signatures to the bond
were fictitious.
District Attorney D. G. McAsktll,
when in New York recently, met Miss
Burgemeister and promised her a fair
trial IL she returned. Miss Burge-
meister was met at the station by rep
resentatives from the district attor-
ney's office and her own counsel.
CONFIDENT Of ExOnerGtiOn.
Miss Burgemeister left New York
last Thursday night. voluntarily, to
insist that she be tried for the muir
der OF Otto Koehler. She is confident
that she will be exonerated on hsI
plea of self-defense.
1t is her intention then to sue the
Koehler estate for S21 900 on two
notes OF $4,000 each, bearing interest
4NOChANl BdNC ~ hNA-
In this matter she will make Koch
ler's widow, executrix of the estate,
ar State Senator Carlos Bee, lawyer
and nephew of Postmaster General
Burleson, defendants. Bee. she al
legged was given the two $4,000
notes to collect, but has sent only
three remittances-S750 and 81, 800 in
1915 and 81 900 this year.
Koehler was a constant visitor at
the San Antonio cottage OF the Ger
man nurse, who, although well along
in her thirties, was much younger in
appearance. What trouble grew up
between them never has been clearly
told. One reason given for the re-
luctance of the San Antonio authori-
ties to put her on trial for murder
lies in an avoidance of putting the
family under the light OF
such publicity as a murder trial
would involve.
On the night OF Koehler's death
Miss Burgemeister and a friend, Mrs
Daschel, were in her cottage when he
called. Mrs. Daschel since has said
that Miss Burgemeister was despond-
ent, and told Koehler she meant to
kill herself They left Mrs. Daschel
and went to another room to discuss
matters.
Mrs. Daschel heard three pistol
shots. She ran screaming out of the
house. alarming neighbors, who found
the door of the room in which
were Koehler and Miss Burgemeister
locked. It was forced open, and the
was found dead. He had
three bullet wounds-in the head, |
neck, and breast. Miss .Burgemeister !
had swOoned: there was a deep cash |
IN her right wrist.