The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-21
IN MURDERERS' ROW
AltenbeTger Placed in the
Famous Cell No. 2 In
the County Jail.
POLICE FEAR he WILL KILL HIMSELF
Pastor Meury Becomes His spir-
itual Adviser-Sorfy Now
For His Act.
POLICE FEAR he WILL KILL HIMSELF

met Detectives Doyle and McNaly at the
West Shore Railroad depot with their pris-
oner. They returned to the Sixth precinct,
where the Second precinct patrol wagon
was in waiting. He was then hurried to
| Police Headquarters. Inspector Lange,
| who speaks German, informed ~Altenberger
that Katie Rupp was dead. The murderer
started, and for a moment seemed agitated.
Recovering his presence of mind he asked
sWhat is done with a man who commits
murder in this countryg
ssThey are usually hanged" said Inspector
That's hard. 1t is harded than they get
in Germany, . was his only reply.
Chief Murphy then questioned the muir
| derer. Inspector Lange acting as inter
prefer. =,
.'Do YOU know a girl named fAable huppg
sYes.n
sslVhen did you shoot herP
Last Sunday"
"IVhy did you shoot herY'
81 don't know myself"
"Did you mean to kill hers'
s.No."
ibid you take any money from herg'
sNo.n
A~ltenberger then signed the statement.
IDENTIFYING The
Chief Murphy has secured o most I'M
| portant witness against Altenberger. She IS
a colored woman named Mrs. Mary Inomp-
| son and is known as BLACK Tom'so wife.
BY means Of this woman Altenberger is
traced to within a quarter of a milo Of
the scene of the murder and with
in a half hour of its occurrence.
| She told Chief Murphy that Aitenberger
| stopped at her house and asked for a drink
| Of water. She identified him among twenty
other men. Her grandchild also identified
| him, remarking when she saw him
ssDat's dc man wild de white hat"
Mrs. Cannon and restaurant keeper
| Holmes also identified aim.
Mrs. Thompson's ~grandchild was asked if
| she could IDENTIFY tho woman who was with
| Altenbereer. She replied in the affirmative,
! and upon being shown an album belonging
| to Katie Rupp, containing ABOUT forty por-
| traits, pointed out two pictures OF Katie
Rupp.
i know her. she said, because she
| drank two cups of water
Altsnbereer was removed to the County
| Jail at min O'Clock today in custody OF In
| spector Lauga and Detective Doyle.
If Judge Lipoincott mad not been in Tren
ton. Altenberger would have been arraigned
in the Court of Oyer and Terminer on an in
dictInent for murder, Immediately after
| court opened. He will be arraigned to-
morrow.
AT TIE COUNTY ALL SATURDAY.
Saturday night the people who nave in
terested themselves in the brutal murder of
| the unfortunate woman gathered in front of
the Court House and waited for Altenber-
| gers arrival. They supposed that Detective
| Doyle would axe the prisoner there as
soon as he reached this city with him
| The crowd rapidly grew until there
| were about 800 persons congregated. Many
| threats were made against Altenberger, and
the impressive words, Lynch him." Were
| constantly being repeated. The murnurs of
| the crowd continued TO grow more numer-
ons. as it waited. The police had. cared that
! there might be some difficulty and they
| wisely did not make known The destination
of the prisoner.
Dan Kilburn, the van driver of the Sixth
precinct, had instructions to take Alien
| berger to the Sixth precinct station from
Weehawken depot, and to then transfer
| him to the First precinct patrol wagon,
| which vent down Palisade avenue, and
! thus avoided the angry crowd in front of
the Jail.
Kilburn said today that. as the van was
| being driven to the Sixth precinct, a number
of small crowds were passed, and they yelled
at Kilburn and the detectives to let them
have the prisoner and they would lynch
him.
THE CROWDS THIS MORNING.
This norning as early as eight o'clock men
| and BOYS began to congregate about tic
| corridors Of the Court House and on the
| stoop. waiting for Altenberger's arrival.
| BY nine o'clock more than 800 persons braved
| the severe storm In their anxiety TO see the
murderer, u the Grove was an orderly one
| and was not composed of the Gle
| ,nent that creates mischief. At half-past
zine Van Driver 0'Donnell and the First
| precinct patrol wagon were noticed coming
| up the avenue. The CROWD made q rush
| across the yard to the jail, but Inspector
| Lange and Detective Doyle fooled 1t nicely
| bv telling O7Donnell to drive in the Co.rt
| Honse grounds. This was lone rapidly and
O moment later, and before the crowd
/ knew what had taken place, Aitenberger
/ was hurried through the side entrance to
the Court House and taken to the office OF
| Sheriff Toffey, in which were congregated a
| half dozen Deputy Sheriffs. A dozen Court
| C~opstables were ordered to keep the crowd
! ont of the corridor, and they did so, but not
without some trouble.
The desire to see the murderer was in
| tense. and the crowd deliberately waited in
the rain for that purpose, until someone said
Altenberger would be arraigned, and then
the front court room was rushed for and it
| was filled. At a quarter before eleven, it
was announced that Altenberger would not
be a~rraigned today, because Judge Lippin-
colt was in Trenton, and then the crowd
| made a wild rush for tho corridor again, but
| only arrived in time to see the murderer
| escorted by Detective Doyle and Inspector
Tsnee, and a nunber Of deputies and court
constables. enter the Jail. The door was i'm
| nlediately locked.
While waiting in the Sherif's office Alien
berger looked extremely pale, but he did
| not exhibit any nervousness. He did not
| sneak a word while there. Detective Doyle
| sat beside him watching his every motion.
A-LTENBERGER'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE
Altenberger does not at all resemble the
| ~popular impression of what murderers
| should look like. His face is boyish and
| without whiskers or mustache. His eyes are
his worst feature. They are too close to-
| gether and the expression III them is rather
| sinister. They are sunken and small and Of a
| hght brown hue. The pimples which had been
| On his face had nearly all disappeared, but
| there were traces of them plainly to be seen.
| He was dressed ina neat business suit of dark
material, wore a Picadiily collar and a
violet knitted four-in-hand scarf and patent
| leather shoes.
When AItenberger was taken to the Jail
he gave his name and pedigree as Bernardo
! Altenberger, aged twenty-one: born IL Ger
many: tailor by occupation.
Deputy Jailer Birmingham aDaio sizea TO
Inspector LANCE for going taafou % 5ho
formaiity of searching the pris9ne.. saying
that he knew the ponce hal done Sslis lSlty
! thoroughly. but it was one Of the rates in
| the Jail and must be obeyed. The Inspector
laughed and said:
eco ahead; that's right
OF course, nothing was found on Alten-
berger chat was worth confiscating. J1o
TTo ~ r. a >