1 August 1859
The text of this untitled sketch is taken from a holograph preserved in the Jean Webster McKinney Family Papers, now at Vassar. The sketch has not been published before.
The manuscript is written in pencil and is marred by two lacunae: one small (only a few words) and one large (perhaps as many as 400 words). The small lacuna occurs in a sentence that Clemens squeezed between the lines of the first and second paragraphs: his tiny letters, the smudged pencil, and the folds in the paper make some of the words impossible to recover, and they are indicated here by ellipsis points. The large lucuna occurs late in the manuscript where a leaf has been lost. Clemens originally wrote on three folded sheets containing four pages apiece: the first two pages of the third folder are now lost, and the missing material is again indicated by ellipsis points.
“The Mysterious Murders in Risse” is, of course, pure fiction. Although Wittenberge and Reutlingen are real places in Germany, Risse and the town mentioned later in the sketch, Lun, are not. Clemens is not known to have written anything else at this time remotely like this romantic, gothic tale of murder and revenge, and the present sketch suggests that he was not entirely comfortable with the conventions of the genre. His natural bent toward humor emerges somewhat incongruously throughout—for example, in his allusion to Von Muller's “impassioned tale of love, wrought in chaste and unpronounceable German” and in his sniping comments on the timidity of “policemen in general.” The story itself is given a rather wooden handling, and the modern reader might have derived as little suspense from the original tale as from the now incomplete one.
The story, in the form of a newspaper letter addressed to “Dear Editors,” was obviously intended for publication: a cancellation underneath that [begin page 135] greeting reads “Missouri Repub,” suggesting Clemens may have intended to publish it in the St. Louis Missouri Republican. Of course, the allusion in the penultimate paragraph to Robert Montgomery Bird's Nick of the Woods; or, The Jibbenainosay (1837) suggests Clemens' most immediate source for his tale. Indeed, it will be recalled that in chapter 55 of Life on the Mississippi Mark Twain recounted his boyhood memory of the carpenter who had frightened him with stories of assassination: “This ass [had] been reading the ‘Jibbenainosay,’ no doubt, and had had his poor romantic head turned by it; but as I had not yet seen the book then, I took his inventions for truth, and did not suspect that he was a plagiarist.” The present sketch was written when Clemens was twenty-three, and represents his own attempt to get a literary effect out of Bird's compelling fantasy of murderous revenge.
Reutlingen, Kingdom of Wittenberge,
August 1st 1859.
Dear Editors:Ⓐalteration in the MS
The phlegmatic depths ofⒶalteration in the MS thisⒶemendation usually quietⒶtextual note oldⒶalteration in the MS town have justⒶalteration in the MS been stirredⒶalteration in the MS to the very bottom; its slumbers have been rudely disturbed, and at this moment it is rubbing its sleepy eyes in amazement—in a word, theⒶalteration in the MS staidⒶemendation and dignified city of Reutlingen hath been betrayed into an excitement. In the streets, on the Spaziergang Ⓐemendation, at the hotel, around the fireside, nothing is thought of, nothing is talked about, butⒶalteration in the MS the Mysterious Murders in Risse. The knees of the community, to the very last man, are shaky with terror, and their haggard countenances are capable of but one expression—viz: unmitigated astonishment, modified by a pleasing cast of intense horror. Even stout kneed . . . goⒶtextual note not abroad often.Ⓐalteration in the MS
Risse is a smallⒶalteration in the MS village situated a short distance north of this place. Indeed, said distance is so short that Risse is looked upon as a suburb of Reutlingen. Risse basks in the warm light of two notable honors— to witⒶemendation Ⓐtextual note: a fine old Cathedral, worthy of the pride which is felt for it (overⒶalteration in the MS its great altar hangs the famous portrait of John the Evangelist, concerning the origin of which all recordsⒶalteration in the MS have been lost—lost, ages ago—but it is reverently whispered thatⒶalteration in the MS the picture was the work of a divine miracle,) and the ancient seat of the Counts of Von Muller, which lies just on the westernⒶalteration in the MS verge of the town. Under the Cathedral is a great dark vault, where repose in state many a departedⒶalteration in the MS MullerⒶalteration in the MS, whose dreamless slumbers are watched over by their own stern effigies [begin page 137] clad in brave suits of armor, rusty and dusty, and festooned with the cobwebs of centuries.
But I must get back to my subject. It seems that two years ago, a handsome girl of sixteen or seventeen, respectably dressed, stopped, late one evening, at the little hotel in Risse, where she remained several days, conducting herself properly, payingⒶalteration in the MS her board promptly, and minding her own business, whatever it was. She seemed entirely unattended, and this factⒶalteration in the MS seemed to call for an investigation into her private affairs, which investigation was immediately undertaken by several kind-hearted village matrons. The information gained was only this: the girl's name was Katrina Lieber; she was a music teacher; she had traveled alone from Heidelberg, in the Grand Duchy of Baden,Ⓐalteration in the MS where her father was still living; she had onlyⒶalteration in the MS lately become a teacher of music; her family was highly respectable, and had been wealthy, but a financial calamity had suddenly reduced them to wantⒶalteration in the MS. This was all. TheⒶalteration in the MS investigating committee returned a verdict of Guilty of—Poverty—with a recommendation to mercy, and discontinued the examination.
Katrina obtained employment in the family of Herr Wahlner, a retired merchant, and shortly after, sent for her father. They rented a small cottage within a stone's-throw of the castle, and settled themselves down to live as comfortably as they had any right to, considering the Verdict that had been rendered against them. The father was a haughty manⒶalteration in the MS, with mighty muscles, a huge frame, a long gray moustache, which was twisted and curved till the two ends stood up straight and stiff beneath his cold, unforgiving eyes, like the horns of an ox. He seldom came out of the cottage, and when he did he never spoke to any one, but strode moodily along, taking no notice of anything, and never seeming disturbed when those natural physiognomists, the children, fled in fear before his stately tread.
Katrina was prettyⒶalteration in the MS, and gentle, and unassuming, and made friends with everybody. No one was afraid of her soft blue eyes, except, perhaps, the spruce young beaux of Risse. And yet the young Count Ritter Von Muller feared them not, but even liked right well to be near them, although they beamed less kindly upon him than upon the children of the hamlet.
Ritter never ’wentⒶalteration in the MS to the cottage, but he often met her, and accompanied her part of the way on her long walk home from Herr [begin page 138] Wahlner'sⒶalteration in the MS, and on these occasions he poured into her ear an impassioned tale of loveⒶalteration in the MS, wrought in chasteⒶalteration in the MS and unpronounceable German. His suit found no encouragement. Katrina was distressed. She told the neighbors that she always trembled with fear when walking home with him after night. They counseled her to acquaint the stern old Lieber with her troubles—but she only started, and shook her head.
One day Katrina said she had forbidden the Count to speak to her again—the acquaintanceⒶalteration in the MS must end at once and forever. Katrina never entered the cottage again. Late at night, old Lieber, unmindful of the rain, and unheeding the lightning and the thunder, marched through the deserted streets to Herr Wahlner's house, and knocking furiously at the door, demanded his daughter. Madame Wahlner fainted with terror when she learned that Katrina had not reached the cottage. The WahlnersⒶalteration in the MS only knew that she left their door alone, just after nightfall—that it was raining a little at the time, and very dark—that they had thought nothing of her going home without company, as she had often done it before. Lieber's face grew dark. He swore a fearful oath that if Katrina had met with foul play, the guilty ones should learn the strength of a father's wrath, and the weight of a father's hand. And muttering curses, he stalked out into the storm, banging the door after him till the house shook again. The bellman's melancholy cry was heard after that, and heavy feet on the sidewalksⒶemendation; and lanterns glimmered here and there in all the rainy streets. But nothing came of it.
The next day, a woman said that early the previous eveningⒶalteration in the MS she heard threeⒶalteration in the MS piercing screams, and then a man's voice exclaimed,Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS in German, “Put her in the carriage, quick—and gag her!” and the next moment a vehicle of some kind drove rapidly by. She could see nothing, owing to the density of the rain and mist. In the afternoon, a handkerchiefⒶemendation marked in the corner, with Katrina's initials, was found near the castle, and near it a bracelet which old Lieber identified as her property.
Day and night, without resting, the poor old father searched for his lost child, but without success. HeⒶemendation suspected that Count Ritter Von Muller was concerned in her disappearance, and so did the neighbors.Ⓐalteration in the MS The young nobleman's character was none of the brightest, as all were free to acknowledge—in a whisper. Lieber hadⒶalteration in the MS the Count arrested, but nothing could be proven against him, and he was discharged. Then Lieber demanded that the Castle should be searched. This was granted, but not a vestige of the missing girl came to light.
[begin page 139]At last, on the tenth morning after Katrina's disappearance, the body of the unfortunate girl, weltering in blood, was found in the midst of a dense wood, some three or four miles from Risse. Her throat had been cut from ear to ear. Near the corpse a bloody knife was found. A slip of paper was discovered, concealed about her clothing, containing these words, written in pencil:
“I charge Ritter Von Muller with my abduction.Ⓐalteration in the MS And I charge Carl Ohlman, Frederick Uhr, Heinrich Schmidt, and Johannes Mehler with aiding him. As God is my witness, I have spoken truly.
Katrina Lieber.”
The note bore the date of the night of Katrina'sⒶalteration in the MS abduction. There were many footprintsⒶemendation in the vicinity of the body, but only one of them was well defined. This one seemed to have been made by a small, well-shaped shoe, and near the toe of it appeared the impression of three tack or nail-heads, in the shape of a tri-angle.
At the inquest, Lieber stood rigid and silent, with folded arms and tearless eyes. At the close, Herr WahlnerⒶalteration in the MS tapped him on the shoulder:
“What will you do now?”
“Nothing!” ejaculated Lieber, almost fiercely.
“Nothing?” said Herr WahlnerⒶalteration in the MS. “Is it thus that you intend to keep your threats?Ⓐalteration in the MS The law must deal with this matter.”
“What! These men (glaring at the note,) are sons of noble and wealthy families, every one of them. My girl was poor. I am poor. Will the law hang Count Von Muller? Will the law imprison Count Von Muller? Stuff!” and he turned on his heel and becameⒶalteration in the MS stone again.
Old Lieber followed his murderedⒶalteration in the MS child to the grave, and after placing a simple tombstone at the head of it bearing the single word “Katrina,” went away, no one knew whither.
Count Von Muller, Carl Ohlman, Frederick Uhr, Heinrich Schmidt and Johannes Mehler were arrested, chargedⒶalteration in the MS with the abduction and murder of Katrina Lieber. As Lieber had said, they were all of noble and wealthy families, and no one expected the trial to amount to anything of a serious nature. And so it turned out. A shoe was produced in Court which had been found on Frederick Uhr's premises, and certain witnesses swore that said shoe fitted exactly, and corresponded in every respect with the peculiar track noticed at the scene of the tragedy. But that was nothing. If any person had ever seen that shoe on Frederick Uhr's foot, that person was not forthcoming at the trial. And besides, Frederick Uhr proved, by witnesses of lawful [begin page 140] age, that he was confined to his bed by sickness during the entire night of the murder. The Court decided that the dead girl's note was no evidence at all, and the matter ended with an honorable acquittal of the five young noblemen.
Nearly two years hadⒶalteration in the MS elapsed since the occurrence of the events which I have just recorded, and during that time no one had seen or heard of Lieber. Poor Katrina was almost forgotten. About two months ago, cries of murder were heard issuing—strangeⒶalteration in the MS circumstance—from the vault of the old Cathedral, and that, too, at the dead hour of midnight. The Risse watchmenⒶemendation, after the manner of policemen in general, rushed bravely to the rescue just as soon as ever they were sure that the noise had entirely ceased. They broke open the church doors, and then broke open the entrance to the vault. All was dark. But a flood of light from a “bull's-eye” showed them a sight that made theirⒶalteration in the MS knees knock together. It was nothing more nor less than the body of the young Count Von Muller, with his life blood, warm and smoking, welling from a dozen ghastly stabs in his breast, and floodingⒶalteration in the MS with its crimson tide the tombs of his knightly ancestors. The Count was dead. But the strangest thing about the fearful tragedy was, that a hideous cross had been cut in the centre of the Count's foreheadⒶemendation with some sharp instrument. Near the body was found an extinguished lantern, the wick in which was still hot. Not a vestige of the murderer could be found; and to this day, the question of how he and his victim got into the vault through barred and bolted doors, and how he afterwards escaped so suddenly, are unfathomed mysteries. Searches for secret passages about the old church are still carried on.Ⓐalteration in the MS The Count was bound hand and foot, and he had also been gagged, but the fastenings of the gag were broken. AtⒶalteration in the MS the inquest, the porter of the castle testified that about two hours beforeⒶalteration in the MS the murderⒶemendation Ⓐtextual note was committedⒶalteration in the MS, he met the Count in the outskirts of the town, followed by three men, one of whom was a large man, and carried a lantern. The suspicion was soon whispered abroad that the large man mustⒶtextual note
This paragraphⒶalteration in the MS appeared:
“Mysterious.—Yesterday morning, the body of a young man was found in the public road, a few miles north of the city, stabbed in a dozen places, and bearing upon the centre of his forehead the form of a cross, apparently cut with a knife. A daggerⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐtextual note was sticking in the body, [begin page 141] and fastened to its hilt was a slip of paper on one side of which a note had evidently been written, but the words were all obliterated except these:
“ ‘* charge Ritter * * * * abduction * * * Frederick Uhr (or Uber,) * * * * Johannes Mehler with aiding * * * *Ⓐtextual note.’Ⓐemendation
“OnⒶemendation the other side of the slip were these words:
“ ‘This dagger tookⒶemendation away the blameless life ofⒶalteration in the MS Katrina Lieber—peace to her ashes! It hathⒶalteration in the MS also slain Count Ritter Von Muller, Carl Ohlman, Frederick Uhr, Heinrich Schmidt and Johannes Mehler. I leave it as a legacy to their noble houses.’Ⓐemendation
“Papers found on the body led the jury to suppose that this was Johannes Mehler. The cross upon the forehead of the murdered man, as well as the note attached to the dagger, indicate that this deed was performed by the mysterious Lun assassin.”
Now you have the sanguinary story, Mr. Editor, and you can discern why it is that Lun and Risse have shaken off their torpor and undignifiedly given way to an excitement.
The blood-stained daggerⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐtextual note and the note are on exhibition at the office of the Burgermeister, and trembling crowds come daily to gaze upon it. I fear me these people will never sleep quietly again unless the death of the terrible Lieber is speedily compassed. What an acquisition to the ancient Brotherhood of Assassins the man would have been! YeaⒶemendation—and what a genial companion to our own “Nick of the Woods” (from both partiesⒶalteration in the MS he probably borrowed an idea or so.)
I shall say no more at present, as the mail will close presently.
Yours, &c.
Sam
P.S.—The town has gone wild with the news of Lieber's arrest. The people are overjoyed, although the rumor is not perfectly well authenticated.
The manuscript of this sketch, untitled but dated 1 August 1859, survives in the Jean Webster McKinney Family Papers, Vassar. It is copy-text. The piece is written in pencil on three folios, each page of which measures 6 ½ by 8 inches. The paper is embossed in the upper left corner “Damask Laid Highly Finished.” The first half of the third folio is missing, creating a lacuna of perhaps four hundred words at 140.32. Because of folds in the manuscript, smudged pencil, and very small handwriting, another lacuna occurs in the first paragraph of the sketch: four or five words are in the manuscript but are not now legible.