The New York herald., 1878-10-14
WHO KILLED GUNSER \
Still Seeking a Ciew to the East
Williamsburg Crime.
BEATEN WITH AN AIR GUN.
What Brooklyn Detective Has
to Say OF the Tragedy.

Rumors have lately been In circulation in East
Williamsburg and vicinity to the effect that Brooklyn
dstssuves at work on the Gunssr murasr mystery
are following up clew which may dispel the dark.
that surrounds the tragedy. Tho reports
question revive interest in the case and seem to
warrant narration oil tho principal features Of the
crime the penalty tor which has never yet been ex.
plated ass sf
The victim OF tho unknown assassin John
Gunser, quiet peacaaos ana inoGe nsve man, about
forty -nino years OF age ana native Of Germany.
John had through his Thrift ana industry acquired
sufficient wealth TO purchase the house in which
lived, a three story frame building Metro
poitan avenue, East Williamsburg. he kept q
lager bcer saloon tho first door of his
house. He was q cripple, having injured his
knee, and was twice married BY MIS- Arss
wife he had child, boy thirteen years
ago ut time OF mis- fathers death. His second
wife, Appoloua, was more than twenty years his
junior. She was German, OF light complexion, at
tractlve both in appearance and mannor. She spoke
English perfectly. and always referred TO her hus-
band in terms OF affection, though their neighbors
say that they did not live happily together. They
had two Children ono whom born about two
weeks before the death OF its falbeE iT f&t
a,iHf NIGHT OF THE NURDkR. v es
On the night OF Saturday, May 13, 1877, a party Of
German men and women assembled ut the Gunser
saloon and enjoyed dance. Among others present
was John Schmldt, about twonty-eisht years OF age
wno worked in brewery and had formerly boarded
with the Gansers. 0! tnis man, 1t Is sad, Gunser
was exceedingly jealous, but whether with cause or
not does not appear The party lett the place,
near as tho detectives could ascertain,
ut ABOUT ten minutes after ten O'CLOCK. The
only persons remaining IN the house were the regular
occupants, Mr.. anu Mrs. Gunser, hired man named
Adam Martin, twenty-iour years old; John Waller
boarder forty-dve years of age German servant
girl named Llzzle eighteen years old. Mrs and MIRA
one door from which opened into tho latter ana an.
other into the Kitchen 60 bed according to her
dimly lighted by lamp at the time. Martin aod
Wailer, both Germans, slept in the room above tho
Gunsers, on the second floor.
Mrs Gunser was aroused from her sleep BY terri
BILE blow on the head, dealt by an unknown hand
She turned toward her husband, shook him and called
HIM BY name, but got no reply. She then arose,
bleeding from a cut on the head and wound ou the
wrist, and grappled with the assassin on the ioor
She described the man as being tall and wearing
black trousers and u white shirt She remembered q
peculiar noise or grunt that he gave whenever he
struck . blow. She broke from hts grasp. whoroupon
he Jumped out OF the window in the rear. carry.
ses ss called for % Mars,n and waan he % appeared
told him that her husband was killed. The inmates
oi.iho house 0ed In the room and saw the body
OF John Gunser stretched on The bed, with the skull
crushed In. There was pool OF blood the floor,
and at the head Of the bed was the shattered and
blood alned STOCK oil an air gun usually kept in tue
barroom. The barrel OF the gun has not since been
found, though tho premises have been thoroughly
searched and every eilort made that detective IN
genuity could devise.
When Martini Waller and Lizzie entered the room
u u
glass OF lager, exclaimed, .On, my John Kllledl"
adding, "You will shnd my teeth under the ssovs"-
knocked out during tue scufie. Martin then har-
messed horse and drove OF Tor doctor ana also
lives about 4 quarter Of a milo distant. rna; S
O'Clock in the mornIng. Tnsn Coroner
holding the inquest Two days later, when the body
OF the uraered man was about be renewed for In
| tsrmcnt, Mrs. Gunser beng confined 70 bed at shs
time, the Coroner asked her II she would like to LOOK
| at her husband, and she replied "No." He then
asked her three times II she knew who murdered her
husband, aud she said NO. The corpse carried
| TO her bedside, wnsn she wept and exclaimed, .Ay
| poor John He was sucn good man to mel"
/ sfe3y DErEcuvk AID SUMMONED. 11
All other efforts TO obtain Glow 10 the murderer hav
ing proved futile, the services OF the Brooklyn
tsctivcs called into requstion about latter
part OF July. 1871 when District Attorney Downing,
| OF Queens county, met Detective Corr at
received in connection with the case. - Tns ns
letter was from German laborsr named Hill,
vns ~ sonm'a & ana SCI
have tue r,ghs man. superintendent Campbell
sgnsd Detective George zundt, whose familiarity with
the German language and experience In ths Ruben
stein tragedy commsuded him. to assist Corr In tho
matter. Hill told Zundt that Schmidt had bsen inti-
mate with Mrs. Gunssr. and that II no put under
arrest he would tell the whole story. Gunser, so Hill
told the detective, had osn said 10 him That Schmidt
| was the ruipution oil his family.
MRS. ACCUSED.
In speaking OF the case Detective zundt said to
tnore had an interview with Mrs Guuser, and sue
contraaieted herself frequently. told her that she
committed the dee aud that the sooner she
II tue better 10 would DC tor her and for the
| public 70 that remark she replied, "No, sir:
! didn't do it. My John was good man and
never had NO words with my husbsnd." she said
that Michaes, the barber who kept shop next door,
was the man. sho heard voics on that night that
WIS ike he noise he made when cutting wood In his
yard. Tho man VINO struck her made sort of snort
ing noise as he struck her with the gun. III feeling
had existed between the barDer and her
husband Tor long time Gunser had au
acre OF land and had planted II with vegetables,
and compelled MIN TO take up all the vegetables he
bad plated. The barber had eight nino Law
suits against the deceased When arrested, he sd-
te having been unfriendly, but denied the charge
Of murder, and by his wiIo's testimony proved a0
alib. rhe other persons arrested In the case were
John Schmidt, Adam Mnrtiu, John Waller, tho girl
Lizzls. Adam Eisler ana Mrs. Gunsor. Eislsr. man
about forty years OF age, oweds money TO.
the deceased for liquor aud once threatened
Mre. Gunssrs lie. In August caused the arrest Of
Mrs. Gunser on information aud oelis, charging her
wiih the murder oil hsr husband She was not kept
Ia jail more tnan twentyfour hours however, az the
District Attorney contended that thsre was no evi-
dence upon which TO hold her. We had hoped 10
Keep her In jail and believed We could make case
out OF IT, but that favor was not granted uS still
.h: was sSns my The
WHAT wALLxR SAID, a Isss
.waller told mo-, said the detective, "that that
night Adam got up out OF bed and In his bare feet
went down stsirv coming mp again 10 about ten min.
utea He SAID, John, get up, they arc at II down
there just ike cattle bucking eacn otner. Do vou
hear lnatl For God's sake come down stars,
for they are killing each othsr.' My theory IL, said
Zundt, that Gunser aud his vile quarrelied ABOUT
Schmidt and about the money In the TILL and that he
struck her With the guI and sue wrssted II from him
and beat him with ~. learned yestsrday that Mrh
Gunser was married again."
superintendent Campbsll said that hs had asrigned
no detectives to work Gu the Gunser murder oil late,
anu knew nothing ABOUT IL furtner than what had
already been done by Detectives Zundt and Corr.
MAKASCO'S DEATH.