The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-18
4 PRETTY THIEF.
Bertha Ernst Robs a Hobo
ken Storekeeper to the
Extent of $1,000.

Yesterday afternoon Morris Nathan, a
dry goods dealer of No. 1863 First street,
Hoboken. reported to the police that he
had reason to believe that he had been
Systematically robbed during period of
several months by a saleswoman. Before
the police were put to work on the case
Mr.. Nathan did some detective work
himself and as he recovered some of the
goods he has decided to let the matter
rest for the present.
About the middle of July Bertha
Ernst, pretty young woman, eighteen
years old, OF No. 1873 First street, was en-
ployed as saleswoman by Mr.. Nathan.
She was well recommended and was a
strict church member. Shortly after as
suming her duties her peculations COM
menced, and it is supposed that before
she was detected she stole goods to the
value of 81 600
The girls duties brought her to the
store early. At noon time her younger
brother would call with her lunch, which
he carried iu an extra large basket. 1t Is
now thought that the young lad was an
accomplice and carried away in the
basket anything which his sister could
not conceal about her person.
Mr. Nathan's daughter often noticed
the young saleswoman wearing articles
of apparel which she had known to have
been in stock in the store. She asked
Miss Ernst where she had purchased
them and she would reply that she had
purchased them from Miss Nathan's
father.
About week ago Miss Ernst left
after making an unusually large haul.
Mr.. Nathan, who had his suspicious
aroused, at once made an investi-
CATION and finally acquainted the police.
Yesterday he entered the apartments of
u
corner of the room he found over $500
worth of his goods. There was every
thing there from spool of thread to a
roll of silk. He carted the goods back to
his store. MIR. Nathan said last night
that the Ernst family had skipped. He
said that he did not know of how
much he had been robbed. He said that
Miss Ernst was church member and
was recommended to him by the pastor of
church. 1t had always been a matter
of wonder to him how she managed to
dress so stylishly, but now the mystery
was solved in most unexpected way.
Jumped for the Steamer.
There was almost a panic among the
passengers on the steamship Augusta
Victoria just after leaving her pier at Ho-
boken at eight O'Clock this morning. The
gang plank of the ship had been pulled
in and she was about thirty feet from the
dock when an excited individual came
running down the pier. The crowd on
the dock fell back and the man
stopped at the end of the pier.
He looked at the receding ship for
one moment. and then before anybody
could prevent the crazy act, he made a
bold leap for the ship. The passengers.
who clustered about the railing of the
ship, were greatly excited and one woman
tainted.
The fellow struck the water and i'm
mediately struck out for the ship. He
was apparently splendid swimmer and
it looked as ii he might reach the vessel.
One of the crew of the ship threw him q
rope, which struck him on the back,
bu he refused to grasp it..
Suddenly he folded his arms and
sank. The ship then proceeded on her
voyage. The dock authorities secured
graphing irons and searched for the body.
After an hours search they were sue
cessful in findingit From papers found
in the pockets the drowned man was iden-
titled as Christian Clausen, twenty-five
years old. of Minnesota. He had steer
age ticket for Hamburg. Last night he
went aboard the ship and acted SC
queerly that the officers put him off and
refused to allow him to go aboard this
morning, as q rule of the company for
bids the transportation of insane persons.
The body WAS removed to the morgue.