A GERMAN GIRL CRIMINAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 28 March 1908, Page 15

A GERMAN GIRL CRIMINAL.

cold bloodeS murder of botes.

There are some pretty problems in here- • dity and criminology In the case of Fran- . lein Grete Beier, the daugiter of tie late , Burgomaster of Brand, in Silesia. Under a j demure and well-bred appearance Frauiein . Grete appears to have concealed a nature . quite devoid of moral responsibility. An . amazing story is told of her exploits by tie ■ Berlin correspondent of tie '"Daily Tele- . graph." It appears that this pretty and cap- . tivating damsel, who is only 23 years of age, called one day on an engineer named Fressler, to whom she was engaged, and, having induced him to blindfold his eyes and open his mouti on tie pretest Unit she had brought him a surprise from the fair, placed a revolver between his teetb and blew out iis brains. She then secreted among his papers a forged will, in which he was made to bequeath to her iis entire possessions. The trial of Grete's mother, who was this week sentenced to two years' penal servitude for subornation, threw some interesting side-lights on tie utterly reprobate character of tie daughter, besides showing what strange secrets the respectable house-front of a nigilyesteemed burgomaster can hide. it • appeared that boti, during, and long before ier engagement to X'ressler, the girl had, with the connivance of her mother, carried on a liaison with a merchant named iterker. To facilitate their meetings tie pair had hired a room in the little town of Brand, wilci, nevertheless, seems not to have had tie slightest suspicion that Frauiein Beier was anything but a demure and well-behaved young woman. As tie result of tor relations with Merker the girl gave birth to three children, ail of whom it is believed sue at once murdered. Tie burgomaster was much trusted by tie inhabitants of the town, and one of tiem confided to his keeping a small safe, containing a savings bank book, witi a credit of £200, and other valuables. The enterprising Crete procured a duplicate key to tie safe, abstracted the book, forged a receipt, and drew every penny out of tie bank. When tie tieft was discovered sic and ier motier attempted to ris tie guiit on another woman, stating the exact spot in ier house in which the key of the safe would be found. It came out in the trial, however, tiat it had been placed tiere tirougi their instrumentality. Fran Beier fuxtier attempted to persuade one of tie witnesses to say that sic had overieard tie woman in quesi tion admit tie committal of tie theft. I : The most interesting point brought out, iowever, was tiat tie girl had written to Merker on a scrap of paper tiat was smuggled out of die gaol sewed up in a blouse, telling him to go in disguise to tie principal witness against ier, render ier unconscious with chloroform, and then murder her. It was also shown that on the evening after the killing of Fressler she Joined a party of merrymakers at Freiberg, and telepioned home tiat she was enjoying herself so much tiat sic would not return till tie last train. Merker and Frau Beier are now both serving sentences. Grete has yet to stand ier trial.