MYSTERIOUS MURDER. .

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 24, 28 January 1911, Page 17

MYSTERIOUS MURDER. .

PBECATmON6;*HA'E.FAILED. Weird in the extreme are the circumstances surrounding the mtrrder in a Berlin flat of a widow who lived entirely- atone. Since her husband's death, eighteen years ago. Frau Hoffmann, a well-preserved woman of sixty-eight, had oecupleS a flat in the Blumenthalstrasße. She 'was comfortably off, but would not have even a servant to lite with her. She was of opinion that they were often. In league with criminals, and, therefore, she contented herself with having a charwoman in daily.

So great was Fran Hoffmann's fear of malefactors that when she was alone every door was bolted, locked, and chained, and the front door was never opened to knock or ring until through a spy hole the widow had satisfied herself of the absolute respectability of her visitor. Bren the uniformed servants of the gas company never gained access to her rooms If ehe was alone.

Fran Hoffmann, who went out nearly every evening, visited a theatre on the night of December 8, accompanied by a woman friend. The-next morning the charwoman cleaned the flat as usual. This was the last time that the widow was seen alive.

POLICE FOOLED. Shortly after two o'clock the following afternoon, the, tenants living beneath her heard a heavy thud on the floor above. Immediately afterwards half the Inmates of the house were alarmed by load screams (or help, mingled With which were heard distinctly the words, "Nol ..Sβ! I don't want to die! I won't die yet!"

Knocks at Fran Hoffman's door elicited no reply, so the police were summoned. One officer guarded the door at the bottom of the back stairs, while the other proceeded to the front door, at which he knocked.

At first there was no reply, but finally pereistent knocking produced the response:

"I was ill, but am feeling better. I shall not open the door."

The concierge declared that the voice wae that of Mme. Hoffmann, yet it was strange and somewhat muffled. Tbe policeman was not satisfied, and proceeded to force the door. The moment the door, was opened, another door inside the flat, leading into a room behind the entrance-hall, was hastily locked.

Thie was promptly burst open, but by this time the person, supposed to be Fran Hoffmann, had passed through the door leading to the back stairs and locked that When, that, too, was forced the owner ot the mysterious voice had disappeared down the stalls, for the policeman who had been posted at {he foot had deserted hie post MUREfBREU'S COOLNESS. .] ~„,._ The second policeman, with the concierge and three neighbours, proceeded to examine the flat. There were no suspicious aiens, and the search party concluded that the widow most have become: mentally deranged and fled from her home under some delusion. The policeman locked the flat and departed.

The supposition as to Fran. Hotmua's condition was confirmed later in the day, when the concierge's wife was summoned to the telephone. . A man's voice informed her that the widow bad arrived at his bouse in a morbid state of nervous excitement, which would render it advisable for her to remain where she was for two or; three days.;' If ehe needed clothes a servant would be sent to fetch, them.' The charwbman ' was to be told that ehe need not'come until farther orders. Qn the woman inquiring • the name of her communicant she was abruptly ordered to mind ber own business. Eventually the Idea established Itself - that -the widow had gone into a sanatorium, and no much.further. :."■- The widow:s fate'may have remained unceiUin.for a long time bad not her niece gone -to par her a visit on Tuesday, December 17. She got no response to knocks or rings, aad on making inquiries heard of the previous week's" mysterious episode.

She affirmed her belief Chat something had happened to her aunt, and proceeding to the nearest police-station asked that officers might be sent to make a further examination. This was done, but it did not lead to anything more ' than the " first one had done until the police, were about to depart. finding the Btayr. , ■, Then ail officer casually, turned down the top of a heavy down coverlet on the bed, and there lay the body of Frau Hoffmann. It was fully attired, and life had evidently been extinct lor Borne days. The hapless,, widow bad been stunned' and then suffocated. Following on this 'grim find, the.' police pursued their investigations, and made another astounding discovery. On a table in the dining-room they had noticed two keys without attaching any Importance to them. Inquiry showed,. however, that they were the keys of the doors that the owner of the mysterious voice had locked, as he or she escaped. It was evident that since'the d*y of the murder the assassin had' for some purpose or other returned to the flat and left the keys.

All sorts of theories are being advanced as' to who the murderer may' be, but the police are Baid to be convinced that the crime was committted by a woman,' and hate already/ got evidence against a female acquaintance, of the widow. It is generally concedea by those who knew Frau Hoffmann's habits that she would never have given a stranger admittance to her fiat, and that the person who did her .to death must have been In « position to secure her confidence.