The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-04-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MURDERER AT THE PLAY.  Ernst Possart, the German tragedian, was in 1861 playing an engagement at the Stadt Theatre in Breslau. While there a murder was committed which the police were totally unable tofatchuo m.onAthn-e Guold tkuife.gro fi n ski 44 His name was Auger, and he lived alone. During the day he worked eA his trade, and r.dt the r town. lived in a f at night shut himself up in his house and associated with no one. He made money, and was looked upon as a miser by all who knew him, and it was generally suppose.l that be had much money secreted in the house. On the night of January 20 the inhabitants of Breslau were thrown into great excitement by a lire. It was found that Anger's house was in flames, and when the firemen arrived they could not find the miser anywhere. After the flames had been subdued Auger's dead body was found lying on the door. 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's plays was Clottschalk's play, "The Nabob." It is an Indian tragedy. The play is founded on early Indian history, during Lord Clive' e rigiew. 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 Mattoli. 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 hint. Just as he was about to strike the fatal blow he 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 beet 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 act of the play the audience became 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 Mattel was about to kill  Lard Clive. He sat with his gaze fastened upon the actors, and when the Indian was seized before he struck the fatal blow Geissler started and became greatly I excited. Miss Richter spoke to him, but he did not heed her. He alternately flushed and paled as he watched the remorse and disappointment 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 Una the blow Geissler leaped from his seat, and with a loud cry ushed bareheaded from the theatre. The I confusion in the theatre was great. The I 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 theatre to the nearest Police Station, and there gave himself up as the murderer of the grinder, Auger. He was looked up, and within a few days tried. He confessed how he had murdered the miser in order to steal his gold, but bad 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 make the confession by Possart's powerful portrayal of the feelings of the mimic suicide. He 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 imprisoned for twenty-seven years.