Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-08
THORN TRIAL BEGINS
Alleged Murderer Of Guldensuppe
Arraigned This Morning.
PRISONER SHOWS GREAT NERVE
But He Took a Keen Interest in
the Proceedings.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME

HISTO OF THE CRIME
NEW YORK. November $40 unravel
the tangled skein of one of the most mys-
| ferrous as well heinous crimes of the
| century is the task set for a jury, the Sc
| lection of which was begun today in the
| Queens county court Sof oyer and terminer
| at Long Island City.
| The cause, officially known as The People
| versus Martin Thorn, is based upon the
| discovery in June last, in East river and in
| Ogden's woods, north of this city, of por-
| tons of one human body, the only part of
| which was missing being the head. BY n
series Of curious links in a chain OF cir
cumstantial evidence, the dismembered re-
| mains have been identified by a number of
| witnesses as portions of the body of Will
lam Guldensuppe, rubber in Turkish
bath house in this city
Guldensuppe had not been at his work for
several days before the CHASTITY discoveries
| or his supposed remains, nor has he yet
| been seen since that time, unless, as 1t is
| alleged, he was seen in Germany by a GER
tain Carl Peterson. of whom none appear
| to know except counsel for the man who
| was put on trial today for having commit
ted the murder Of the missing man.
| Motive for the Murder.
The postulate of the identity of the corpse
being conceded, the next thing to be done
| was to look up Guldensuppe's connections
| and from them ascertain a possible motive
for his murder. 1t was easily ascertained
! that he had lived on terms of intimacy
| with Mrs. Augusta Mack, a midwife, but
| that some time before the disappearance of
| Guldensuppe the pair had quarreled, and
| that in the woman'S fat Guldenslppe had
| fought with and beaten the man who had
| supplanted him in his mistress affection,
| Martin Thorn, barber, who, smarting I'M
| der the beating he had received, was over
heard to threaten to get even with Gulden-
| suppe.
Here, then, were motives that might
| nave inspired a murder-a woman DESTROYS
| of being rid of discarded lover whose
| proximity might at any moment become
| troublesome. and the successful rival. who
| had once experienced the superior physical
prowess of his predecessor in the woman's
| affections, and might again be made to
| suffer the pain and humiliation of a beat
| ing.
Mrs. Mack Arrested.
| The arrest of Mrs. Mack was followed a
| few days later by that of Thorn, whom
the police had some difficulty in finding,
but whose whereabouts were disclosed by
John Gotha, another barber. ami rela-
| tive, by marriage, of the accused man.
Gotha has made the statement upon which
| the police rely to aid in Thorn's convlc-
! ticn. that Thorn admitted his guilt TO him.
| and since Thorn has been confined two
| men, who shared his cell at different times,
| have told of discriminating admi ssons by
| the accused man. There have also been at
| intervals reports that Mrs. Mack had vir-
| tualy admitted her guilt; but Ill of these
! statements have been more less dis
credited.
| Theory of the Prosecution.
Briefly, it is alleged that Mrs. Mack lured
! Guldensuppe to a cottage in Woodside.
| Long Island where she said she was about
| TO establish baby. farm" that in room
| in that cottage Thorn waylaid and shot
| Guldensuppe, afterward severing his head
| ard disnembering his corpse; that the frag
| ,nents of the body then disposed OF
| where they were found, and that the head
| incased in plaster of paris was given to
| Ihorn's brother-in-law, who dropped it
| into the ocean from fishing steamer, not
| knowing the nature of the thing, except
| that in some way it was Of an inc-Im mating
| kim.
In the trial of this Judge Wilmot NJ.
| Smith will preside. District Attorney
| Youngs will conduct the prosecution as
| sisted by ex-Surrogate August n. Weller
and Assistant District Attorney George w.
| Davidson.
| VIM. T. Howe and Joseph Moss will de-
| fend Martin Thorn, whose trial will pre-
cede that of Mrs. Mack, and Emanuel
| Friend and W. H. Hirsch will attend
counsel for the woman.
| Prisoner Was Handcuhed.
| At the opening of court the list of 200
| names of special jurymen summoned were
read, and then Sheriff Don't was directed to
| produce the prisoner. Thorn, handcuffed
| to a deputy sheriff. walked briskly up to
! the table at which his legal advisers were
| sitting, and sat down between Messrs.
| Howe and Moss.
| AS soon as he was seated the handouts
| were removed. two deputies taking seats
| close to the prisoner. Thorn WIS clearly
| shaver and showed no signs of nervousness
or apprehension. He showed very little
trace of his confinement, and as he glanced
| around the court the general opinion of
| those who watched him closely was that he
| had anything but the appearance of a man
| who would be likely to commit such a
| fearful crime as that with which he is
| charged.
He whispered few words to his counsel.
| and when the district attorney addressed
! the court and moved that the trial of Mar
| tin Thorn be taken up, the prisoner looked
at him earnestly. Lawyer Howe stood up
and said: Your honor, we are ready"
| All Eyes on the Defendant.
Thorn was told TO stand up, and did
] All eyes were riveted on him, and, as the
clerk explained to him his right of chal-
| longing any of the jurors summoned to
| try him, he bent forward, listening to every
word. When the clerk had finished the
prisoner inclined his head slightly and
sat down.
During the examination Of the talesmen
faint smile played around Thorn's mouth
and at times he appeared to be one Of the
most unccncerned persons in court.
Jacob Bumstead, farmer of Oyster Bay
was the first juror selected, and he took
his seat in the box. Michael Mulgannon
of Hampstead, also a farmer, was accepted
as juror No. and the court took a recess
for luncheon
EXPOSITION COMPANY LIABLE.
Must Stand Loss to French Republic |
at Worlds Fair.