The evening world., 1893-12-28
BRUTE AND COWARD.
Wife Murderer Freebooter Feared
Instant Execution.
Says His Wife Killed Herself with
Stiletto.
Admitted to Others that lie Him.
self Hacked Her to Death.

Christian Freebooter. trembling from
the effects of dcbauch and crazed with
fear at the probable consequences OF the
crime of murder, with which he thinks
he Is charged, was arranged before JUS
tlce Grady in the Yorkville Court to-day
for killing his wife.
Detectives Webber and Grade. Of the
East Si~ty-seventh street station, had the
prisoner In charge. They had stripped
him OF his undershirt and linen shirt,
which were soaked with blood, mute
evidences of the dastardly crime resting
Justice Grady committed Freebooter
without bail for examination, subsequent
to an inquest by the Coroner, and he was
removed to the Yorkville Prison.
Freebooter, who Is fifty-siX years old,
lived on the third floor In the tenement
house, 1892 First avenue. His wife Mary
and three adult children, Eva, Lizzie
and Henry, all lived with him, and. as II
fact, these children and their mother
really supported the father.
For two years he, by his own state
net-maker by trade, and his children say
pied by rheumatism.
Drink has taken a strong hold on
Freebooter. and the police believe that
in an outburst of drunken fury yester-
day afternoon he hacked his poor. hard
working wife to death. A knife, sup
crime was committed, was found in the
kitchen, but all traces Of blood had been
carefully washed from it.
None of the n%eighbors In the house
yesterday heard any noise in the Free
holder tenement, n 1t was only through
the incoherent, maudli remarks of
Freebooter himself to Mrs. Dubois. the
housekeeper, that the first knowledge or
the tragedy was gained.
Mrs. Freebooter was alone with the
exception of her husband and a married
daugter's child. nearly all the forenoon.
iieved to have left the house at il
o'clock, taking a grandchild witt him
to see its mother, Mrs: Laber, who lives
Mrs. Haber says hat her father reach.
ed her house soon after H.. and that
after remaining a few moments left say
ing he had to 20 to the grocer's Tor
some supplies for dinner.
Mrs. Haber went over to her parents
home about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
s sheok could Ien not ted fst IN She alt Went aw shs
and came back about 6 o'clock and met
her sister. Lizzie, who was just re-
turning. from work. Lizzie opened the
discover the dead body of her mother
on the kitchen lounge.
Meantime. Freehold had been taken
the housekeeper, He sat on the steps
of the house just after his two daughters
went upstairs. He mumbled to Mrs.
dna %ou 5sa be he San had fort csta i9.% his wife
Policemen were sent for when the
daughters saw their mothers mutt
lated body, and Mr.. Freeholder was
stat%ion-house. This morning he said
to an Evening World reporter that
he and his wife were both drunk and
they had a quarrel.
He ~declardeshe stabbed herself in the
arm and breast with a stilletto, which
he took away from her and afterwards
was stolen from him while he was out
drinking. Frielholder says he bound up
his wife's arms to stop the flow of
| blood.
His daughters say their mother did not
drink, but was a sober. hard-working
woman. They do not wish to charge
| cannot ascribe 1t to anybody else.
This morning, when the police stripped
Freebooter Of the bloody shirts. he shook
with terror, n quaveringly inquired II
they were going to kill him right away.