Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-21
Famous Trials
JOHN PAUL FORSTER

The trial of John Paul Forster heads |
the list of striking German criminal trl-
ais The story Itself SOUNDS like one OF
the cheap crime SORES which produced
creeps down our backs years ago. The
man himself is typical villain man
Of his word, and STUBBORN until death.
tlne crime was committed between -
c,e.ock on the 20th Of SEPTEMBER and t
o'clock in the next morning in the year
Of 1920.
The murdered were Christopher Bau-
nlier, "a worthy citizen of Nuremberg,
who was q conr chandler and braRoy
seller in the Konigatrasse,'' and his maid
servant, Anna Catharina Schultz. Forster,
the prisoner. was arrested at Deisbeck on
the 23rd, lhe third day after the murder
along with hi snristress. Margaret Phi
ess. In her house were found TIVE bags
containing much money altogether over
500 norins. He was arrested because it
was testified that he had been. seen for
many days waking up and down the
street In front OF Baufilier's Wine Shop
The prisoners were taken to Nurem-
| berg on the Gath and there were con-
! frented with tAe bodies The woman
sfranA back, crying that she was faint.
Forster swore c oily that he mad never
seen them or the people before and he
even handled the horribly mutilated bod
| les caTelessly. Forster wa sarraign be-
fore the judge on the same day
/ First several villagers testified that
upon passing the shop OF the dead man
4 at oaleek they found it closed, which
they thought was strange seeing that
for years he had opened at 5. No doub.
they had called each morning for their
glass OF toddy. Calling the police they
| burst in the door and discovered the
bloody ccrpse of the maid in q corner
close to the street door, and in the PAR
Tor they found BaiJrrnfer lying dead beside
the stove with his pockets rified. Blood
! covered the walls and floor and even the
Getting, which was or 10 feet high, had
been SDattered with blood. A doctor tes
Titled that upon his examination of the
wounds he found that the skulls of both
una 1rtunate persons had been crushed
with probably a Ratchet The ribs of both
were broken, but this, he though was the
result OF the murderer jumping on tht
, cerpses. The baker down the street, Stier.
nof testified that about a quarter to ter
OF the night preceding the maid camt
for two haafperny rolls. She seemed peey
= ed that hhe should have had to come on
; SO late His wife upheld his evidence
and added that upon her asking the cir
II they stlH had guests, she replied
Yes, there are few fellows there still.
These same rolls were found right be
/. . side the girls body inside the door. whicl
seemed to show that she was kiTed b
someone who was waiting for her. Sev
eral of the men who had been drfnlfia
: Were then examined Without SEEING tn
prisoner, they said that an unknown ma,
: tail dark, with black hair and beard ha
been slipping red wine in the corner ri
right. He seemed to have been there whe
n | the last one left.
The authorities then came TO the con
y elusio1 that. a "tael, dark, unknown ms
s with slack ffair and 7oeard,''' presun,ahI
FORSTER, mad awaited till the shop wa
6 empty, had seen the ma id 60 for III
= rolls jumped upon ''mine host where h
4 sat on low stool and murdered and rofs
4 bed him. Then he had waited behind tn
). door and killed the maid as She entera,
= Both the prisoners protested their inne
:, cence, and the woman was released rru
= proving satisfactory aitbi.
h Forster said that upon the night {
1t the dcIIble crime he was walking frel
d st. John to a neighborjng Village. II
Il explained his having the money by sal
l. ing that while in prison an associai
h had told him of a sum of money wF,ie
n he he deposited and that he died in DR.
" SON. This was shown to be false by II
IS testimony of Dorr, a leadpencil make
l. who lived in the sam ehohse as the Fo
ia steTs. He testified that Forster came hon
- about 2 O'Clock or the morning aft,
"a the crime and called to his father to |
Is him IN. The father came down aceon
~ panied by the sister, when they an stoe
q outside taking for about half an hou
y The next morning Forster was gone Or,
s1iiifaRdy hoto-picking Another piece
IN evidence was the finding of blood-stail
= ed hatehet at the home OF Forster
e. Then the prisoner became penitent al
y said that AIN his story was lies and
Connected another about being in the VII
shop waiting for friends, but he had lie
early and knew nothing OF the 1nurde
70 this story he stuck to the end. He e
planned all the evidence away, saying tn
the stains On the handle of the ak we
not blood His denials were so emphat
ana startling that EVEN the Judge W
| impressed. That several accemplices we
II present seems sure, as the maid herst
had remarked that several fellows" we
still present But still the guilty m;
u stuck to his story Hike shiywreck
e sailor to a 3iece Of driftwood. AS nc, ey
ne witnesses to the murder eosad be foIl
K. ana no Confession extorfad from Forst
al sehfe.-ee was Passsd on july %, 1921,
e. the eject that John Paul Forster W
rs tconyicted Of the murder and that he
Of teerdelTneH to if115f sohhnAat for life
IN chains HIS mistress Margaret Fl
re iss, wEs aestiittSl