The murdering master tailor: Death came with needle and thread

Ferdinand Wurzinger has always been an unpredictable personality. The young man decided to train as a tailor. He realized that it was possible to earn good money and rise up the social ladder in this trade. His fashion salon became a popular meeting place for Viennese celebrities. The young master tailor dressed many influential gentlemen who saw him as their future son-in-law. He chose a young lady from a very wealthy family. The young Wurzinger was successful and earned a lot of money, but he also spent it on his expensive hobbies and supporting dubious ladies. He maintained several relationships at the same time and ran up debts. His wife left him and decided to return to her parental home. He did not shy away from blackmail. He had chosen a well-off civil servant couple for this purpose. The Mettlers led a quiet and staid life. The marriage was childless, but the couple loved each other even in their mature years. Wurzinger disguised himself and tried to seduce Mrs. Mettler. This plan did not work. The tailor blackmailed the woman by telling her that she had been seeing a strange man and that he would tell her husband. The woman confessed the facts to her husband. He also knew that his wife was meeting a strange man in the Prater. Mr. Mettler decided to accompany her at a distance. Mrs. Mettler spoke to the tailor. When she was about to give him the money, Mr. Mettler approached the two of them, bossed Ferdinand Wurzinger around and snatched his artificial beard and wig. Now he recognized the tailor he was threatening to report. To avert this danger, he promised to make the wife two dresses from French lace.” However, the tailor was unable to keep his promise. He was unable to buy the fabric for the dresses. He wanted to pay his debts with stolen money. A 94-year-old millionaire lived in the “Mariazellerhof” at Johannesgasse 6 with his attractive parlor wife Brigitta and an elderly cook. Schneider Wurzinger promised to marry the parlor wife. He believed that the wealth available there would solve his financial problems. Ferdinand invited Brigitta to a ball. Under the pretext of having forgotten his money, the tailor sneaked into the rich man’s house. He knocked out the cook with a blow of his fist. The millionaire watched as the burglar, wearing a carnival mask, took the money and rare coins. The cook was killed by the gags. The police had been on Ferdinand Wurzinger’s trail for some time because of a number of property crimes. The detectives proved that he had murdered the cook Theresia Dörfler. The formerly successful tailor was sentenced to death. (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tailor_Book_of_Trades.png) Editor: Michael Ellenbogen