WOMAN'S FATAL INFLUENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 108, 25 April 1908, Page 6

WOMAN'S FATAL INFLUENCE.

lSerlin, Jlarch 3. Captain von Coebeu, the murderer of .Major von Schoelicbeek, who committed suicide iu. liU cell in tlie military prison at Allciistcin la«t night, left a full wriU ten confession of his crime, in which lie describes the fatal influence Frail von Sehoenbeck exercised over him. it is clear from this confession that Fran von Schocncbcck almost compelled Captain, von tiocbeu to murder her husband. The captain wrote in his confession:— "1 looked upon Fran von Schoeneheck as u sacred being, i believed everything she told me. To-day, when 1 look buck, 1 cannot understand how J. was able to believe her. Tliat woman must have exercised a hypnotic inlluenee over me. 1 committed the greatest crime* without reluctance, without repugnance, for her. 1 even felt supremely happy in committing the crimes for her. i had no prick of eonsieence. Although 1 heard Hum her own mouth what an immoral life she had led, the rcvclalionß, <n her past did not prevent me from loving her niiicll.v —-fiMiu worshipping her abjectly. She drove me to desperation by continual complaint, of the cruel treatment she received from lier bus band. She inspired me with the deter-, munition to liberate her from this cruel husband, whom she portrayed to me iu the darkest colors. 1 formed the resolution to compel Major von Schoencbeck to light u secret duel with me without witnesses. I wanted to compel him to consent to a divorce from bis wife or light me till one of us was killed.

•'Fran von Schoenebeck transformed me. into a hopeless instrument of her own will. She lir.st conceived the idea, of poisoning her luhslmiul, and begged me to procure arsenic for the purpose. I bought en'ough ursenie to poison two liunllrcil |R'ople, ynd gave it her, but her courage lailed her at the critical moment. Then Fran von Schoenebeek continually urged ine to kill her husband. She gave me a pair of thick woollen, stockings I was to wear over my shoes in order that the dogs could not follow the scent.

■■(ln C'liristiiiiir; Eve I was the guesl of Major von Schoenelieck and his wife from twelve o'clock noon until nine o'clock ab night. When Alajor von ScliocneU'ck left the room for a few minutes his wife urged me to swear beneath the Christmas tree to kill her husband during the coming night, I swore the oath. During the night i put on I lie stockings she had given me and re-entered the Sehoenebcek house through, a window she had left open, for the purpose.

■'frau von Schoenebeck met me in the passage, and said: 'Do it quickly;, be careful; kill my husband instantaneously, so that he cannot give evidence agaiirst us.' 1 entered Alajor von NdioeiU'lKvk's room, where he lay it/lone. Erau von Schoenebeck had led the dogs lo her own room. Jfcijor von Sehoenebcek, aroused from sleep by my entrance, seined his revolver near the bedside and pointed it at my head. I lired, killing him instanly." ' Captain von Goebcu. left a letter addressed 1,, the military authorities saying that he entorlaiu'cd the hope th.it the nicdiial specialists who observed him during the last four weeks would come to the conclusion that he was mentally irresponsible at the time he committod the. crime. Learning, however, that the physicians would declare that, he was re-ponsible, he resolved to use the lirst opportunity «f committing suicide.

Fran von Schoenebeck is hopelessly insane, and the authorities have ordered her incarceration in an asylum for dangerous lunatics at Kol'tau. A telegram from Allcustein. to the. Herliner Zoitung slates that keen satisfaction is tell aiiMing (he olficers of the gun-inon that Captain von Gocbeii has at last com-