The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-01
TRIED TO KILL OCHS, TOO F!
FRITZ MEYER IDENTIFIED as CON-
STANTINE sTIGER
strong Teatimony That 10 was the puurderor
OF Policeman Smith WHIT Lurea the wealthy
hrewer 20 n Hut ut HidGewood. L. J., and
Thnro Triad 70 Kml end noh Him.

OF Policeman Smith who Lured the wealthy
nrower TO n Hut st RidGevyood. L. l., and
There Tried to XIII cad Rob Him.
Fritz Meyer, as tho murderer Of Policeman
Frederick Smith chose TO call himself, will DO
placed on trial to-day in the criminal branch of
tho Supreme Court on an indictment charging
him with murder in the nrst degree.
1t will DO remembered that the church burg
lar refused to give any information to the police
In reference to his life. but stubbornly main
tained that no was a common thief, who had
managed to escape arrest for fifteen years, during
which time he had lived by stealing, and that
he had resided In Philadelphia until he arrived
In New York and tried to rob the poor boxes of
tho Third Street Catholic Church. whore he
killed the policeman who tried to capture him.
But Police Captain Lees and Detectives Miller
and Becker OF Williamsburg succeeded yester-
day in having the prisoner fully identified as
Constantine Stiger, u Williamsburg Anarchist,
who tried to kill half a dozen persons, and prob
ably succeeded in killing several, ono of whom
was George Stelz, the old bellringer of Holy
Trinity Church in Williamsburg. Tho police
believe that he strangled tho old bollringcr to
death, and tho evidence which they collected
yesterday, they say, is sufficient to convict him OF
that murder IL in any way be succeeds in oscap-
ing the electric chair for the murder of Police.
man Smith.
Aohus AiobA Nho, Shpb ohe liz
learned yesterday that the murderer in the
i Tombs is the same man who lured Ernest Ochs,
the williamsburg brewer. to q hut in Ridgewood
for the purpose Of robbery and murder. 1t
proved n hard days work for Capt. Lees and his
i men, for in weaving their net about the muir
dorer 1t was necessary for the police to bring
twenty-seven persons to the Tombs. all Of whom
Identified him as the man who had figured
in one crime or another. Among tho persons
l .-..-l a.. A. nsz-.I. .-- NI- -... ---
Henry Stiger. who Is 10 years old. When the
father and son met two detectives were hidden
in cells within earshot Of the murderer. The
son walked up and said:
Hello, father, l thought 1t was you who was
locked up here under the name of Meyer
MY God!' exclaimed the murderer. you
here, Henry How did you find me out 3
Then in German Stiger asked his son to pro-
tend that he did not identify him.
Say you don't know me-" he remarked.
swear it for my sake. II you don't the police
will prove that i killed Stelz in the Williams
burg church. Swear you don't know me. Save
your name disgrace. Say you never saw me
BEFORE
II cannot do that" said young Stiger. You
have murder on your hands. and you might as
well confess to all Of your crimes. The police
have your record. Mother and sister believed
at the time of the williamsburg murder that
you killed Stelz. for they read in the newspapers
that the bloody imprint of q hand with finger
you were in the neighborhood. and they knew
you had been robbing the churches over there.
Its ALL up with YOU There's nothing left for
Then the father , 6r9k Is down and wspt.
derer, ana I feared nothing. But Your face,
Henry. is the face OF my child. My child. whom
dS 9nse l %eii. so You yoa shall aH9i ~ Totm to- sss they hs e pat
me ON trial: But come see me a few days later,
and III tell you all, As took you in my arms
man. Remember this and deny that am your
and walked out OF the cell corridor. weeping.
The detectives had Witnessed the scene from
they questioned young siiger and he repeated
trnthtully the story OF what had happened.
Policeman dRs man 9 RSiiiI" w tss L he o. fSa dte k %bere Of l5 )
Evergreen avenue; Brooklyn. He picked tho
m STSis m Sn' Is IS a n So bsot PRsisGinffas; saying or trying
to xiii my wife and me while attempting to
S9a%is ana e s snrslacyd in 70 o sink eo sins b Prison was fo oen a
term of six years and two months. His namo 10
Constantine stiger. Eleven years ago he lived
trinity twsnty.four years ago: That was
Mrs. s.iser and her children are attend:
ants there. They are very respectable folks:
BushwieE and supported his family, But he
finally Joined an anarchistic society and became
o oiteeli ihr SRpDsedd to to blow bio eu up the S churches Of
Williamsburg. His family feared him.. for he
We're nothing to XIII a man providing the
murderer could escape with some money
after doing, the job. On the morning Of Jan.
,, 1888, he got into our house. I was
then living At % Hartman street. Brooklyn. Ho
broke In. Ny wife had just arisen and was
years. Stiger believed that we had saved money
and had it in tho house. While my wife was
sneaked up behind her and tried to strange her.
Then he struck her on the head with an iron bar;
went to her assistance just as this man
here struck her on the head with the
the bar and escaped. managed to crawl out Of
the house and s1m nm sssiSiance. Ny wife was as
stiser believed he he had ( Killed both myself VI and
police his name and address. Detective Miiler
went to his house, on Central avenue, and placed
Si{y:, Inc dstcttITe ioid him h. had
k May out %y of Tit this See ssra Ia,d; is 't 10 Commit ahS G snl.
eide But the police kept watch over him.
Hau was 81 p Ssssidn 81 be aFiS. the In f tes H fn1as GMG S1rs,
convicted and sentenced on July IS, 1888, to six
years and two months in SJate prison. When
and his wife and family refused to live with
him. A friend next told us thai he had been seen
That church had been robbed, and people who
knew Stiger informed the town constable that
StlgtT was Inc CIuECu TODUtT. 4 no was IL Jult,
1898. lie next turned up in Flatbush. whore he
robbed q church and got away. We then heard
OF him again. when he was arrested for another
burglary in williamsburg. This man here who
calls himself Meyer IL the same ~man-Constan-
tine Stiger."
Moses Mayer. a dealer in dry goods at 226
Bushwick avenue, was the next man to identify
the murderer Of the policeman. Mr.. Mayer
walked up to Stiger in the cell corridor and
said.
"Well. stlger, / see you're in a tight box this
tiIle. Do you remember the night you tackled
my place in williamsburg and tried to strangle
me in the cellar of my storof That was seven
or eight years ago; do you remember it"
ut was six years az - answered the prisoner.
81 didn't attempt to strangle you; j simply hit
you in trying to escape"
but you caught me by the throat and kicked
me 80 that you ruptured me. said the dry goods
man.
well. that was six years ago." said the muir.
derer.
sit was Nov. 10, 1884,, said Mr.. Mayer.
Just about four years ago"
II thought 1t was six" said the murderer
coolly; you weren't badly hurt. though. snd
got the worst OF it."
81 guess you did" continued tho dry goods