Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-21

minute after the inst shot was S fred aii Before
last two were fired. About three minutes after
that the front door opened, and q man walked
out Si1 with revolver In his right hand and with
first to see whether his coat was buttoned, and
then put both his hands in his pocket He
walked to the middle of the street. and then
witness followed him q distance OF three
hundred yards TO the other side of r
street. A colored man came up then and
him. The man went into his house. The col
ored man remained to watch the house while
ing. Heentered the house found a man n Ivine
in the bar-room dead. He then went into the
back room and saw woman lying on the floor.
witness went back towards the house where the
man with the pistol had gone, he met Officer
Slack, having the man in custody. When
Ofncer Slack asked the man a question, the
man said he did talk good English. Slack then
asked what he had killed the woman for
him. Afterwards when Slack showed witness
the pistol he bad taken from the prisoner, the
prisoner said, ats a good one, Amt it?" The
witness did not hear him say anything moro,
except TO ask in broken English for some
cigars.
SPECIAL OFFICER CHILDs
James o. Childs, special police officer testi-
fed t, overhauling and arresting Sommer11eld
on l1th street Sommerfield stated when asked
what he had done, that he did not know.
TESTIMONY OF EIsENBRAUN's WIDOW.
Bertha Esenbraun, a German woman about
80 years old, the wife of Eisenbraun, was then
helped into the room. She appeared very feeble
and distressed. After she was sworn she
stated: 'Sommerfeld came in here yesterday
back room, but 1 went into the front room and
went behind the bar He asked for glass OF
beer and gave him q glass OF beer. He put
change. He drank his beer, then put his
change in his pocket and then buttoned up his
he wanted to see his wife. As soon as he said
that his wife, who was in the back
room, got up and shut the door. She did not
see her because she didn't want to see him.
My husband, who was lying on the sofa I'm the
kitchen when he heard the talking, came in
He went up to Mr.. Sommerfieid and said he
couldn't have any fussing here. He took hold
of Sommeriield's arm and said: "You must go
his breast. this way, and fired. My husband
dropped dead. Then ran, and ne fred at me
as went out Of the door. but he didn't strike
and then heard the shots and her mother
screaming in the back room. He fired two
shots at my mother.
Had he ever threatened your mother7'
"He had said Mrs Eisenbraun. "This was
the fourth time she had left him, but she had
where he said that he would kill her and then
Kill himself and have two witnesses that he
has lurked and hidden behind the fence here.
have seen him with my own eyes, hanging
about the house."
apo you think he was drunk when he came
here yesterday" asked the coroner.
"No," said the witness, 'he was not He was
Just as sober could be. Old man Sommerield
asked my neighbor about two weeks ago when
my husband went for oysters"
In reply to questions by the jury, the witness
said she had no child in her arms when she ran
children in the house. She did not think her
mother lived over three minutes after she was
shot.
ruprArS
VIM. Myers, a neighbor Of the Eisenbfauns,
testified that Sommerfield used to come to his
house and ask for a cup Of coffee, or for some
other purpose. One morning, while eating his
break fast there, he said that IL hts wife did not
come back to him he would shoot her. That
was about seven weeks or two months ago.
That was soon after his wife left him. Sommer.
or three days after that he said that be had got.
ten the money for his horse, and he was going
down to get a revolver. He did not say what
The pistol with which the shots were fired-a
shown. and Lieut. Kelly snapped it, showing
how easy il was to fire ii.
OTHER TESTIMONY.
Police Officer Slack testified that after Som
merfield was arrested he asked him what he
did the shooting for. Sommerfield said they
had robbed him. He admitted that he did the
Maggie Woodward, coiored girl, who lives
a little distance away across the commons, and
heard the shots, testified that she saw the man |
The witness said to him: You are the man
that done the murder" She followed him and
took hold OF his coat but he threw her Off say
I'M: G--yoo' woman don't you touch
Lieut. Kelly, of the seventh police precinct.
testified that about O'Clock last night he
asked Sommerfield il he realized what he had
done. He said he did. Witness asked him
what he had shot his wife for, and he said she
had stolen more than $3.50 from him and given
IN Witness hxyh ul
shot Eisenbraun, and he said, 'he keep my
wife there and won't let her go home.' He
a coiored man, and paid So for it. In reply to
a question whether he knew the parties were |
dead. sommerfield said "No;" that after the |
shooting he had walked away. He said he
bought the revolver because he was annoyed |
by some darkeys who came there to the house. |
with DR.. HickIins, said he found two pistol
shot wounds on the body of Ms Sommerneid. |
One ball entered the right side below the ribs |
Inches to the left Of the spine, and taking q |
course directly forward, pierced the center OF |
the heart, and then passed out in front near the
breast bone. This wound was fatal. The shot |
was fired very near the body. Death in both /
cases certainly occurred within hvo minutes /
after the wounds were made.
THE VERDICT.
The jury rendered q verdict that the dead |
man and woman came to their death from l
pstolshot wounds OF the chest inflicted with q /
pistol held in the hands Of Louis Sommerneid. /
The house where the murder occurred Ii - /
stated, o two-story frame house. and new. Il u /
plainly and rather scantily furnished, and the /
rooms are ornamented
WITH CHEAP PRINTS.
Eisenbraun, who was about forty years old, /
vas q German who came to this country when /
quite young. He served during the war - . /
teamster. About eleven years ago he Lost an /
arm by an accident while engaged in firing Q l
salute for the Butchers Benevolent society az 1
this city. He was employed until three months |
ago a. q W2tchman at the Interior department.
and bore good reputation He resigned shout
three months ago to open restaurant In the /
new house which he had just finished on Mary.
land avenue.
Mrs. Sommerneid, the murdered woman, was
D haro-worktng woman, OF about nfty.nvo
years old, whose dead face showed the MARKS OF
many years OF suffering. She has lived with
her husband In . little hut Of . house On e l
street, near the scene Of the tragedy. They had
Q garden patch, and made Q living fron C.
II ts said, abused her. and threat |
ened At times TO kill her. She sought refuge
seven weeks ago in the house OF her son-ln-laW,
Eisenbraun. S0mmerheld has four children Of |
his own. Mrs. Sommerneld was . widow when
be married her, and had several chtldFon. Ma
Eisenbraun Is one Of the children she had when
he married Sommerneld.
sONMERv1xzD
II about "a years old and has bu1hy ersy wills. |
kers and gray eyes. He has the reputet3on In |
bis ueighborhood Of being . disafpaeed id1sR
and living upon the hard earnings a hts Win /
His composure and unconcern since ~ oeEone
Is remarkable. He fbeeiy aolntto The el1oce&1rb
and has spent most Of hiD Tina G1no11oG -
making hiInselfe - comfortable 90 poog1ble IN .