The Coolidge examiner., 1934-11-02
True Detective
Story BY v.oe. Wynn
G Public Ledger
The -Splashed Ring

dropped through the earth. but few
OF these mysteries have been quite
as weird as that OF Marie Anna
uolzmanu. 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 say.
ing that she was In the habit OF
leaving for a few days at a time.
and he did not want to cause un.
necessary excitement.
The police felt that II was in
cumbent upon them 10 do some.
thing. so they placed the shoemaker
under arrest.
He was held as "a material wit
ness"
Many weeks went by without the
discovery OF anything TO account
for this strange disappearance.
Then the shoemaker was re
leased.
He went TO his home and. prowl.
ing about the loft OF the house
made a CHASTITY discovery.
IL was the trunk of a human
body stuck In n bag and fastened
to the rafters.
The police were called In for a
second time. and on this occasion
they succeeded In locating differ
ent parts OF the body In various
parts OF the house.
The remains were assembled and
a popularity OF the teeth made Il
clear that the body was that OF
Marie Anna Holzmann.
After that the authorities began
to use their brains.
They made II their business to
iind out who else had lived In the
house az 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-wltted. and
the other was John Rauschmeir. a
shrewd and unprincIpled sort oi
chap who had no visible means ot
livelihood.
The Bavarians did what the po
lice OF New York or Chicago would
have done under the circumstances
They located the two men nnt
they shadowed them for many
weary days.
So far as Steiner was concerned
II was loves labor lost. and they
pinned their hope upon Rauschmeil
doing something that might incrim
mate himself.
Their expectations were realized
One day the mar went into 9
pawnshop and offered to pledge &
woman's coat.
II was a coat that had belonged
10 Marie Anna Holzmann!
The man was arrested and ac
cused OF the murder.
But he laughed at the charge
He admitted that he was a crimina
and cheerfully confessed that he haC
stolen the coat from the girls room
but ridieuled the idea of having hat
anything 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 cheaT
ring-a mans ring that was splasheC
with blood.
Inquiries were made In the neigh
borhood. and a man was found who
said that he had seen this ring on
Rauschmeir's finger.
That was rather convincing. but
the police hesItated TO show It tC
the man for fear that he might
deny ownership and thus spoil their
case.
How could they contriye to make
him admit that the ring belonged t.
him without letting him know that
such an admission would be fatal
to him?
They recalled the play scene In
Hamlet" when the moody Dane de
clared that the play was the thing
to catch the conscience OF the king
Why could not little play on
their part convict this man they be
lieved TO be a murderer?
1t was worth the attempt.
So the police gathered together a
quantity OF jewelry and placed II
on a table. together with the ring
which had been washed OF its blood
stains.
They brought Rauschmelr from
his cell and pointed to the loot
upon the table.
what Is the use of your denying
that you committed murder" said
inc police chief, when we have
here the stun you stole from the
girls roomY"
Il didn't steal It," retorted the
man. and, seeing the ring. he picked
It up. saying: "As proof Of ii. there
is ny own ring"
He slipped it on his finger, and
that little incident was the bit Of
evidence upon which a case was
builI which ended in his conviction
and execution.
AENE Service