The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-14
"WE CENSURE THE POLICE"

THE VERDICT OF THE coRoNER's JURY ON THE
DEATH OF Mr.. H. d. HAAS IN THE THIR-
TIETH STREET STATION HOUSE.
Hartog B. Haas. a cigar dealer. doing business ct
No. 953 Sixth avenue. arrested on the night of
the 18th inst. at his store in Broadway. Thirty
first street. ON complaint of two little girls
named Mamie and Ada Calian. who accused
him of having committed indecent assault
on them. He taken to the West Thirtieth
street station house, and there denied the charge,
but was locked up. The next morning he was dis
covered dead in his CELL and the police in reporting
the to the Coroner intimated that he had COM
mitted suicide. An autopsy was made on the body
by Deputy Coroner Miller who found that the sur
misses the authorities were incorrect death having
resulted from natural causes. Coroner Ellinger
held an inquest in tho yesterday.
Sergeant Oliver Lewis, the first witness. testified
that on the night of the 7th inst he duty at
the Twenty ninth precinct station house when
Officers Schmittberger and Price arraigned Haas on
charge of indecent assaults the deceased was
arrested the complaint of the two little girls there
presents witness explained that he did not
order the arrest Of Hass the girls accom-
panied the officers to the station house with
the prisoner; Haas denied the charge but admitted
that he had given money to the girls without any
reason he had no money with him when searched
before being put in CELL witness relieved from
L. u
seven A. NJ on the following morning.; two friends
called at the station about that time and asked
see him; officer who went to speak TO him came
back and said he was dead; witness then proceeded
to the cell and found him stretched on the slab,
with his head reclining against the wall; his head
bent forward and handkerchief was tied
around his neck; the alleged assault said to
have been committed OH both of the girls at the
same time. and but few minutes before the arrest;
the girls were aged ten and fourteen years. the de-
ceased was not ordered to be arrested after the
charge was made to the sergeant.
Mamie Calen. the eldest of the girls, on being
sworn, made the following statement:-l am four
teen years old and live ut No. 457 West Thrty-thrd
street. with my parents; work silk factory
Tenth avenue; went with pair Of shoes. on the
81 on them; my fathers store is Eighth avenue.
between Thirty-h and Thirty-second streets; I
the shoes and got the money and came back the
east side of Broadway; when we got to deceased's
store he bockoned us and threw open the
door; ho was some distance from the
door; he said he had some papers which he had
given us before: he gave us both three cents and
took improper liberties with us and used obscene
language; he asked us when VIC could come again;
the store door was open; we did not cry for help,
but called him "a dirty loafer; in the store
about ten minutes; there were no blinds on the win
dows; any one passing up or down could see u.s. it
the first time he ever talked to us in that way;
when he spoke to in thut rude manner
understood what he meant; went home to my
fathers store. but did not say anything about
what had occurred; went up for father to Thirty
ninth street. and on the way met detective. who
asked ME what ! had been doing in the cigar store;
was Thirtyninth street, between Fifth and Sixth
avenues, that the detective took hold of us; we
then all went down to the Twenty -ninth precinct
station houses; told the officer at the desk what
Haas had DONE"
Ada Callan, the sister Of the previous Witness
called to the stand and gave similar ties timony.
THE DEFENCE.
Detective Max Schmittberger testified that he
rested Haas on complaint OF Mary Callan. Witness.
accompanied by Detective Price, walking down
Broadway, and when opposite Haas cigar store no.
ticed two girls inside behind the counter with the
proprietor; Haas was. sitting down and the girls
were standing up; previous to that witness and
Detective Price had been requested by the store
keepers in the neighborhood to look out FOR Mr.
Haas the girls after leaving the cigar store went
home and afterward to Thirty-ninth street; there
witness accosted them, and inquired what
they had been doing in the cigar store. when they
made the same statements they made yesterday.
Witness thought he had sufficient evidence to
warrant him i'll arresting Haas and on that account
did Gustave Stehr. who keeps meerschaum
pipe store in the vicinity, and Mr. Schwind, tailor,
who lives in the adjoining store the girls enter
and leave Haas place. but could not say what they
had been doing inside In concluding his statement
the witness said that he had full right to arrest
Haas he considered the CRIME felony. Detective
Prices testimony was simply corroborative.
The jury returned with the following verdict =
1--WE find that Hartog b. Haas came to his death by
edema and congestion of the lungs from chronic
bronchitis accelerated by his arrest and imprison-
ment, and censure the police for making the ar
rest without warrant and in the manner in which
they did,