The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-03
THORN 1ESTlFlES
HE GIVES HIS VERSION OF THE
KILLING OF GULDENsUPPE

1900 NSsS
in His Absencs-The Deed y Surprise to
Him-Ht- Only Connection With the Case
That Of Accessory After the r .et, to Hide
the Crime aud shield Mrs. Nack-Ihe De-
fensed ClOsed-ArEunent to is~gtn To-day.
New York, November os.--The trial of
Martin Thorn for the murder of Guiden-
suppe was closed tonight SO far as the
taking Of evidence was concerned. To-
morrow morning the lawyers for the de-
PENDANT and the people will sum up. and
it Is expected that Justice Maddox will
charge the jury early in the afternoon.
Opinions both lay, and legal differ very
materially as to the probable result.
Many look for a conviction, but a great
er number anticipate a disagreement. a
few OF Thorn's former employers
were called by the defense today and
they all gave the accused barber an ex-
cellent character, dating back some ten
years.
Thorn himself was the only other wit
ness called for the defense. From the
moment he was led to the witness chair
until he left it. some hours later, the
prisoner conducted himself in a cool and
impressive manner His statement in re-
ply to general questions and his answers
in the direct and cross examinations were
delivered in a moderate tone of voice
which could be heard distinctly by all
in the court house.
The prosecution did not put Mrs. Mack
on the stand and the court ruled against
Mr.. Howe's attempt to introduce the
testimony given by Mrs. Mack at the
mistrial.
Thorn's testimony was as follows:
Beginning with the statement that he
and that his real name was Torceswisky.
the prisoner briefly related the facts Of
his life up to the time he met Mrs. Mack.
eighteen months ago. Guldensuppe was
Il rented a furnished room from her at
81 a week. said Thorn. Later. 1
understood Guldensuppe was her hus-
band. She first made love to me and I
her and loved her up to the moment she
took the witness stand on my first trial"
The prisoner then told how he supplant-
ed the bath rubber in Mrs. Nacks affec-
tions and described the row he had with
~Guldensuppe, in consequence. last Feb
ruary. During this row Guldensuppe
volver which went off accidentally. Then
G~uidenSuppe took the pistol from him
and gave him a beating. The prisoner
left the house and went to a hospital.
Mrs. Mack met him afterward, very
often, and they went to theatres and
other places of amusement. She said she
was sorry that Guldensuppe had hurt
him., but that he must not heed that.
Thorn, at the suggestion of his counsel,
then told in his own way what Mrs.
Mack had said to him after that. The
court directed Mr.. Howe not to lead the
witness.
Mrs. Mack told me- said Thorn, "that
she wished to leave Guldensuppe and
wished to live in some quiet place. We
visited the Woodside cottage, and as it
seemed a suitable place, We hired the
cottage. I paid the SIS and got the key.
On the Oath of June, l gave the key to
Mrs. Mack, as she said she wanted to
do some cleaning at the cottage. About
II or II o'clock on Friday morning, June
18th, Mrs. Mack met me at the door. She
said, I have Guldensuppe up stairs I
asked her what he was doing there. She
replied, He is dead; l have shot him.
She then requested me to help her dispose
of the body. 1 went up stairs and helped
to undress the body. Then we carried it
to the bath tub. L went out and bought
some plaster of Paris. When 1 came
back she began cutting up the body. She
cut the head off with a knife. When she
reached the back of the neck she cut
through that portion with a small saw.
Then she cut through the middle of the
body. 1 asked her why she cut so, and
she replied: L know enough not to cut
the legs, after which she went out for
a while, as it was very warm in there.
On her return we encased the head in
the plaster-of-Paris We brought away
lAC uCdo lid . III IL DulIulc dlu l.
carried the head in another bundle. The
saw, knife and revolver were in the
bundle with the clothes. We took the car
to the ~Ninety-second street ferry over
which we crossed to New York. 1 threw
the head overheard while the boat was
crossing the river. Then we went to Mrs.
Nack's house on Ninth avenue, where
she burned the clothes in the cooking
stove.
The witness then told of the surrey
ride on the following day, Saturday, June
26th, and the disposition of the other
portions of the remains which were
wrapped up in oil cloth, cheese cloth and
paper, which Mrs. Mack had purchased
prior to her visit to the cottage on June
25th, the day of the killing.
Thorn told of his meetings with the
woman after this, and how Mrs. Mack
had made preparations to go to Europe.
Mrs. Mack met him on Tuesday night,
learned from the papers that she had
been arrested.
He explained the conversation with
Gotha. He said that he had told Gotha
also told the barber how the body was
cut up and disposed of. He told Gotha
of his intention to give himself up to the
police, but Gotha asked him to wait. He
, gave Gotha some pawn tickets and made
an appointment to meet him the follow
ing night. Thorn kept the appointment
lions with Captain O'Brien, Thorn said
he told the detectives some truths and
some falsehoods.
Thorn said hat Mrs. Mack gave him
the gold watch and chain the day after
the killing. 1t had belonged to Gulden-
suppe. Thorn again acknowledged that
he had lied to Captain O'Brien when he
said he was playing pinochle at Thirty
fourth street and Eleventh avenue on the
day of the killing. He said that for the
purpose of establishing an alibi. He said
1t as much TO save the woman as himself.
Mr.. Howe began his redirect examina-
ton by showing Thorn a telegram pur-
porting to be sent by Guldensuppe to
Mrs. Mack, on June 2Sth. 1t was written
in German and translated it read:
Please go where 1 have worked and
tell them l will not return as l am going
travelling. A letter will follow"
Thorn said he wrote it at the request
of Mrs. Mack.
At this time, Mr.. Weller interrupted
Mr.. Howe by going back to the cross
examination, as the Interpreter had come
into court with type written copies of
translation of two letters which Mrs