The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-10
BURGLAR SHOT DEAD
Frank Stuttgen, a Green
vile Saloonkeeper, Fired
the Fatal Bullet.
BODY STILL UNIDENTIFIED
Second Robber Escapes in the Fray
Stuttgart's Own
Story.
BODY STILL UNIDENTIFIED

o.OFy.
Frank Stuttgen, a saloonkeeper of No.
go ocean avenue, at 4:3O O'Clock this
morning, shot and instantly killed one of
two unknown burglars who entered his
place of business. The other man es-
capped. After killing the burglar. Stuttgen
had great difficulty in finding policeman
to whom he could relate the circum-
stances of the shooting and deliver himself
up. He finally had to telephoe to Police
Headquarters, which in turn notified the
Ocean avenue station. By the time the
burglars body was cold Sergeant Rear
don and a patrolman arrived and placed
Stuttgen under arrest for manslaughter.
The affair, which has stirred the whole
Greenville section, has demonstrated
clearly the fact that the police force in
Greenville is utterly inadequate to the
needs of that community. The dead bur-
glar has not yet been identified He was
apparently So years old, and of a robust
build, fine specimen of manhood. He
had dark hair and dark moustache. He
wore a black suit and light straw hat
with blue band around it.
The building in which the shooting
occurred is a two-story frame structure,
at No 23O Ocean avenue. The ground
floor is devoted to the purposes of the
saloon and is divided into two rooms,-
large bar room and smaller apartment
in the rear In the rear room is flight
of stairs leading to the floor above, which
is devoted to living apartments of the
saloonkeeper and his wife. Stuttgen
closed the saloon last night at midnight
securely locking the doors and windows
and leaving one gas jet burning behind
the bar. He retired and slept soundly
until shortly after four O'Clock when he
was awakened by his wife who was
greatly excited.
Frank, she said. 'get up quick, some
one in the barroom."
Stuttgen pulled on his trousers over his
night shirt and Selling his revolver crept
steaihily down the rear stairs. He
paused as he entered the rear room. He
was in the dark and could see clearly
what was transpiring in the barroom
while he could not be seen He was
startled to see two men, one OF whom
was perched in the fanlight over the
front door while the other was standing
with one foot on the railing of the bar
and the other on the railing of the window
ready to follow his companion. Stuttgen
stole across the rear room and into the
barroom before the burglars discovered
him. He was half way down the length
of the bar when the man in the fan
light whispered a warning to the man on
the bar and hurriedly made his escape to
the street. The burglar on the bar turn
ed and as he did SO Stuttgen leveled his
revolver at him and ordered him to hold
his hand up. The man jumped to the
floor and obeyed, putting both hands
high above his head. What followed is
best told in Stuttgen's own words as he
detailed it to Acting Chief Lange.
THE burglar had only had his hands
up few seconds, long enough to collect
his Wits" said Stuttgen, when he low
cred them and made a motion toward his
hip pocket. l fired a shot in the air to
scare him and again ordered him to put
his hands up. Instead of doing so he
ran towards me as if to. grab me-
warned him again, and then | shot to
kept on coming towards me. AS he came
he said:-'I'm shot You can't fool me-,
l replied stand back He had hardly
uttered the words, I'm shot when ne
fell fiat on the floor. didn't believe then
that he had been hit and still kept him
covered with my revolver.
gen, who had dressed, came down stairs
to her husbands assistance. He told her
to go in search of policeman while he
guarded the burglar who he thought was
shamming. She searched the vicinity for
a policeman but returned without being
able to find one. In the meantime Stutt-
gen had discovered that the burglar was
dead. The second shot had torn an ugly
hole in his chest within an inch Of the
bedy bedg st1ttgen I went n Is,s to the 1 New YORK
Bay House, block distant, and tele-
phoned the circumstances OF the shooting
to Police Headquarters.
Sergeant Walsh Immediately notified the
Ocean avenue station, and Sergeant Rear
don and a patrolman hurried to the scene
Lange, who lives on Highland avenue,
two miles from the saloon was also noti-
fed by the police of the Montgomery
street station. He hurried there and ar
rived before Captain Nugent, who lives
but three blocks distant.
Sergeant Reardon had already arrested
avenue station and booked on the charge
of manslaughter. Acting Chief Lange
says there is no doubt that the shooting
of the burglar was justifiable. The marks
were visible on and over the door where
the two men entered They had prob
ably barely entered the saloon when they
were forced to retreat by the noise of
Stuttgen's moving about in his bed room.
Acting Chief lange believes the burglars
were professionals @ In the PECK po,esketss s OF
pawn tickets and three skeleton keys
The body was taken to- Speer's morgue
Stuttgen was arraigned before Justice
Nevn this morning.
AS there is no magistrate in town who
has the power to accept bail in a case of
manslaughter, and as both Prosecutors
are also away. Justice Nevin released
Stuttgen in the custody of his counsel,
Max Salinger. The charge against him
is merely a formal one.
LEVBRENTZ FAMILY JARS.
wife Fiourishes a Revolver and