The Dutch Mystery ( 9 Part Series) Hendrik De Jong

[Howard Brown]

Articles which appeared on November 1st, 1893 in the New York Herald.

[Howard Brown]

Foreword

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 1

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 2

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 3

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 4

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 5

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 6

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 7

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 8

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

Part 9 ( The End )

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Jan Bondeson]

The End of the Story

The Amsterdam police encountered some problems of their own. Hendrik de Jong’s story could not be shaken, and in spite of extensive searches, neither Sarah Ann Juett nor Maria Sybilla Schmitz had been found, alive or dead. But although the Amsterdam detectives remained convinced that de Jong was a double murderer, the charge of murder was withdrawn in default of evidence. Instead, Hendrik de Jong was prosecuted for swindling an Amsterdam hotel keeper out of 100 florins, and in April 1894, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

Hendrik de Jong was out of prison in 1897, but in September the same year, he was arrested in Arnhem for another swindle, and once more faced prosecution. In January 1899, the skeleton of a woman was found in the Rhine near Renkum, and there was brief newspaper speculation that this was the remains of Sarah Ann Jouett, who had disappeared in that part of Holland back in 1893. In October 1902, a medium at a séance in the Hague claimed to have seen the dead bodies of Sarah Ann Juett and Maria Sybilla Schmitz, but in spite of another brief burst of newspaper enthusiasm, the police took no notice at all.

The facts remain that in June and July 1893, the Dutch con artist Hendrik de Jong married two wives, both of whom disappeared without trace, in quick succession. That the reason for both marriages was swindling appears very likely. Had either wife been alive at the time de Jong was in prison accused of murder, it would have been natural for her to contact the Amsterdam authorities, so it would seem likely that both of them were dead by this time. Since they are unlikely to have died from natural causes, it seems likely that de Jong murdered them, and that he then made use of some cunning plan to dispose of the remains, enabling him to maintain his impressive sang-froid while in police custody, since he was certain they would never be found. Nothing is known about de Jong’s career after his second arrest in 1897, but it would be worth the while for some Dutch genealogist to track him down.

[Howard Brown]

Dear Jan:

Thanks for the additional information.
I have at least one more article from the NYHerald to add on ( not this thread) to the boards....I admit I didn't know he was released.

Again thanks for pitching in

[Howard Brown]

Jan


I might as well post it here after all.

New York Herald
November 1, 1893
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[Howard Brown]

New York Herald
November 7, 1893
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