AUSTRIAN MURDER DRAMA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 197, 18 August 1906, Page 13

AUSTRIAN MURDER DRAMA.

A sensational murder trial commenced at Leoben, in Styria, ou Monday, Jnly _*, In which two sisters, Friederike and Marie Zeller, were accused of having on January 25 last murdered, in a 6mall valley near Leoben, Marie Meyer, formerly a cook. Friederike Zeller is __»' years of age, and her sister Marie is ten years younger. Both are handsome girls. The one had been, a chambermaid in several good Vienna hotels, and the other a buffet waitress- at the Masice music-hall. The younger appears alreiidy to have justly earned a bad reputation, and Friederike had relations with a concert singer of Inferior class, named Joseph Prohaska, whom she was to have married last February. In order to Indnce him to marry her, Friederike told her lover that she would get a handsome dowry from her father. This was untrue, as her father, a foreman In a factory, is In very modest circumstances. The wedding day drew near. Friederike had to order her trousseau, hut had no money to pay for It. She did not dare tell her fiancee the truth, fearing that he would desert her. Finally the idea came to them to murder Marie Meyer.

Some years ago Jleyer Inherited nearly £1000, and, as she was weary of service, she lived in a modest way on her money. As she was a most eccentric character ber disappearance on December IM aroused no suspicion in Vienna. _"*r_ed_rikc cunningly personified the deceased, signed for a few letters she received as Marie Meyer, and. even hired a room under that name, which was registered by the police. When the body of a woman was found In the snownear Leoben on January 26, the police were for a long time puzzled to Identify the corpse, as Marie Meyer was enrolled on their list as alive. At length the Idea of a possible substitution struck them, and then, in a few hours, both the sisters Zeiler were in custody. The effects of Meyer were found in the possession of Friederike, and It was proved how the sisters lured their victim to an excursion in the Styrian Alps by the story of a man who wished to make Meyer's acquaintance with a view to marriage. A few hours after the murder Friederike saw that the crime was useless, as she found It Impossible to draw the money from the sayings bank. Marie Zeiler made a confession in prison, which, however, she afterwards retracted. On Tuesday the trial took a sensational turn. Following her counsel's advice, the elder sister, Friederike, withdrew her denials of the crime and confessed her guilt. After a long struggle she stammered: "It Is quite true; I committed the deed. Fray donot as*_ mc about the details." She declared that Marie knew nothing of her intention, did not assist her, and was not even present when she strangled and stabbed Meyer. "I swear by my mother's memory that I speak the trnthi" said the elder girl, vehemently. There was a touching scene when, after Friederike's examination, Marie reentered the court and learnt from the President that her sister bad confessed, and at the same time exonerated her. The sisters embraced and kissed each, other, and wept bitterly. •