The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-28
MRS. sIEFKE ACQUITTED.
Mystery in the Case of the Poisoned Pot
Cheese OF which ROpke Ate.

Mrs. Caroline c. Siefke, an attractive
young woman was tried in the Kings County
Court Of Sessions yesterday. on n charge Of
attempting to poison her brother. John p.
Ropke, with some pot cheese, which was after
ward discovered to contain arsenic. Mrs. Sieike
il the wife OF Henry Siefke. real estnte dealer
In Sixth avenue. this city. Ropke lived at ~
Ross street, Williamsburgh. with his mother,
Mrs. Pope. There was an existing dispute be-
tween the families. resulting from litigation
over the estate Of Mrs. Pope's first husband
aud Mrs. Siefkc's father. On Saturday, Aug.
81 n woman met John BIankmcyer,a l3-year-
old boy. of 1854 Wythe avenue. Mt Hooper street.
and Wythe avenue. Brooklyn. and askod him TO
give package OF pot cheese to any one ut Mrs.
Pope's house. and to shy that Mrs. Cook Of Elst
New York had scnt il To- her Mrs. POpo was
accustomed TO receive delicHcirs from her friend
Mrs. Cook, in East New York. and the cheese
WIS placed, without further thought on tn ice.
In Mrs. POpe's absence the next day her son.
John u. Rupke. ate some Of the cheese and be-
came VIOLENTLY u shown strong syn pio,ns OF
arscnical poisoning. He was SICK Tor three or
four days. Mrs. Pope Jound the lad WHO bad
brought the cheese and took him tn see Mrs.
Caroline Sirfkr. VINO wns az once SUSPECTED toe
cause OF the feeling she entertained against the
family. The boy identified her ~ the person
who gave him the cheese. and she was arrested.
On the examination OF the boy yesterday pc
again identified Mrs. Slefke, ami swor" tllnt she
wore dark waterproof CLOAK thnt she told MN
pot cheese byihim Toe ause her son " Mex WAS
sick and that she requested him not t. tell
Mrs. Pope that Mrs. Cook was down and had
given him the cheese. The woman h." added.
promised to give him fifteen cents on his return,
but when he got back she WAS not there. She
had, he avcrr'd ACCOMPANIED him a part OF tne
way to Mrs. Pope's house.
The counsel in the case admitted thnt there
WIS poison in the cheese. and that ROpke had
been affected by IL.
The defence wns an nlihi Mrs SiNike testl-
fed in her own behalf TINT on saturday even
ing Aug. 81. she was in New York, having been
home all Of that day. She WIS not away RON
her home except for about twenty minutes IN
the evening. except when she went To bhrrooln
close by to get some beer Tor her husband. On
that same evening Ropke came To their house
and remained Tor short time tiking TO her
self and husband, but he wont away before
o'clock. She had only one waterproof cloak.
and that was n light blue one. She swore that
she mad not been in Brooklyn for siN months
before the time she came ~ a prisoner. Al
though there was some litigation between herr
self and her mother she had no Ill feeling: and
she did not visit her home because her husband
had forbidden her tu do so. She knew Mrs.
Cook and her son Nicholas. and knew. too, that
Mrs. Cook WIS in the habit OF sending pot cheese
10 her mother.
Two witnesses. who had seen Mrs. Siefke in
Steinhorn's barroom. testified that she was
there at about the hour tho boy testified that
h. saw her in Brooklyn. One Of the witnesses :,
who II employed in stewards store. testified
that he could not recognize her by her features,
but he identified her carri ngS.
The Jury were satisfied with the defence OF
abb. and acquitted the prisoner.
This result leuVpS the case rnNelOped IN inys-
terry. DIR. HUGO Miller. who Analysed the
cheese, showed the stains ~ arsenic found in
the cheese. which he had obtained on a porce-
lain plate, There was enough arsenic ia the
cheese 10 have killed duzeu men,