The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1894-06-02 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

WOMAN GAGGED AND STRANGLED.  A terrible tragedy occurred on Friday evening at a small hotel in the Shaftesbury-avenue, about mid-way between the Palace Theatre and the Holborn end of the thoroughfare. It appears that the house in question has been tenanted for a considerable time by a German named Rasch, who, with his wife,had carried on a considerable amount of business. In the neighbourhood both man and wife enjoyed the reputation of being a thoroughly hardworking and business-like couple, being on friendly terms with many of their neighbours. It appears that about 10 o'clock an Friday evening the husband left the premises for about half-an-hour, visiting a neighbour, and leaving his wife to transact business. Be returned about 10.30, and going into the small room used as an office asked where his wife was. One of his children, a little boy, replied that she had retired for the night, and a few minutes later Mr. Rasch also went upstairs. On proceeding to his wife's room he found her on the bed— her feet securely bound with oord, a handkerchief in her mouth, and the neck bearing marks of discolouration, which seemed to indicate how the unfortunate woman had come by her end. Moreover, the pillows and bedding had been placed over the face, presumably with a view to stifling any cries for help. Greatly alarmed the man rushed into the street calling 'for help, and within a few minutes two or three of the neighbours and the constable on the beat were upon the spot. Medical assistance was at once summoned, but all was in vain. The unfortunate woman was quite dead: An examination of the room showed that the motive of the crime had been robbery. The whole cf the money and valuables had been 'secured, the rings had been torn from the dead woman's fingers, while the cupboards had been ransacked, their oontents being piled in confusion upon the floor. Right through the house the same tactics had been pursued. The thieves had evidently gone into each apartment, and, carefully searching through every room had removed everything of value. The plunder included cash to the amount of £6O (£4O in gold and one £lO note), two ladies' gold watches and one gentleman's silver watch, as well as sundry miscellaneous jewellery, all of which were kept in a drawer in the room. A young married couple, natives of Cologne, who had been in the employ of Mr. Rasch for some nine ; or 10 months, were found to be missing. The ' man acted as waiter, while his wife tended the children, and filled in her spare time as a seamstress, having for the purpose a sewing-machine in Mrs. Rasch's bedroom. They and the four children are supposed to have been the only occupants of the house at the time of the murder, as there were no guests staying in the hotel. The elder children (their ages are respectively 10, 8, and 5) state that nothing occurred during the evening to alarm them; and when Mr. Basch returned and inquired for their mother, they replied that she was upstairs asleep. The murdered woman is described as tall, dark, and 30 years of age. Her husband is fair years her senior. So greatly did his wife's death affect him that he was quite unable to supply the police with a comprehensive inventory of his valuables, and it may, therefore, turn out that the value of the stolen property is more or lees than at present stated. The two servants Paul and Susannah Kazular, were arrested at 1 o'clock on Sunday morning at a house in the Ilampstead-roacilteebz Detective-sergeant Kane and Inspector who had received information of their whereabouts a short time previously. The officers on receiving the information proceeded to Hampstead-road, and on Kane knocking at the door it was opened by the female prisoner, who, in answer to inquiries stated that her husband was upstairs, and she conducted the officers to the third-floor front room, the male prisoner at the time being in bed. On dressing himself Kazular was, with his wife, at once taken into custody. A search was made, and in the prisoner's purse was found £ll 10s. in gold, about £1 in silver, and some bronze money, among which were eeveral foreign coins. In the prisoner'e portmanteau was found a gold watch supposed to belong to the murdered woman; on the female prisoner was found £2 in gold. NO other money or property could be found A correspondent states that the gazuYars— Paul, aged 25 years and Susannah, his wife, aged 24—took apartments at 1.81, Hampstead road, on Friday night. The place is let out in tenements, mostly to foreigners, and is kept by _foreigners. The Katulars were treated as ordinary visitors, and little notice was created by their , arrival. The landlady was not sufficiently con- I versant with English to answer the police interrogatories, but a foreign , resident at the house, who knows the language better, having seen the officers and made known the object of the visit, every assistance was afforded. Kazular was placed in one cab and his wife in another in order that there might be no further communication between them, and they were driven to Marlborough-street Police Station. It is reported with reference to a man, whose name is stated to be Schmerfeldt, who was in the company of Mx. Basch at the time of the murder, and who was detained at Marlboroughstreet Police-station, Pending inquiries, the best part of Saturday, that he was permitted that evening to leave the station, as the police authorities had not the slightest evidence to connect him with the crime. He was only detained in the hope that he would be able to give them some information which would lead to the arrest of the missing couple. The man on leaving evidently went to his home in Charlotte-street, and it is stated was afterwards treated for a cut wrist at a neighbouring hospital, since which time the police say they have lost sight of him. A subsequent visit to Schmerfeldt's lodgings diecloeed the startling fact that the bed and towel were soaked in blood, and that a razor on the table was also blood-stained, Schmerfeldt having apparently attempted suicide by cutting the veins in his arm, while a letter on the dressingtable intimated his intention of suicide and gave the information by means of which the Kazulare were traced and arrested.