St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-12
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY M THE Al
LECEO P0iS09ER'S TRIAL.
ANEW YORK COURT CROWDED.
The Conspiracy to Defraud the
Insurance Companies Which
Ended in the Murder of Brandt
Muller, One of the Conspira-
tors, Tells n Damaging Story
Something Of His History.


Muller, One of the Conspira-
tors, Tells a Damaging Story
Something Of His History.
New YORK, Dec. 1.-THE court of
oyer and terminer was crowded today
with an expectant audience. The Meyer
case was re-opened promptly at 1920
O'Clock. and several women who had
gained entrance to the court room were
Interested spectators. The cross-exam-
nation OF Muller was Immediately
taken up.
DIR. Meyer says Muller's real name is
Arnold Kirfet. The witness was known
as August Winners in the conspiracy
to defraud the insurance companies
the conspiracy which, it is charged,
ended in the murder of one of the con-
spirators, Brandt. under the name of
Joseph Baum. The collection of $4,000
worth of checks on the policies
by Mrs. DR.. Meyer, claiming to be the
widow of Baum, and the cashing Of
these checks by DR.. Meyer under the
lame of Woerner. the landlord of the
fiat where the alleged murder was COM
United. identifying him at the bank.
Mystery surrounds the case at every
turn. The defense claims that Baum,
alias Brandt, is alive, and it is believed
that they will admit the conspiracy to
defraud the insurance companies, but
declare that no murder was committed.
bogus corpse havidg been substituted
for the alleged sick man Brandt, alias
Baum.
Lawyer Brooke, cross-examining
Muller, got him to tell that he was born
IN Germany. that he had lawful wife
there at the time of his marriage to
Mary Neiss, and that at the present
time
HE HAD TWO WIVES.
In other words, that he is bigamiSt.
He said that he come to America i'll
1888. He went to Philadelphia after
little stay in New York, but be could
not remember what houses lie stopped
at in either city. After five days in
Philadelphia he went to Newport, KY,
foa ten days, where he stopped at a
saloon and looked for work, with Hu-
bert Dreinacht, miller, who came from
Germany with him.
Kansas City held Muller and his
friend from June to September, where
he lived at a boarding house kept by
August Kreiger. From Kansas City he
went to Chicago. where he was in
hospital with typhoid fever, which he
contracted on the train.
He said that he had played the piano
at several disorderly houses in Chicago,
where he was known as "Piano Char
lie" In answer to Mr.. Brooke's ques-
lions he said: Il was arrested March
%, 1890. | was arrested with George
Purifier, charged with swindling farmers
by false advertisements for husbands
for two young girls" meekly said Mr..
Muller. 81 said in the advertisements
that young girl of responsibility
wanted to get married. l got answers
from farmers who wanted wives. Then
| sent on photographs of young girls
and got sums of money. was con-
yicted June 80 and sent to Joliet prison."
up to that time you had never
HEARD OF DIR. MEYER,
Parker, Brandt or Baum, had you?"
queried MIR. Brooke.
mo. sir. l first met Parker in jail.
He was there for forgery. He was not
confined in the same part of the Jail as
l. Parker was the name by which
Gustaye NJ. A. Baum was known in the
JAIL" continued Muller. ~ met him
walking on the floor of the Jail about
April 10, 1890. He had read in the
newspapers about me. He spoke to me
and Purifier. | next saw him with DIR.
Meyer the latter part Of May. had
heard OF DR.. Meyer. He had become
prisoner a few days before. Parker in
troduced us. l never saw Parker speak
to him again until we were both in
Joliet prison."
Muller told how he led the police to
Dir. Meyers hiding place in Detroit, and
how he was arrested.
WHO is Lena Kaufman, with whom
you were walking in Lincoln park.
Chicago, when you met DR.. MeyerH
"a respectable girl. She had nothing
TO 90 with DR.. Meyers scheme. l went
to the park to meet her. Then l took
her to DR.. Meyer"
''Was it after you began living with
Mary Melissa"
mo, Sir"
WAS it after you were married to the
girl Rosie?"
mo, was never married to her;
only lived with her."
Muller supplemented his story of the
departure of himself with Brandt for
New York by relating that when DR..
Meyer placed in his hands the tickets
to New York he said: You shall go
where
THE GREEN GERMANS
come from. Rob them of their money
with morphine"
DIR. Meyer said we should go to New
York, hire fiat. put the name Baum"
OH the door bell and wait for him, as
New York was the place where we
could get plenty of men to die for us to
collect insurance on" said Muller.
Muller told again that the day before
he and Brandt set out for New York
DIR. Meyer had given him small pack
age i'll blue wrapper, on which pack
age was written ''Antimony," and told
him Brandt was to be made sick in the
New York fiat by doses of the anthony
spriBkled on his food. If Brandt did
not take it willingly he must be fooled
into taking it without knowing it.
Mr.. Brooke asked fifty questions
about the color, quantity and appear
ance of the powder. and Muller told
him he did not know, only it was white.
After fifty other questions, Mr.. Brooke
asked Muller if he did sprinkle the
antlmony on Brandt's food. The
witness said no, he gave the pack
age to Brandt without opening it
and never saw it again. Then he could
not explain how, if the blue paper was
never opened, he could he sure that the
contents were a white powder. He
finally said that DR.. Meyer told him so.
Muller said DR.. Meyer told him to
register in New York as Otto c. Stein.
and he did so.
Mr.. Brooke made Muller testify that
he had sworn false Friday when he re-
| lated that he had called at the Morton
house for ''my friend. H. Woerner.'
and was told that he had been there
and had gone away.
This afternoon he said he did not
know that DR.. Meyer was at
THE MORTON HOUSE
| the day he called: that he had been fold