The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15
The Detectives Are Hunting for
Her Male Accom-
plice.
HER HUSBAND THE ACCUsER
He Says Henry Sutter Disposed OF
the Body After the Mother
Killed Her Child

Confined in the City Prison is a young
woman, Mrs. Martha Zeiger by name,
whom the police arrested on Friday night
for numbering her baby scarce three days
old. According to their information she
strangled the infant to death on last De-
cember or 8. The horrible crime is said
to have been committed in room 25 of a
house at 80 Fourth street.
The woman will no doubt be charged
with murder as soon as the detectives can
arrest Henry Sutter, who is said to be an
accomplice, inasmuch as he disposed OF
the little dead body after the inhuman
mother had accomplished the fendish
deed. Sutter keeps milk and butter store
at 1870 Howard street, but since the arrest
of the woman the police have not been able
to find him al his place of business.
Mrs. Zeiger was found on Friday even
ing by Detective Dillon and Officer Ryan
in the Thalia concert hall, an underground
melodian on Market and Turk streets.
She was quietly removed to the City
Prison and placed in one of the "tanks," :"
where she could not communicate with
the outside world and warn her consort
that the crime had been discovered. That
he did receive a warning of some kind is
apparent from the fact that his where
abouts could not be ascertained by the
police and detectives, who are only too
anxious to place him also behind the bars
OF the City Prison.
That the crime was committed by a
woman who long since lost all compre-
hension of morality does not rob IL of its
hideousness. Who was the father of the
LII ~
the evidence in the possession of the po-
lice.
Mrs Zeiger is the wife of Henry Zeiger,
a cook in the Berliner Koscher Kitchen
at 334 Bush street, but according to the
husbands story she has for several years
past been very careless in her association
with strange men.
1t was at the husbands instigation that
the woman was arrested. He said that
she had confessed to him that she had
cholled the baby to death and afterwards
offered him $50 to keep the crime FROM
being made public. In the husband s
mind revenge formed no small facto in
the part be played in informing the police
of the infanticide. Last night he told to
CALL reporter the story of his married
life and of the woman's crime. His voice
was harsh with bitterness as he said:
My wife will be charged with murder
in a day or two. She admitted to me that
she strangled to dearth her newborn
baby on December Z, 1895, in a house at
80 Fourth street. 1 want to see the
woman punished for her crime and don't
care for how long term she will be sent
to prison"
The thought that the gallows would be
her fate if convicted of child murder did
not seem to trouble the husband in the
least; she deserved it he said. The story
OF their married life and of the crime
Zeiger told in a disconnected manner, but
in substance as follows:
az married my wife in Leipsig, Germany,
in 1892, and for while we lived happily
together. About year later we came to
this country, when at first made living
as a baker. Later on we moved to Nevada
City, where l found profitable position
in a mine It was there that my wife be-
came acquainted with a wealthy Chinese.
and in June. 1895, she left me suddenly to
go with her new love.
''After while discovered that she had
gone to San Francisco, so 1 came here, too,
and met her at the Hackmeyer Hotel on
Eddy street. l had to pay her board bill
in this hotel, which amounted to SIT.
LAS l had to settle some business in
Nevada City I went back there, but re-
turned to San Francisco on July II. for
gave my wife for her folly and we went to
live al the Yosemite House on Market
street and l went to work in Schwamm' s
butcher-shop on Sixth street.
"For time all went well, but by and by
my wife became dissatisfied with the liv-
ing l was making for her and she left me
again and went to live at IL Taylor street.
While there she was arrested for being on
the streets TOO late at night, and for some
reason she caused my arrest for vagrancy,
claiming that she was supporting me.
was sentenced to six months imprison-
ment upon her testimony and 1 was re.
leased on March 49,
lone day soon after met her and asked
her what had become of the baby, and she
told me that it had never lived. l did not
believe her. About three weeks ago mel
cousin of mine and also this man SuIter
They told me that the child was born on
Decem Der Z. Sutter told me that my wife
had kept the infant for three days, and
afterward removed it from the house.
.When l confronted my wife with these
facts few days later she admitted theil
truth, and finally confessed that she had
strangled it to death upon the instigatior
of this man Sutter. She said that Suttel
removed the body on the same day of the
murder, but she did not know whore he
had put it.
81 informed the police, and the arrest O.
my wife followed. Only few days age
she offered me $50 if would keep the
matter quiet. At the time of her arrest
she offered money to the detectives if they
would let her go.
my wife is only 81 years old. Hel
mother lives in Germany. Yes, I want tC
see my wife punished for her crime"
Zeiger stated that his wife had beer
keeping company with another man who
works in one of the sugar refneries.
Meanwhile the detectives are hunting
in all directions for the man Sutter, anG
when he is caught both will, without
doubt, be charged with murder.
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