Crime and Punishment



The Blassingame Murder Trial

Fugitives from Justice

Fischer Store Shooting

PLANES SEARCH FOR BANDITS IN $101,000 RAID

Every available officer, including aerial police with three planes, within a radius of 200 miles of New Braunfels are searching for traces of five bandits who Friday held up five officials and employes of the New Braunfels state bank and escaped in an automobile with more than $100,000 in cash, Liberty bonds and bonds of Comal county and the city of New Braunfels.
The amount was at first reported at $70,000, but a re-check by F. G. Blumberg, president of the bank showed missing $18,622 in gold and currency and $83,000 in bonds.
Posses from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Comfort and other towns surrounding New Braunfels engaged in the man hunt.
Hundreds of New Braunfels men and boys were assembled in one great posse five minutes after the robbery and made a determined effort to cut off the robbers' car. Two airplanes with newly commissioned San Antonio aerial police "took off" with the call for help and arrived at New Braunfels within a few minutes. Getting directions there they took the air again in pursuit.

- From the Great Falls (Montana) "Tribune", 11 Mar 1922
    GWINN SHOT TO DEATH

Trouble That Brought About Tragedy Due to Money Matters.

New Braunfels, Tex., Aug. 4.--As the outcome of a disagreement over money matters Marvin E. Gwinn is dead and Felix Klappenbach, both leading citizens, under $3500 bond. The tragedy occurred at the Klappenbach residence which is occupied by two families. It is supposed the two men met in the narrow hallway upstairs, both armed.
Klappenbach fired five shots, four taking effect. The first two were fired from a shotgun, No. 8 birdshot taking effect in his right shoulder, face and back. The other two shots were fired from a postol, one entering his left breast, ranging upward, coming out at the side of his neck, the other shot taking effect in his left side and coming out at his breast on a line with the nipples.
Parties first arriving on the scene of the shooting found Gwinn lying in a pool of blood on his back in the hallway, dead. His pistol was found lying by his side, but had not been fired.

Published in the Palestine Daily Herald, 04 Aug 1905.



Suspend Sentence in Hatchet Killing - Emilie Kappelman pleaded guilty today to a charge of murder without malice for the hatchet slaying of her father, Fritz Kappelman, 64. The jury gave her a two-year suspended sentence.
Kappelman died from injuries inflicted with a hatchet she wielded August 16, after her father had threatened the entire family, she said. Kappelman was survived by his widow, three daughters and one son, all living in New Braunfels.
Published in the Abilene Morning News, 16 Sep 1932







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