The murder of Bertha Schippan:
One freezing winter night in 1902, Johanne Elizabeth "Bertha" Schippan (January 1888 – 1 January 1902) was brutally murdered inside her family's home. The youngest child in a large Wendish family, Bertha had resided in the South Australian town of Towitta, located approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Sedan, with her parents and siblings for 15 years. She was murdered on the night of 1 January 1902, at
the age of 13. Her 24-year-old sister, Maria “Mary” Auguste (10 Sept 1877 – 4 July 1919), was prosecuted for the crime, but was eventually acquitted. Despite various theories, the case remains unsolved and continues to attract media attention. Blood from the crime scene was tracked into a hallway and onto the porch of the house, much like an animal bleeding out after being trapped and wounded by hunters. Various members of the family returned to the house that night or reported hearing screams outside their homes. Police initially believed that Bertha's throat had been cut; later newspaper articles state that she may have been bludgeoned with a hammer or strangled. Suspicion fell upon both Mary and Bertha's mother Laura Katharina (née Reimer; b. 19 October 1853), who had supposedly discovered Bertha's body when she returned home from church between 9:45 pm and 10:00 pm that evening. Neighbors recalled hearing noises coming from within at around this time. Laura later testified that she had seen her daughter lying dead on her bed before going to church; however, discrepancies were found in her accounts and opinions on her character during investigations into Kirchner's murder made her a suspect in this case as well. Another suspect mentioned in newspaper reports at the time was Peter Joseph Frank Schmidt (b. 8 June 1863), a resident of Hanover who lived close to the Schippans; he was found shot to death in his home on 10 February 1903, though no connection between these two deaths has ever been proven. Bertha and Mary's parents, Matthes and Johanne, had left that day to visit relatives in Eden Valley. Three other siblings were away working on other farms, and the sisters' two younger brothers had decided to sleep in a nearby barn that night, offering Bertha and Mary some privacy. Early in the morning, Mary woke up under the covers with a bearded man lying across her chest. After wriggling free from his grasp, she escaped the house to raise the alarm with her brothers. The four children finally notifying the local constable, who sent officers back to the farm to investigate further. A doctor was brought in to examine Bertha; he
declared that she had been stabbed over 40 times. The inquest into Bertha's death, headed by the scrupulous local Coroner, Dr Ramsey Smith, was held shortly afterwards. Suspicion quickly fell on Mary, whose once-gentle features hardened into a cold, steely glare. Given the lack of contrary evidence, she was committed to stand trial in Adelaide. The trial was before no other than the eminent and imposing Chief Justice, Sir Samuel Way, which commenced in March 1902. Mary was represented by none other than the fiery and brilliant barrister-at-law Sir Josiah Symon K.C., whose reputation preceded him and struck fear into the hearts of many a prosecutor. The trial garnered an extensive reportage in all the major newspapers across the country. Mary, who had been remanded in Adelaide Gaol, awaited her verdict with bated breath. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she was acquitted due to there being only circumstantial evidence of her guilt. The nature of the case couldn't escape media speculation that Mary’s own father, who had a history of violence, or her boyfriend, 21-year old Gustav Nitschke could have been responsible for Bertha's untimely demise. While both of them had possible motives in preventing Bertha from revealing incriminating evidence against them within their murky pasts, Nitschke had an alibi that he was in Adelaide when Bertha died. It was deemed unlikely that Matthes could have ridden to the scene of the crime and back again in the dark as fast as he would have needed to do so. The murder, which was called the Schippan Mystery, was a well-known case. In 1984, a film about it that was directed by Di Drew was released in Australia on television. The last of four telemovies called Verdict produced by the ABC dramatising real Australian cases, it told the story of a police investigation, the trial and prison sentence. A number of books and documentaries covering the case were later produced. What do you guys think of this unsolved murder?
