GERMAN MURDER CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19870, 14 February 1928, Page 11

GERMAN MURDER CASE.

BERLIN PUBLIC APPALLED. CALLOUS GIRL WITNESS. (Received February 13, 9.53 p.m.) 'A. and N.Z. BERLIN, Feb. 13. Ihe trial of the youth, Kranz, on a j charge of murdering a boy friend is still creating great interest. The revelations made as the rase proceeds continue to appal the public. The frivolous indifference and the brazen mendacity with which the girl, Hildegarde Scheller, has answered questions put by the vice-Prefect of Police are regarded as most shocking whtn it is remembered that her brother and her boy lover were killed practically in her presence. The callousness of the girl is partly explained by a discovery made by a policewoman, who went to the Scheller home to inquire about Hildegarde's antecedents. This official found the girl's father bent over a table, his head resting in his hands. He was not bowed down by grief, however, but was trying to solve a crossword puzzle. Elinor Ratti, a girl friend of Hildegarde's, who visited the house on the night of the murders was ruthlessly crossexamined when she attempted to exonerate Kranz at the expense of Scheller. A cablegram from Berlin on February © stated: —The case of a youth named Kranz, who is charged with murdering a hoy friend, has caused a sensation in Berlin. Leading sociologists, doctors, authors, lawyers and professors havo attended the trial analysing the psychology of the drama. Kranz, who is 18 years of age, was a scholarship winner. His chief reading since he was arrested has been the works of Nietzsche, Schopenhauer and Dostoievaky. Kranz was visiting the house of a schoolboy friend named Scheller on the night of the tragedy. The others present were a. third schoolboy, Stephan, and Scheller s sister, Hildegarde, aged 16. The girl's parents being absent the boys sat up all night drinking liqueurs »nd talking of love. The discussion finally turned on death and Scheller proposed that all four of th?; party should die. He wrote a letter beginning: "Dear Universe, —A single portion of your organism perishes. Do not worry. Time will roll on." The letter ended with an intimation that Stephan and Hildegarde would be killed and the others would commit suicide with a smile. Kranz states that Scheller _ shot fitephan and then committed suicide. Kranz was about to commit suicide also "when the girl snatched bis revolver out of his hand. Some of the evidence suggested that Stephan being found in Hildegarde's room precipitated the tragedy. It was also stated that some of the' boys belonged to a juvenile club, the rules of which strictly enjoined that all members who were deceived by men or women friends must avenge themselves upon their rivals.