IN ALE HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

IN ALE HOUSE.

BAVARIAN MURDER MYSTERY.

THREE SCHMIDTS

Tins is the story of the unexplained murder of Christopher Ruprecht, of a email town in Bavaria in the year 1817. Ruprecht was 60. rich, illiterate, vulgar, and quarrelsome, "and for these reasons there was many a dry eye when it became known that he had been killed.

But there was general and eager curiosity over the mystery surrounding the tragedy, and that natural curiosity was never satisfied.

Xlie victim was in the habit of frequenting an ale house which stood at the extreme corner of an obscure lane in his native village. It went by the short, but by no means sweet, name of "Hell." Ruprecht went there one night as usual, and the landlord was sent into an adjoining room for a fresh supply of beer. While he was gone a voice from the lower part of the house was heard calling for Ruprecht. He went downstairs immediately. informing his companions that he Would re'urn in a minute. He never returned! Hardly GO seconds had elapsed from the time lie left the bar when groans were heard from below. The landlord and the others went down and found Ruprecht lying in a pool »f his own blood in a dying condition. The stricken man's lips were Been to move. Listening intently the ethers heard him murmur: '"The villain, the villain with an axe. My daughter! My daughter!" Hi: was placed on a cot and a physician sent for. While the watchers waited they heard him speak again and this time he ■aid : — "Schmidt —wood cutter!" The theory was that Ruprecht had been struck on the head with an axe as he | stepped out of the door of the inn. The police, taking the last words of the! stricken man as their clue, started to look] for a wood-cutter named Schmidt. They found not one, but three Schmidts, and they were all wood-cutters. That name is as common in Germany as is Smith in Australia. and the authorities found themselves embarrassed. However, all three were arrested. Ruprecht lingered in a half-conscious state for! several days, and just before he died the three Schmidts were brought into the room Ur.t the .stricken man could not help the police any further. He could neither see nor hear the suspects who were brought to his bedside. Two of the Schmidts were perfectly composed, but the third was greatlv agitated. He was known as the Hohen I'flaster Schmidt. In view of his agitation he was accused of the crime. But he had an alibi. tie said that he was with his mother-in-iw at the time of the murder, and the testimony seemed to justify his defence. But he was sent to gaol where he made Inany contradictory statements. They found an axe on his premises which was covered with blood, but he said that It had been used in killing a bullock. Once Pe declared he was asleep at the time of

the muider, and again he insisted that he was reading a paper. His mentality was not very quick and because of his dumbness his neighbours had christened him '"The Sheep."

The question was whether he could have committed the murder and had time to get home and assume an appearance' of innocence before he was arrested. In the erid he was freed for want of real evidence.

Another Schmidt was found who worked for Bierman, a sou-in-law of Ruprecht. He directed suspicion to Bierman, who had quarrelled with his father-in'law, but that clue also failed.

In the end, all the suspects were released and the murder of Christopher Kuprecht was not only unmourned but unavenged.