Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-11-08
TRUE--717F
by Vance ~' crueus L"ds''
The Blood-S plashed Ring


1 persons have disappeared as COM
pletely as though they had dropped
through the earth, but few Of these
mysteries have been quite as weird
as that of Marie Anna Holzmann, Of
Augsburg, Bavaria.
She had lodged for years with q
shoemaker In that town. but he did
not report the case for a month after
she had left the house.
He explained the delay by saying
that she was in the habit Of leaving
for a few days at a time, and he did
not want to cause unnecessary excite
ment.
The police felt that 1t was incum-
bent upon them to do something, 80
they placed the shoemaker under ar
rest.
He was held as "a material witness"
Many weeks went by without the
discovery of anything to account for
this strange disappearance.
Then the shoemaker was released.
He went to his home and, prowling
about the loft of the house, made q
CHASTITY discovery.
1t was the trunk Of q human body
stuck in a bag and fastened to the
rafters. a
The police were called In for a sec.
ond time, and on this occasion they
succeeded In locating different parts
OF the body in various parts Of the
house.
The remains were assembled and a
popularity of the teeth made 1t clear
that the body was that Of Marie Anna
Holzmann.
After that the authorities began to
use their brains.
They made 1t their business to find
out who else had lived in the house at
the time the girl lived there.
They learned that two men had been
there for at least part of the time.
One was Charles Steiner. who was
supposed to be half INVITED, and the
other was John Rauschmeir, a shrewd
and unprincipled sort OF chap who had
no visible means Of livelihood.
The Bavarians did what the police
OF New York or Chicago would have
done under the circumstances.
They located the two men and they
Swallowed them for many weary days.
SO far as Steiner was concerned, II
was loves labor lost, and they pinned
their hope upon Rauschmeir doing
something that might incriminate him.
self.
Their expectations were realized.
One day the mar went into a pawn
shop and offered to pledge a woman's
coat.
1t was a coat that had belonged tc
Marie Anna Holzmannl
The man was arrested and accused
of the murder.
But he laughed at the charge. He
adsNtted that he was a criminal anc
chaerfully confessed that he had stol
en- the coat from the girls room, but
ridiculed the idea of having had any
thing to do with her murder.
But stimulated with the progress
they were making. the police made
third search of the lodgings.
This time they found a cheap ring
a mans ring that was splashed witt
blood.
Inquiries were made In the neighbor
, hood, and a man was found who sale
that he had seen this ring on Rausch
meir's finger.
That was rather convincing, but th'
police hesitated to show 1t to the mar
for fear that he might deny owner
ship and thus spoil their case.
, How could they centrive tNS maxi
him admit that the ring beltd8Ad tt
him without letting him know tina
, such an admission would be fatal tt
, him.
They recalled the play scene II
Hamlet, when the moody Dane de
clared that the play was the thing tt
catch the conscience Of the king.
Why could not a little play on theii
part convict this man they believed
to be a murderer?
? 1t was worth the attempt.
So the police gathered together
, quantity of jewelry and placed 1t Oh
a table. together with the ring. whicl
! had been washed of It's bloodstains.
!, They brought Rauschmeir from hi
cell and pointed to the loot upon tn
! table.
what is the use of your denyin|
that you committed murder" said tn
: police chief, when we have here tn
, stuff you stole from the girls room7
II didn't steal It." retorted the man
and, seeing the ring, he picked 1t up
: saying: AS a proof Of 1t, there Is m.
, own ring"
He slipped 1t on his finger, and tina
!. little incident was the bit of evidenc
: upon which a case was built whicl
: ended In his conviction and execution
wNU Service.