BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK EYE BURLINGTON, IOWA JANUARY 28, 1875 ROMANCE AND CRIME The Story of an Illegitimate Son of the King of Wurtemberg. A dispatch from East Saginaw, Michigan, of last night, says: A mysterious abduction case is just now agitating the Lakeshore people. One of the principals in the affair is Albert Molitor, a wealthy lumberman, who resides at Rogers City, on Lake Huron, a short distance above Alpena. Molitor has had rather a romantic career, being an illegitimate son of King William of Wurtemberg. His mother was a sewing woman to the Queen, and was married to a man named Molitor just previous to the birth of the child of the King. Her name was Francisca Schmidt. Upon arriving at man’s estate, the illegal Royal descendant was installed in the War Department at Ludwigsburg; but, engaging in an attempt to procure extra plans of the fortress of Uhlan, he was arrested and imprisoned, and finally ordered to leave the country, which he did. Coming to America about the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion. He enlisted, and did good service for his adopted country, having been on the staff of Gen. Siegel. After the war he located at Rogers City, in Presque Isle County, and by industry succeeded in amassing a snug little fortune in the lumber trade. While at that place, he sent to Germany for an old love – one Hortensia Carle – who came on and was duly installed as house keeper. Failing to wed her, as promised, she left his roof and went to Detroit, where she subsequently made complaint, and caused the arrest of Molitor on a charge of being the paternal ancestor of an infantile incumbrance. A preliminary examination was held, which, resulted in the defendant being held for trial at the higher court, and bail was furnished by him for his appearance. A few days since, under color of an arrest for some clothing taken from Molitor’s residence, the woman, with a babe six weeks old, was taken by force from Detroit to Bay City, and thence to Alpena, where a stop was made for the night, and since that time neither the woman nor child have been seen. Rumors of foul play are about, and considerable excitement exists. ****NOTE**** Out of curiosity, I looked up Hortensia Carle on the 1880 census. She WAS living in Detroit with her illegitimate son, Wally Carle, aged 5, single and having to wash and cook for a living. Her reputation was obviously ruined, but it looks like she was not murdered after all. Katie Pardike TITUSVILLE HERALD Titusville, Pennsylvania AUGUST 25, 1875 MICHIGAN. A Cowardly Murder Albert Molitor, a merchant and lumberman of Rogers City, and Edward Sullivan, his bookkeeper, were both shot, probably fatally, last night whilst standing at a desk in Molitor’s store. Fourteen buckshot entered Molitor’s side, and it is scarcely possible he can recover. Sullivan was shot in the face, receiving a fearful wound. The shots were fired through the window and the assassin is unknown, but supposed to be one of Molitor’s laborers. He had been quarreling with them during the day. LINCOLN EVENING NEWS Lincoln, Nebraska AUGUST 9, 1892 A MICHIGAN MURDER SENSATION Thirteen Prominent Citizens Arrested for Capital Crime Committed Sixteen Years Ago Peterky (Petoskey?), Michigan, Aug 8. – The prosecuting attorney of Presque Isle County issued warrants for the arrest of thirteen men whom William Repke claims assisted him murder Albert Molitor and his clerk, Ed Sullivan of Rogers City, sixteen years ago. The confessor, Repke, is already in prison. The men are all well known and some of them hold public office. Molitor was a natural (illegitimate) son of old King William of Wurtemberg and came to this country while quite young, being banished for trying to steal a plan of the fortifications at Uhlan. After coming here he enlisted in the army and soon rose to a place on General Siegal’s staff. After the war (War Between the States) he went to Detroit, married, and formed a partnership with a man named Rogers. They came to this county and built a mill, importing Germans and Poles to work it. The burning of the mill caused Rogers to draw out. He left Molitor without money. By his influence with the Germans, Molitor got himself elected treasurer of the county, and it is said that by manipulating the money and juggling with the funds rebuilt the mill and acquired a great deal of money. He refused to make an accounting and ruled the people with a rod of iron, bringing upon himself, so many people say, the fate he met. THE JANESVILLE GAZETTE Janesville, Wisconsin DECEMBER 10, 1892 HAD COURAGE TO KILL HIM. Repke Said to Have Boasted to the Sons of Albert Tulgitski (Tulgetske) ALPENA, Mich., Dec 10. – When the Molitor murder trial opened yesterday August Tulgitski (Tulgetske), son of Fredrick, testified that on the day Molitor was shot Repke came to their house and talked with his father; that both of them went away together and that he did not see his father again until the day after the shooting. About seven years ago witness, his brother and Repke were driving from Rogers City when Repke said: “Boys, your very good boys, but you’ll never be as good a man as I am or your father was.” Ernest asked why, and he continued: “We had the courage to go down and shoot Albert Molitor.” Mrs. Henry Jacobs positively asserts that on the night in question her husband was home and August Fuhrmann, Jr., also swears that his father was home on the night of the murder. DAVENPORT TRIBUNE Davenport, Iowa DECEMBER 17, 1892 GROSSMAN IS CONVICTED. Verdict of Murder in the First Degree in the Case of Molitor’s Slayer. Alpena, Mich., Dec. 16 – August Grossman has been found guilty of murder in the first degree in having caused the death of Albert Molitor. The jury was out seven hours. Grossman was the first of the Molitor murder conspirators to be tried. Five others of the conspirators are yet to be tried. Albert Molitor was murdered eighteen years ago, but the case was dropped until recently, when William Repke, the leader of the conspiracy, confessed and implicated about a dozen other well-known citizens in the crime. THE REPUBLICAN JULY 14, 1893 ANOTHER MOLITOR MURDERER CONVICTED. Alpena, Mich., July 14. – William Repke, who confessed and implicated twelve others in the murder of Albert Molitor at Rogers City in 1873, has been found guilty of murder in the first degree. The jury was out only twenty minutes. Repke, together with the three prisoners who were convicted Monday of the same crime, will probably be sentenced to-day to life imprisonment at Jackson. This makes the fifth conviction in the case. ALTON EVENING TELEGRAPH Alton, Illinois SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1897 PARDONED BY PINGREE Men Convicted of the Molitor Murder Set Free. FINAL CHAPTER IN A FAMOUS CASE The Four Men Who Were Serving Life Sentences at Jackson Prison for Killing Albert Molitor in 1873 Released by the Governor – Were Not Tried Until Nineteen Years After the Crime – Had Lived Upright, Honest Lives Lansing, Mich., Jan. 20. – Another chapter in one of the most famous cases in the history of Michigan was written by Governor Pingree Thursday when he attached his signature to the pardons of August Grossman, August Fuhrmann, Henry Jacobs and Carl Voegler, who were serving life sentences in Jackson prison for the murder of Albert Molitor, at Rogers City, Presque Isle County, in August, 1873. Molitor was known as the “King of Presque Isle.” He came to Rogers City when the county was a wilderness and established himself as a lumberman and storekeeper. Through his efforts a colony came from the old country and settled themselves there. Being a man of rare education and great natural abilities Molitor became the leader and actual ruler of the county. He was despotic in his methods, having himself elected to the principal county and township offices, and handling the funds at his pleasure. It was alleged that through his commanding influence as a member of the county board, he would secure the levying of taxes for all manner of improvements and then pocket most of the money, expending but a small part of the amount raised and giving no account of the balance. Finally he came to be the most hated man in the county. Conspired to Kill Him. When patience was exhausted 100 of Molitor’s neighbors and victims held a secret meeting and entered into a conspiracy to take his life. Each participant took an oath of secrecy, and it was further vowed that if any one revealed the secret the others should swear the crime upon the victim. Subsequently twenty of the conspirators met one night in August, 1873, and went to Molitor’s store. Surrounding the building, they shot through the windows, mortally wounding Molitor and his clerk, Edward Sullivan. Molitor was so ardently hated by the community that practically no attempt was made to bring the murderers to justice. It was not until nearly twenty years later that William Repke, one of the conspirators, spurred by his conscience, made a confession, implicating himself, the convicts above named, Stephen Reiger, Herman Hoeft, Andrew Banks, August Baragas (Barabas) and others now dead. On his confession the arrests were made. The trial of Grossman at Alpena, in January, 1893, attracted widespread attention. The people’s case was conducted by Attorney General Ellis, and the prisoners were ably defended. On the testimony of Repke, Grossman was convicted, and several months later the conviction of Jacobs, Voegler and Fuhrmann followed. Reiger was subsequently tried, by Repke refused to testify, and he was acquitted. Unjustly Accused and Convicted. The accused strenuously denied their guilt. Although admitting their connection with the original conspiracy, they denied having been present on the night of the murder. During the years intervening between the crime and the arrest the convicts lived honest, upright lives and were highly respected in the community. After they had been in prison a year or more Repke made another confession, wholly exonerating them from any participation in the actual crime, and the careful investigation made by the pardon board convinced the members that the men were innocent. The result was that a unanimous recommendation that they be pardoned was made to the governor. The report of the pardon board severely reflects on the conduct of Attorney General Ellis, who is accused of knowingly introducing a false certificate of birth of one of Grossman’s children in order to impeach his testimony. Repke, having confessed participation in the killing, had nothing to hope for from his second confession, and will spend the rest of his days in prison. Fuhrmann is now 73 years old, Jacobs 60, Grossman 54 and Voegler 51. Governor Pingree went to Jackson Thursday afternoon, and after interviewing each convict handed him his parson. THE BESSEMER HERALD Bessemer, Michigan FEBRUARY 13, 1897 Here and Elsewhere – The pardoning of the four men, August Grossman, August Furhmann (Fuhrmann), Henry Jacobs and Carl Voegler, sentenced to Jackson prison for life for the murder of Albert Molitor at Rogers City, Presque Isle County, in August, 1873, by Governor Pingree a few days ago brings a strange story to light. It seems that Molitor, who was known as the “king of Presque Isle county,” and who domineered over his alleged subjects until they arose in numbers and slew him, is in truth the son of a king. The investigation of the case made by the pardon board revealed the fact that Molitor was the illegitimate child of the king of Wurtemberg by one of his maids of honor. He was made engineer in charge of fortifications in that country, and for selling plans to the French government a price was put on his head and he was forced to flee from the country. Thanks to Katie Pardike for these articles Email: Katie katie.pardike "at" hotmail.com Home |