The New York herald., 1922-01-22
Murder Trials and Violation
of Morals Offer Astound-
ing Revelations.
SHOCKING TO FOREIGNERS
Trial Of Beautiful Undraped
Dancer Divides Public
Opinion on Art.

Sseciol Cable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1898, by THE New YoRK EErALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin. Jan. 81.
Germany seems to be making bid
to outstrip all the world as land Of
sensational crimes. No Landru has
yet presented himself. but the long
list Of prosecutions for murder and
violations OF public morals offers
plenty Of sensational material. Still
fresh in the public mind is the Grupen
case, in which Peter Grupen, an ex-
soldier, said to have possessed hyp-
motto. powers, was found guilty Of the
murder Of Dorothea Rohrbeck. thir-
teen-year-old heiress Of Keppelsdorf
Castle, and Of her cousin. Ursula
Schade. who was Grupen's stepdaugh-
ter.
The two girls were found SHOT to
dealt in the castle. A note was found
in which Ursula announced her in
tention to kill her cousin. But Grupen
was accused Of having compelled the
girl to write the letter or commit the
crime through the influence Of hyp-
notism after his proposals Of mar
riage to Dorotfea had been rejected.
Another strange element Of this case
was the mysterious disappearance of
Grupen's wife, woman Of turbulent
and morbid nature.
This case was followed closely by tho
Schlieffen trial, in which Count Hans
Heinrich Won Schlieffen, member of a
very old and aristocratic family, con-
fessed to having planned the murder OF
his cousin with the aid Of an accomplice
in order to gain possession OF his uncle $
property. The young Counts confession
came after his mother. the aged Count
ess Elenore Won Schlieffen. had been ac-
cused of plotting the murder of her
nephew. AS this case involves not only
one of the most respected families, but
one Of the oldest properties of German
aristocracy. it naturally has aroused
widespread interest.
Nude Dancing Rebuked.
Leaving the murder field. Germany
offers other sensational material char
acteristic Of the gay life In Berlin In
the trial Of Celiy de Rheidt. the wife Of q
poor army lieutenant, whose public dane
ing entirely unclothed led to her arrest
and prosecution. AS In the case of Ar
thur Schnitzler's play "Reigen," which
though ten years old was recently sub
jected TO court action on the grounds OF
, indecency the trial Of Nine. de Rheidt
has divided the public into two groups,
one clamoring for freedom on the stage
and the other for a stronger censorship
in the name Of social decency.
The question. What is art? played an
important role in the trial OF the
Schnitzler play. which resulted in ac-
| quittal, but an attempt to lend the same
dignity to the De Rheidt case was not
successful. In the dance In question
Nine. de Rheidt, dressed as a nun, ap
peared lying at the foot OF a crucifix.
She arose and began to dance, grad
ually flinglng off her clothing as she
whirled until she was practically nude.
| Among the members Of her company
was onfv one other trained dancer and
she also was most scantily clad.
Experts testified that some OF the
dance numbers were altogether respec-
table. 1t was only when there was a
hint OF can-can movements and in such
scenes as "A Night in a Harem." or in
| the dance of the nun by De Rheidt her
self did the prosecutor believe that pub
lie morals had been outraged.
Accuser Loots Evidence.
Another case symptomatic Of German
conditions to-day Is that OF Edward
Frank, q young merchant, who with his
wife was arrested and charged with
| Turing many respectable young womcr
OF good family to their apartment ir
the Kurfuerstendam, Berlln's Fifth ave
nue., where the victims we're said te
have bcen drugged and hypnotized and
In some cases assaulted.
The case has been pending a year ant
Frank has been under observation te
determine his sanity. The case had
practically been forgotten until the fac
became known that Frank had sue
ceeded IN securing all the evidence
which the police had against him and
had then voluntarily returned IL to the
authorities to proveNthat II was posi-
BILE in Berlin to loot the archives OF the
police department. In this case tho mar
who turned the trick offered also to OBJ
tain Franks photograph from the police
archives, substitute another for II. have
II Cancelled and replaced and an entry
made on the police record that the orig
lnal Of the photograph was dead.
Frank paid 100000 marks for thi.
unusual adventure and kept the polio,
informed Of every step. When hc tolt
the prosecutor about the original offel
he was ridiculed. but two detectives
were assigned TO aid him In setting {
trap to catch the culprit.
On the day the bargain was TO Lave
been fulfilled the detectives were absent
but Frank succeeded single handed II
capturing his man. who Is now In jail.
spoctai Cdbi. 10 THE New YoRK HBssLD.
Copyright, 1929. by TIE New YonK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris. Jan. 81.
A dance that Is considered too shock
ing even for Berlin Is to be produced
az Partisan revue soon. Celly de Rheidt
German danseuse, who Is now OF
trial in a court In Berlin. Is the stai
performer. and a French producer ha,
obtained the attraction" paying hgl
price for It.
A curious fact IN connection will
the production OF the dance In Paris 4
that Celly dc Rhcidt herself is forbidden
Il 10 enter France. Presumably, there
fore, the dancer who will be seen herr
will be her understudy.