The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-17
Is A MURDERER
Katie Rupp, Whom Alien
berger Shot, Died
Last Night.
HE WILL BE RB-INDIcTED TODAY
Chief Murphy FORCES the Last
Link in the Chain Of Evil
dence Against Him.

ueuCe Against HILL
Bernhard Altenbergen, who shot Kate
Rupp in a quarry on Snake Hill on Sunday
last is a murderer. His victim died last
night in Christ's Hospital.
Her death took place a few minutes after
eleven o'clock, and was expected by the
physicians and nurses in attendance, and
two hours before it occurred word was sent
to Chief Murphy.
He arrived at the hospital in company
with County Physician Converse In order to
take Miss Rupp's ante norton statement,
but she had sunk into a stupor and remained
in chat condition until death released her.
Yesterday afternoon she had given such
| signs OF recovery that at first the doctors be-
lieved she would pull through, and she was
even able to make a statement to Detective
Doyle who in turn presented IT the Grand
Jury. AS she appeared to brighten up 1t
was thought that an examination for the
bullets might be undertaken, but towards
evening her temperature rose, her pulse IN
creased, showing that the dread peritonitis
had set in. She relapsed into unconscious
ness from which she never reco yered-
THE BODY AT Il MORGUE
About ten o'clock this morning the body
WAS ItlIlONSQt W CDoG1 > liz 6QCs OhO
autopsy will take place perhaps this after
noon.
Just as soon as Mr.. Louis Heck, morgue
keeper, and his assistant had prepared the
body, Detectives Dalton aud McNally ar
rived with Mrs. Cannon and q man, both OF
whom had seen Altenberger and his victim
together on Sunday. The detectives took
! them into the morgue and they at once
recognized Miss Rupp. She lies IN a plain
coffin and, being swathed in linen from head
to foot with q crucifix on her breast. she re-
seMbles a religieuse at rest.
Up to the present no word has been re-
ceiye6 from her relatives, but solne of the
girls friends will take care of the remains
after the autopsy takes place. The funeral,
tits expected, will be in the Catholic Gene
terry, West Side avenue.
COMPLETE CHAIN OF
Chief of Police Murphy this morning an
nounced that the address at which Alien
berger and Katie Rupp arranged to engage
| a room for eight days was at No. IA York
| street. This address is a little candy store
| adjoining a stoneyard. The woman with
whom they were to board and to whom
| Restaurant Keeper Holmes referred the
| couple, was a Mrs. Cannon. Icalled at Mrs
lannon's this morning, but found her out.
Detectives Dalton and McNally have succeed
ed in procuring the addresses of every person
who saw or conversed with Altenberger and
Katie Rupp on Sunday last. All OF these
| people will be compelled to visit the morgue
to identity the body of Katie Rupp. The
object of this is to establish the connection
between the murderer and the dead girl.
When A~1tenberger is brought from Utica
tho same people will be called upo him to
identify him.
TO PREVENT SUICIDE.
This morning Chief of Police Murphy
telegraphed the Utica authorities to keep a
close watch upon Altenberger. This precau-
tion was taken to prevent him from COM
hitting suicide. The Chief does not wish
the courts to lose such a criminal. Arrange
ments lave been made to have Detective
Doyle start for Utica for the murderer to-
morrow morning, at which time he will be
| armed with a warrant and Indictment for
| murder. The Chief declares that by means
of the detectives he will, by the time the
| case is called for trial, have evidence trac-
ing the couple from their arrival in Jersey
City to the time the shooting was done.
INDIFFERENT AS TO H CRIME.
Altenbergeris confession which appeared in
last nights NEWS, has caused great sur
| prise at the murderer's utter indifference as
to the enorlnity of his crime,
Last evening he made a few corrections in
his statement to Chief Degwell of Utica. As
to his visit to Elizabeth lac now says that he
| went there on Monday morning and re-
manned all day. That night he went to a
dance with Christina Vetter, remaining I'M
til Two A. M. when he went to Mrs. Half
| ner's home, where he was until seven o'clock;
then he went to New York, and at half past
! four P. M. started up the State, where he was
caught.
When interviewed this morning he insisted
| that Miss Rupp had asked him to marry her,
| and he determined to leave Rome and get
rid of her, When they were in Jersey City
she insisted upon an immediate marriage,
and something was said about their differ
| ence Of religious faith, she being a Catholic
and he a Protestant. She said they could go
to their respective churches. Then he de-
termined TO leave her, but she watched him
SO closely he could not do SO. He added
'She cried and lamented. and then I made
up my mind to shoot her to get rid Of her.
"What motive had you for killing herp
he was asked.
"Oh," he answered, why, a mar has
curious ideas sometimes. don't know why
it was. She had followed me all over Rome
and / had tried to get rid Of her. | had Of
fered to give her all her things back if she
would break off with me. When I shot her
l fired two shots In succession"
The murderer fully believed that Katie
Rupp was dead when he left her, and that
her body would not be found tor many days,
and when 1t was discovered there was moth
ing on it to afford Identification. He was
intensely surprised to hear that she lived for
two days, and showed no signs of regret at
his bloody deed.
MEANT TO MARRY ANOTHER.
He told one of the detectives that when he
! shot Katie Rupp be meant to come on to
Rome, get his belongings and marry pretty
Katie Christ. He was in love with her, and
it is said had proposed to her: Only the ex-
| posure of the crime saved Miss Christ from
| marriage with a heartless murderer.
Chief Murphy this afternoon requested At
torney General Stockton to have the neces-
sary requisition papers prepared so that De-
tectiye Doyle may have them tomorrow to
| go to Utica for Altenberger.
The Grand Jury this afternoon indicted
Altenberger for murder.
voLK WILL HOLD AN INQUEST.
Coroner Volk will hold an inquest next
week into the murder of Katie Ruppb y
her lover. The inquest may be held in this
city or in Hopoken, depending npon the resi-
dences of the jury empannelled. The place
nor evening has not been determined upon.
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