Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-04-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

PLAY.  Ernst Pessart, the German tragedian, wae•l in 1861 playing an engagement at. the Stadt Theatre in Breslau. While there a murder *as committed which the police were totally unable to fathom. An old knife-grinder lived in a frame house on the outskirts of the tows. /Es name was Anger, and he tired alone. During the day he worked at his trade, sad  at night shut' himself up in his helve and associated with no one. He made money, and was looked upon as a miser by all who knew him, and it was generally supposed that be had much money secreted in the house. On the night of January 20 the inhabitants of Breslau were thrown into great exciteceent by a fire. It was found that Anger's house was in flames, and when the firemen arrived they could not And the miser anywhere: After the flames had been subdued Aeger's dead body was fund lying on the floor. He had been murdered in a brutal manner. The police tried to find the murderer, but could not gain the slightest clue. One of Possart'a plays was Gottschalk', play, "The Nabob." It is an Indian tragedy.. The play is founded on early Indian history, during Lord Clive's re"gime. ,The time of the drama was 1757, and the plots and negotiations of the East India Company and the Nabob were represented. Possart played the part of the Indian Naftali. In the second act he attempts to assassinate Lord Clive, President of the East India Company and Governor-General of India. Possart's was a powerful piece of acting. He tried to steal quietly upon Clive and stab him. Joat as he was about to strike the fatal blow be was caught, and immediately buried the dagger, which was meant for Lord Clive, in his own heart. The play used to be a very popular one in Germany, and the part taken by Possart was one of his best performances. On January 30th "The Nabob" was played. The house was crowded. In the front seat of the gallery was a young subordinate officer, Sergeant Geissler. His sweetheart, Anna Richter, was with him. During the first set of the play the audience become greatly interested. In the second act the excitement was intense, and Geissler was very much worked up over it. He sat as if entranced as he watched the plotting of the young Indian against the Governor. He watched eagerly every movement as the plot developed, and his nerves were strained to their greatest tension as Metall was about to kill Lord Clive. He sat with his gaze fastened upon the actors, and when the Indian was seized before he struck the fatal blowteissler started and became greatly excited. Miss Richter spoke to him, but he did not heed her. He alternately flushed and paled as he watched the remorse and disappointinent of the young Indian. Great beads of perspiration stood on his forehead as the dagger was turned towards the Indian's heart, and as he struck the blow Geissler leaped from his seat, and with a loud cry rushed bareheaded from the theatre. The confusion in the theatre was great. The curtain was hastily rung down. Some left the house, and others wondered what had happened. When quiet was restored the play proceeded. Sergeant Geissler rushed from the theatrel to the nearest Police Station, and there gave himself up as the murderer of the grinder, Anger. He was locked up, and within a few days tried. He confessed how he had murdered the miser in order to steal his gold, but had been unable to find the money. Then, in order to destroy all evidence of his crime, he had fired the building. He said he was forced to rnake the con feesion by Poesart's powerful portrayal of the feelings of the mimic suicide. Re was sentenced to death, but the higher courts commuted his sentence to imprisonment for life on account of his having confessed. Lately the Governor of Bavaria pardoned Geissler after he had been imprisoeed for twenty-seven years.