Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-17
THE STORY OF A CRIME.
Katie Rupp's Murderer Makes a
Full Confession.
HE PLANNED IT IN COLD BLOOD.

Bis Victim Dead-she Cried and Urged Him
to Marry Her, and So He Concluded to
XIII Her-He Had borrowed Money of
Her and Spent Part of 1t on Another Girl
UTICA, n. Y, May T.--Bernhard Alien
berger, who killed Katie Rupp at Snake
HILL II. J., has confessed his crime. His
confession was complete one and was
made to ChiG of Police Dagwell and Dis
srict Attorney Klock.
When he was questioned as to his mo-
tive, he said:
''Why, a man has curious ideas some
times. l don't k1ssw why it was She had
followed me all over Rome, and had tried |
to get rid of her. / had offered to give her
all her things back if she would break off
with me. When I shot her, fired two
shots in quick succession"
1t is evident that Altenberger believed |
the girl was dead when he left her, and
that when her body was found there would
be nothing to reveal her identity. In the
meantime he could come to Rome, get his
belongings and marry Katie Christ. The
latter is a pretty young woman, and it is
not unlikely that she has been saved from
marriage with Altenberger by the expo
sure of his crime.
His Confession.
II his confession Altenberger said: 81
first began to get money of Katie Rupp in
February, when | was out of work. There
was some talk between us about marry
ing. The first time got $40 or $41 of her.
I bought clothes with that money. 1 asked
her for this money first. I may have bor-
rowed of her, all told, at different times
over 500. 1 think the 10th or Goth of
March promised to return her the money
7 hui ha tnn hot 11caI
to go down to Elizabeth to see Christina
Vetter about Easter time was half bor
rowed of Katie Rupp and half of Mr.
Barnikol as wages. I got SIS of Katie
Rupp. got $40 of Mr.. Barnikol.
-Four or five weeks ago Katie Rupp and
made arrangements to go away with the
intention of getting married. I gave her
that idea. This was what we were to go
away for. l told her to leave home and
come to Utica on a train leaving Rome at
1928, and that would meet here at Utica
on a train that followed the same evening,
leaving Rome at 10:11 p m. 1 told her to
come to Utica on q train an hour or two
ahead of me, so that people would not
know that l left Rome with her The rea-
son did not take my trunk was that l
told Katie that I would send for my trunk
later.
Katie Furnished the Money.
/"On the day we left I got $50 from her.
She gave it to me between Albany and
New York. 1 bought my ticket at Rome
directly to New York Katie bought a
ticket from Rome to Utica. Katie got her
trunk checked from Utica to New York. I
told her to. She watched for the train and
saw me in the car.
"There was an understanding between
US that she was to buy ticket from Rome
to Utica, and that was to go through on
another train, and she was to meet me in
Utica and go on the same train with me to
New York. We did not have sleeper in
gong to New York. We did not stop in
New York, but went directly from New
York to Jersey City and went in a restau
rant between and 10 o'clock 1 went
with the proprietor of the restaurant in
Jersey City and rented rooms for her for
eight days. Nothing was paid for the
rooms. Then we took walk. This was at
half past 10 or II O'Clock. After we took
this walk we came back to another restau-
rant in Jersey City and had something to
eat. This was about 2 o. clock in the after
noon Sunday.
eve got away from the railroad, and
came to a stone quarry. From there went
to house, where there was a colored fam
lily living, and got glass of water. Then
we walked around, and there was a house
that looked like a hospital.
'Then we went around back of this
house that looked like a hospital and sat !
down. Katie said she was tired. Then
walked away from her and looked around.
Then l walked upon high mound. Then
l said to Katie:
eff you want to go along CO.
81 wanted her to go in the hospital when
she said she was tired. l invited her to go
upon the rocks and see the beautiful flow
ers, and she came along with me. We
were up there good half hour
II told her that the Rome people would
talk about me if I married woman with
red hair Then l told her that I had
thought it over, and as she was Catholic
and 1 was Protestant it would not work.
had my revolver with me when we went
upon the rocks.
"After we had little conversation /
stepped back, pulled my revolver and shot
her in the breast I shot twice. After
shot first she says, oh, Bernhardp Then
I shot again.
'"Then l walked a few feet from her and
went back and took the watch she had Oh
off of her. There was little chain on it.
She had my watch and her chain, and
had her watch and my chain. After that
1 looked around and saw no one and ran
away. She was lying down, I thought
she was dead.
Intended to Kill Her.
"I intended to kill her. left her and
went directly to Jersey City. / did not
want to marry her because she was Cath
Ollie and I a Protestant l did not tell any
one that had shot this woman. I took
the watch away from her because it was
my watch, and l thought of it after had
shot her. because if it was found on her it
would connect me with her.
"After L had shot her and left her went
to hotel in Jersey City. I bought the
ring now shown me in Elizabeth on Mon
day, the 18th of May, 1894
81 went to Elizabeth Monday forenoon,
and from there L went to New York. 1
stayed there until o'clock Tuesday after
noon. 1 stayed in Elizabeth until 2:3O
Monday. I am guilty of shooting Katie
Rupp. She did not do anything to me, and
1 shot her. The foregoing statement is
made of my own free will and accord, and
without the use of threats or without fear
or compulsion, and the same is a true mar
rative of my conduct and treatment of
Katie Rupp."
Katie Rupp Dead.
JERSEY CITY Nav 17.-Miss Rupp'S con-