The Manitowoc Pilot

About two years ago a Maple Grove man's house was destroyed by fire. He was an innocent man in appearance and suspicion did not rest upon him until it was found that everything of value in the house had been removed to a swamp near at hand and that the house there providentially caught fire. The fellow failed to get his insurance and moved to a place called New Bremen in Illinois.

Some months ago a former neighbor in Maple Grove wished to purchase land owned by Baehnke, the man whose house was destroyed, and carried on negotiations through Mr. Wickert of this city. In response to a letter by Mr. Wickert, Baehnke stated that he would not sell, but subsequently changed his mind and wrote Mr. Wickert that his (Baehnke's) wife was dead. Mr. Wickert informed him that the deed without his wife's signature would not be acceptable unless accompanied by a certificate of some responsible person that she was indeed dead.

Thereupon a letter was received, signed F. Erdman, affirming the death of the woman, but the signature and the hand writing of the letter bore a striking resemblance to Baehnke's "fist" and a few days after Mr. Damler received a letter from an attorney in Chicago written at the instance of Mrs. Baehnke, inquiring about back taxes on the land. This broke off negotiations and last Saturday Baehnke himself put in an appearance at the county clerk's office.

After expressing sympathy with him for the loss of his wife, Wickert showed him the letters received and asked Baehnke what he thought of himself. Baehnke acknowledged his duplicity but justified himself by saying that if his wife was not dead she ought to be. He is crooked decidedly and Manitowoc county is well rid of him.