AN ALPINE MURDER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8964, 2 November 1907, Page 1

AN ALPINE MURDER.

A Swiss’shcpherd whose ambition it f was to murder a wealthy tourist and I set himself up in life ou the proceeds | has just confessed to an atrocious I crime. Robert Muuziger, a young | man employed at some works atS Olten (Soleure), left Martigny on I August 15 for Ohamounis, by way } of the Col de Balme. . He never returned, and for a week guides searched for him. Finally they came, upon a newly made grave. They exhumed the body, which was covered with knife wounds. The | police wore imformed, and Michaud i was arrested, as it was known that [ lie had sold a knapsack and other Alpine equipment a few days before, he made a full confession. Michaud

who described the crime in detail, declared with great callousness that he lay in wait ou the Col de Balme for days, intending to waylay and murder the first unaccompanied tourist who came along. He especially wanted to murder a rich Englishman, in order to leave the country with his booty and start a business m America. “Many Englishmen passed,” he added plaintively, ‘‘but all were accompanied by guides or friends.” Finally Muuziger appeard. He had left Martigny accompanied by Jan Wermelinger, a friend to cross the Col de Balme, and to descend to Ohamounix, whence he intended to climb Mount Blanc. On 1 arriving at the village of Trient, however, Wermelinger became ill, and remained at the hotel. Muuziger went ou, and when he reached the summit of the Col de Balme, where the patli skirts some precipitios rocks, he was attacked by Michaud, who was armed with a large knife. After killing and robbing Iris victim, Michaud dragged the body to a lonely spot and buried it, forgetting however to remove the traces of the crime. I