New-York tribune., 1921-03-03
Brainst0r1n To
Be Defense of
Woman Slayer
Mrs. Orthwein, Who Killed
Chicagoan, Released OH
$4,000 Bond; Weeps
While i'll Court Room
Blackmail Plot Seen
Father of the Slain Man
Urges Police to Rum Down
Reported Extortion Clew
Special Dispatch to Tho Tr.bun,


CHICAGO, March 2.--Mrs. Isabella
Cora Orthwein, former st. Louis society
woman and divorce, went home this
afternoon. The $4,000 demanded by
the state as bond pending the outcome
OF the Investigation Of the killing of
Herbert P. ziegler yesterday morning,
was furnished by Harry p. Branstetter,
president of an automobile concern.
Mrs. Orthwein stood by during the
proceedings, her red hat, black veil,
voluminous mink coat and flashing
diamonds holding even the court at
attaches admiring eyes. The night in
the Detention Home cell had seemingly
agreed with her. Not until after she
had signed her name to the bond did
she show any signs of emotion. There
upon she began to weep, wringing her
hands and murmuring softly: ooh,
God, dear mel"
Attorneys Benedict Short and George
Guesther represented Mrs. Orthwein
She left the courtroom in the company
OF Edward Clifford. brother-in- n-law.
"brainstorm' defense was outlined
for Mrs. Orthwein during the day. Sud
den swapping Of brain already half
ungovernable through repeated drink
ing Of fiery liquors, and goaded into
momentary madness when. at 1880 a..
M. "Herb" forced entrance into her
apartment, is her only reason for hav-
ing shot Ziegler. district manager of
the Goodyear Tire Company, she in
ssts. She says that she was not an
gered to the point of killing him be-
cause he had been in the company Of
another woman--shc was only "heart-
broken"
Police on Blackmai1 Clew
The police. urged on by the father Of
Ziegler, cndeavored to run down clcws
which offered new theory for the
shooting. This was the story that
there had been another man in Mrs
Orthwein's apartment at SIS Surf
Street when Ziegler came breaking in
through the door. The police theory
has it that this other man was black
mailer working in connection with
some one close to Mrs. Orthwein, and
that there had been a conspiracy to
"shade down" Ziegler by threatening
to tell his wife of his affair with the
Surf Street woman"
The police declare IT, at the story
told by Eddie Nelson, Ziegler's chauf-
feur, tends to corroborate the black
mail theory Nelson declared that his
employer had made up his mind "to
reform" and 60 back to his wife and
family.
"He told me he was going back" said
Nelson. "He meant it. too. although
the night of the shooting he met an
other woman at Wilson Avenue and
Sheridan Road ! drove there, and
then took both Of them to the Rainbow
Gardens. Ziegler's life was threatened
by Mrs. Orthwein long before this
thing happened"
knew of Extortion Plot
This was denied by the slayer to-
of the existence of man who was
trying to extort money from Mrs
Ziegler, as we'll as Mr. Ziegler. The
man is alleged to have offered to sup
ply Mrs. Ziegler with information CON
cerning Mrs. Orthwein for $500.
Herbert told me about that hlm-
self Mrs. Orthwein explained.
Oblivlous of the scmi-politica oX~
citement that her party and its tragic
finale had stirred up in the city, Mrs
Orthwein arrived in the squaid Shelf
uc4u avenue courtroom aitlfeu as II
for matinee. She glittercd with gems,
and her clothes, most of them gifts
from Ziegler. held the unaccustomcd
eyes Of the courtroom crowd
81 am tired,' she said. II could only
drink a glass of milk this morning.
I'm so anxious TO get home. It's getting
awful"
Zieglcr's father, hearing that the
woman was free, vowed that he would
leave nothing undone to prove that her
version Of the shooting was a fake
and that his son had been killed in cold
blood.