History has taught us some valuable lessons. Whether it be good or bad, it shows us the problems that may arise with the decisions that we make. Some of the incidents that have occurred in the past may sound like they were cooked up in some corner of Hollywood but that’s not the case here. This is the true story about a married woman named Walburga “Dolly” Oesterreich. Her scandalous tale may seem like it was written in a pulp novel, yet this 20th century case is completely true. Here’s the tale of an American housewife who was married to a wealthy textile manufacturer and hid her lover in the attic.
Dolly Oesterreich and her struggling childhood.
Born on June 12, 1880, in Chicago, Illinois, Walburga “Dolly” Oesterreich had a rough childhood. She was raised on a midwestern farm and her family was dirt poor. Growing up in rural Wisconsin wasn’t that easy for her. Her life took a huge turn when she married Fred Oesterreich, a wealthy textile manufacturer. The marriage may have been a mistake but it was certainly a step up from the hardships of life that Dolly was accustomed to. Textile manufacturing was a profitable business in the 1900’s and Fred owned one of the biggest factories in Milwaukee.
Fred Oesterreich – a wealthy factory owner and Dolly’s husband.
Fred’s business mainly focused on manufacturing women’s clothing. He also owned one of the biggest mansions in the city. The couple settled in Milwaukee before eventually moving to Los Angeles. Their marital life soon became elusive as Fred was an alcoholic. He loved to drink and often spent his time at the bars, hanging out with his friends. Dolly was extremely unsatisfied and her sexual desire was growing.
Fred was well known in the city because of his wealth. Even though he lived a normal life, his love for alcohol was immense. He loved to drink more than anything else in life. Their relationship may have looked normal in the eyes of society, but behind closed doors, Fred would get drunk and fight with Dolly constantly. Since she didn’t receive much attention or love from Fred, her appetite for men and the desire for sex continued to grow. This endless void resulted in a long line of men in her life and the death of another.
Dolly particularly asked her husband to send her lover for repairs.
On a hot autumn day in 1913, the lonely housewife asked Fred to send a repairman to fix her sewing machine. She was actively seeking out a man for an affair and she currently had her eyes on a 17-year-old repairman, with whom she later fell in love with.
Fred was a hard working man and dedicated most of his life to his work. His dedication and sheer perseverance always paid off as they were consistently growing wealthier. Dolly, who was feeling lonely, often visited the factory. During one of the visits, Dolly’s eyes were immediately drawn to the then 17-year old, Otto Sanhuber. Dolly, then 33, called her husband into the office to complain about her broken sewing machine. She asked her husband to send Otto Sanhuber in order to have it fixed.
The beginning of a multi-decade long affair.
When Sanhuber knocked on the door, Dolly greeted him wearing nothing but stockings and a silk robe. According to Otto, Dolly immediately began making advances towards him and he ended up ‘fixing her bobbins’ eight to ten times that day. It didn’t take them long to start a daytime affair. She fulfilled her passion through Otto and met him often in hotels. The lovers even carried out their affair at the house, while Dolly’s husband was at work.
It didn’t take long for the neighbors to suspect something, as Otto was frequently visiting the house. One of the neighbors alerted Fred about an unknown man who was constantly seen at his home in his absence. Fred started to suspect his wife’s unfaithfulness towards him. Dolly had to eliminate any suspicion and reassure her husband that her heart belonged to him. So, she made an ultimate move where she painted the picture to her friends and neighbors that Otto was her vagrant half-brother.
The lovers make a stunning decision.
Dolly and Otto decided that it was too risky to meet outside or even at their house. They had to find a way to keep their affair private and safe from the public. While thinking of alternative ways, Dolly hatched a brilliant plan in her brain. She proposed that Otto quit his job and live in her attic so they could eliminate the risk of sneaking in and out. The simple plan was happily accepted by Otto without any hesitation.
Addison Nugent, a writer for Atlas Obscura, explains that Otto had always wanted to follow his dreams. He wanted to be a pulp fiction writer and this was a huge opportunity for him. His obsession with Dolly and the dream of being a writer convinced Otto to move into her dusty attic. For five years, the lovers played a hide and seek game in front of her unsuspecting husband.
Continued on the next page.
The Oesterreichs move to Los Angeles.
Otto pursued his inner dream and even published a few of his pulp fiction books under a pen name. Everything was working well for the lovers for five years. At the same time, Fred was going insane. He started noticing his cigarettes going missing and hearing strange noises from the attic. After seeing shadows pass by at night, he was certainly convinced that the house was haunted.
The suspected presence of an unnatural energy in the house forced him to move. Fred decided that the only way to get away from it was to move to Los Angeles. Little did he know that the ghost would follow him no matter where he went. The news of the move was alarming to the lovers and they had to find a solution to assure the continuance of their secret relationship. Dolly agreed to move under one condition – that the new house would have an attic. To further eliminate any suspicion, Otto left in advance and settled in the new house. He was 22 at the time and had made himself comfortable upon arrival.
Their new life was short-lived.
After moving to L.A., Fred’s love towards alcohol grew stronger and his marriage became weaker. He drank day and night and often engaged in altercations with Dolly. Their relationship was declining at a fast rate as arguments between the two was an everyday occurrence. August 22, 1922, four years after moving to L.A., was just another day of fighting among the married couple. But that particular day, Otto believed that Fred would harm Dolly. He feared for her life and rushed downstairs thinking the unimaginable.
To Fred’s amazement, the factory repairman he sent to fix his wife’s sewing machine 5 years ago, was running towards him with a .25 caliber rifle. Without any warning, Otto pressed the trigger three times. All three of the rounds hit Fred in the chest, killing him instantly. The lovers believed that the incident would result in them being locked up forever. In order to protect themselves, they decided to make it appear as a robbery gone wrong.
Staging the murder to look like a robbery.
To paint an innocent picture in front of the police, they staged the murder and made it look like a robbery gone wrong. Otto took Fred’s diamond watch and then locked Dolly inside a closet. He then threw the key far away and hid in the attic. Dolly then started screaming to alert the neighbors, acting as if she was in danger. One of the neighbors heard her scream and called the police. Otto then left the scene before the police arrived. Since Dolly wasn’t capable of locking herself inside the closet, the police had no suspicion and did not doubt the validity of her story. Upon her husband’s death, she inherited his fortune. With this money, she bought a new house with a huge attic where she kept Otto as a slave.
Dolly then started dating her lawyer; which is when her story began to crumble. Herman Shapiro, Dolly’s lawyer, became highly suspicious when he learned that she was in possession of the missing diamond watch. Unbeknownst to him, Dolly had also seduced one of her neighbors in order to hide the gun used in the crime. The police caught up with the unraveling story and arrested her on suspicion. Otto, however, was nowhere to be found to connect the missing pieces.
While Dolly was in jail, she convinced Shapiro to go back to her house and feed Otto. Though it sounds insane, the lawyer was deeply in love with her and he actually went through with her request. While visiting Otto, Shapiro learned about their weird relationship. Without wasting any time, he kicked him out of the house and broke up with Dolly.
The story about Dolly’s arrest began to spread nationwide. The fear of being charged with murder and spending life in prison forced Otto to flee the country. He fled to Canada, where he changed his name to Walter Klein and got married. Eight years later, Otto decided to visit L.A., where his luck came to an end. He was arrested, charged and put on trial for the murder of Fred Oesterreich. Because the statute of limitations had run out, his charges were dropped and he was released from jail. Dolly faced a similar trial but the jury wasn’t fully convinced. She was acquitted, released and then went on to find another lover.
After his release, Otto went into the darkness; never to be heard from again. Dolly got re-married after her release, when she was 71. She died in 1961 at the age 97. Although the news about Otto is unknown, he gained the famous name “Bat Man”. Their trial was famous and received a wide amount of media coverage. It was nicknamed “the Bat Man of Los Angeles”, since Otto lurked in the darkness of the attic.
Sources: Atlas Obscura, The Public I, No Fear For The Future, Murderpedia, Vintage News.
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