The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-31
HELD IN BONDAGE.
Frederick Steger's Money
and Wives Against Him
In His Old Age.

Frederick Steger. sixty-eight years OF
age, and for the past twenty five or thirty
years a well known character of the
Fourth ward of Hoboken, is held 6
| prisoner in the house No. Al Paterson
avenue. near Central avenue, on the
Heights. Anybody who goes there does
so at his or her peril, for the boss
of the house has loaded shot gun and
bulldog revolver ready to use on any
trespasser. Ii is thought Steger is dying.
aud AS there is considerable money at
stake, all parties concerned are using
every endeavor Co get the old man.
STEGER'S FAST LIFE.
Steger's Lille the past thirty years has
not been that OF model Christian gentle
| man. Possessed of wealth, he lndulged
his passions as he saw fit. The result is,
there ara today, Two women who claim
the right to be called Mrs. Steger and q
daughter who claims she ought to have
all her fathers wealth.
Mrs. Steger No. says that some
Twenty-Five years ago she gave birth to a
daughter. Steger being the father. The
couple were never married, but it is said
Steger gave the woman 5000 for her
trouble. He then owned the property
old Nos. 127-131 Newark street. Hoboken.
Sreger lived on the third floor OF
child lived on the floor above. They
thus lived till about a year ago. The lit
tie girl grew up into a handsome woman,
Steger, il seems. never recognized the
woman or child, although they were his
friends and secured some of his money
from time to time. October a year ago,
a widow, Mrs. Hampel, appealed to JUS
arrested, as he was responsible
for her delicate condition. Steger
then appeared to be an old, silly fool,
so Seymour chased then, from his office,
a brother of the widow. Charles Bieiman,
now appeared upon the scene, and he
seems to have reVenged the wrongs OF
his widowed sister by forcing Steger to
consent to marriage. The couple
were married by Justice of the Peace
Rusch aud lived at Steger's rooms. No.
LIZ Newark street. Last September
Steger bought the house old No. 81 Will
low avenue from a Mrs. Gehlock, who
figures. according to the story, as con-
tidence woman OF some kind. Steger and
his wife and brother-in-law moved to
Willow avenue. Here. it is said, the
brother treated MIN frightfully, and had
him convey to his wife that house.
valued ct some $4,000. They then
had the old man arrested,
and he was sent to the County Jail for
ten days. While in the County Jail. his
QuuknlcIs CuC JOuus uAob ilOubiOacOs
had him released. She lives with her
husband. Mr.. Sexton. She says, at No i.
127 Newark street. Her mother, the No.
l Mrs. Steger, lives with her, and also an
Italian named Passalado whom the daugh-
ter says is only bOarder. The old man
remained with these people three days.
He went out one day and went to fami-
ly named Wittische, who lived in the
house No. 81 Willow avenue. where Mrs
Seeger No. 2 lived. Steger remained with
the Wittisches, and wouldn't go down
stairs to his wife. Wittische being be-
hind in his rent, Mrs. Steger No. 2 had
them elected from the premises, Steger
with them
WITTISCHE CONTENTED.
Now comes another interesting scene.
Mrs. Gehlock, it seems had more property
to sell on the Hill. Wittische, who had
no money, appears as the purchaser, and
now with his family occupies the house
No. Al Paterson avenue in the Heights,
where Steger is kept. He also started u
butcher shop on Fifth street. Hoboken.
All this prosperity he has purchased since
he was elected for non-oayment of rent.
Mrs. Sexton, the daughter of many years
ago, has endeavored to see Steger,
but the WitJisches drove her
from the premises she says.
Mrs. Steger No. O. and her brother Carl
are satisfied with what they have rs-
ceived, but this daughter wadts her father
declared a lunatic, that she may get all
the money.