The Sun. — 1823-10-08 (London, England)

HORRID MURDER.  COLOGNE, SEPT. 22.—An individual accused of many murders has been arrested at Beul, a village on the right bank of the Rhine, opposite to Bonn. He has already confessed three murders, the recital of which is enough to make the mind shudder. The following is an account of the means by which these atrocious crimes were discovered. An inhabitant of Reid, named Moll, a shoemaker, and Henry Ochs, of Cologne, a tailor, had 'served together in the same company of the 28th Regiment, and were united in the closest bonds of friendship; they returned to their homes sifter some years of service, and resumed their former occupations. Moll came frequently to visit his friend Oche, .)who was married at Colo,,ene. The young married folk always. received and treated him with much affection. The Judicial authority took cognizance last year of the double disappearance of Moll's step-mother, twenty-eight years old, and of his own young brother : search was made after the persons, but in vain. Moll having given rise to some suspicions, was arrested; but for want of sufficient proofs was discharged from arrest after a detention of some months, and resumed his connection with Ochs as before. The latter wishing to Make purchases at the fair of Putz. yen, not far from Beul, held on the Bth of September, set out on the 7th, having procured sixty Prussian crowns, in. forming his wife that 'he would take lodgings at the house of his friend Moll. After she had waited the return of her hus. band for eight days, she began to feel considerable anxiety, and sent a confidential person to make inquiries for him. This messenger arrived at Beul on the 18th, and saw Moll wearing the clothes, and using the pipe of his friend Ochs ; struck with these signs he returned to Bonn, and communicated them to the officers of justice. The Judge instructor in. stantly dispatched the civil power, and having surrounded' Moll's residence, proceeded to, make a domiciliary visit.— They presently discovered some loose planks on the floor of the work-house ; on raising which they perceived the extreinities of mutilated bones sticking out from a hole filled with earth, like those in which peasants usually preserve their potatoes. They dugout three bodies in succession, the first of which was recoguized as that of the unfortunate Ochs. While the officers were busied in the work of exhumation, Moll escaped through the window, and baffled the vigilance of the Police with such caution that they were not able to retake him until about nine o'clock at night, whenhe was discovered in the middle of a field, in which he had lain down through excessive fatigue. He was brought back to the Judges' OffiCe, "where he foetid before him the three bodies exposed to view ; at first he, wished to deny every thing, but the impressive and ingenious interrogations of the Judge, pressed him so closely, that he became confused and inconsistent in his answers,, end in the end the voice of conscience succeeded in wringing from him the horrible confession of his crimes. He then confessed, with floods of .tears, that 15 months ago he assassinated his step. Mother. He afterwards avowed that he assassinated his own bro. tiler, because he possessed' the power of revealing the former deeds; he moreover confessed themurder of his friend Ochs, which be committed on the night of the 7th of this month. An inquiry into many other murders is on foot, which also are attributed to this monster, and on which he still continues ro tundergo examinations. 'M. Schiller, son to the celebrated pis employed in conducting the investigation of this affair. 21. We understand that the inhabitants of Beul, fired with detestation of the murderer Moll, assembled last Saturday, and destroyed his house, which was situated in an Isolated spot at the extremity of the village. After they had demolished it from roof to foundation, they collected the combustible materials, set them on fire, and scattered the ashes to the winds. This act of simultaneous was indignation per followeformed ino n a mother oment, and (we are happy to learn) wd by excess.—Wensfitationnel qf Saturday.)