The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-11
FOR KILLING KATIE RuPP.
Bernhard Altenberger Placed on Trial
yesterday in Jersey City.

New YORK, July 10-Bernhard Altenberser
was put on trial yesterday in the Court of
oyer ana Ierminer in Jersey City, for the
mufoef OF Matte Rupp at Snake Hill on
sunday, May ID. Justice Lippincott and
Lay JuoSe henney were on the bench. The
prisoner lawyers are Norman L. Rowe,
MAX oainger and James n. Furey. Dis
trlct attorney ln4eld represents the state.
Altenperger is very boyish looking, an
has lost the Jaunty appearance he had when
he was brought back by the detectives
from UTICA where he was captured.
At.the beginning Mr.. Rowe applied for
a postponement, on the ground that the de-
fence had been unable to securesthe at
tendance OF material Witnesses, and he sub
m1tted an affidavit by Mr.. Salinger, one OF
his associates, setting forth that the defence
would be insanity, and that two of the
material witnesses were the defendants
mother and doctor, both now in Germany
1t could be proved by these witnesses,
the defendant said, that Altenberger's in
sanity was hereditary, and that he had
been in an asylum. Justice Lippincott re-
fused-to grant any postponement.
District Attorney Widntield said in his
opening address:
''On the morning of MAY IA, two men at
Snake Hill. going to their work heard
groans among the rocks. They olambered
up and on rocky ledge, they found wom-
an. She was semi-conscious. They took her
out and she revived sufficiently to tell who
had shot her. That woman and the defend
ant both lived'at Rome New York. Their
acquaintance began at q funeral. Kati
had saved money, and soon this man began
borrowing it from. her. He began to talk of
marriage, and finally pressed his suit wit
such success that they agreed to come t o
New York and be married. With diabolical
shrewdness- he advised the girl to leave
Rome alone and go to Utica, VIII ere he would
meet her. That was done. Katie bought
her ticket and checked her trunk to Utica.
He followed, and joined her few hours
afterward. On the way down on the train
he asked her for what money she had, and
she gave it all to him, S93. They arrived
in Jersey City about 9 O'clock, and at once
rented furnished room. The woman who
owned the house asked them if they were
married and the girl replied that they were
not, but would be that day In the after
noon they went to Snake Hill. They had
stopped at a colored woman's house on the
way and got drink of water Katie said,
I'm tired ;Flet US sitsdown.' He consented,
and after'she was seated he went away to
seek suitable place to kill her. On his re-
turn he invited her to climb little furt her
up to see some flowers. She consented.
when he got her there he told her that
as she was Catholic and he Protestant
he couldn't marry her. He drew his pistol
and shot her. He started away, but remem-
bering that sheshad s onaething which might
connect him with the 1ahrder he returned.
He had exchanged watches with her. She
was almost unconscious, but as he leaned
over her she murmured ,'Oh, Bernhard
He snatched his watch from her, and while
his name was still on her lips he shot her
again. Then he went to Elizabeth. and
the next night he took another woman to a
ball and danced with her until o'clock in
thesmornin - i
Mrs. Margaret Canon, the woman from
whom the prisoner and the girl rented the
furnished room, Mary Thompson,the colored
woman at whose house they stopped for
drink of water land Josephine Jordan, her
granddaughter, identified Altenberger.
Several other witnesses were called. in
Guiding Chief of Police Dagwell of Utica,
who submitted the confession made. by AL
tenberger after his arrest. The.trial will be
continued today.