The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-07
THE MURDER IN PRISON.
CONVICT BRAUN WAS INsAHELT
JEALOUS OF HIs WIFE.

Huer LouE ana Fnithrnt struggle FOR the suppert
er Her Chiidren and Her worthless Husband
Repaid at Last with the strske or . Kuirs.
The murder Of Mrs. Catherine Braun by her
husband, Adrian Braun, a convict, in the re-
ception room OF Sing Sing prison on Saturday
afternoon, was the result of jealousy. During
her twelve years OF married life the unfortu.
nate woman received much ill.treatment from
the worthless follow she married, and finally
she was brutally murdered and her I've little
ones deprived OF their only friend in the world
while she was trying 10 make easier the lot OF
the man who was responsible for her misfor-
tunes.
Braun's jealousy never developed until after
he was sent to Sing Sing for the assault on the
nelghbors who prevented him from maltrcating
his wife. He had never been Jealous before.
Apparently he had never given the woman that
much thought. He seemed to regard her AZ a
dray horse. In prison, however, he took 1t into
his head to get Jealous. When she visited him
last December he accused her of infdelity. He
had no evidence of what he charged, and
frankly said SO, but added that he knew she was
taking advantage of his Incarceration to run
around with other mon. lie told her he would
Kill her II she didn't stop 1t.
Mrs. Braun, whose running around with other
men consisted Of scrubbing foors and washing
clothes from 8 o'clock every morning until Q
every night. and caring for the three children
that she had left with her. returned to the city.
heart.broken and crushed at her husbands
brutal charge. She wept in tho arms OF her
noiRhbor. Mrs. Brown. who at that time advised
her not TO go near the prison again.
But hell kill mo IL I don't 20 and see him,
and then what's to become Of my little ones I"
cried Mrs. Braun. 81 Unjust 60. 1 mustf'
She worked harder, depriving herself and her
children Of many of the neeessaries of life, so as
to be able to go the sooner to the prison again.
As tho result of her economies she saved in nine
weeks exactly 50. With a dollar Of this she
bought a small basket of bananas. oranges, and
figs. She baked q pie and made some sand
witches. too. Then she won't to Sing Sing to give
them to her husband. His return was tho
assault with tho knife which he had managed to
conceal while at work In the prison kitchen.
Mrs. Braun died instantly. The first stab
killed her. It was q tragic ending Of a life Of
misery and suffering, the last few weeks OF
went to Sing Sing she told one of her neiRhbors
would ever feel rested again. Through all the
years OF drudgery she had never felt quite tho
Of unfaithfulness. This made her tired OF every.
thing. took the last remnant of spirit from her.
Braun wept and raved in his cell in Sing Sing
yesterday. After the murder on Saturday he
was ugly aud stubborn and refused to discuss
Warden Sage to get a statement from him were
futile. He seemed satisfied with what he had
himself. Whom the Warden approached the
subject again yesterday. however. the man be,
punishment for his deed was near at hand, and
Braun. il you had a reason for your act tell
me what It was," advised Warden Sage.
" will not be Questioned on the matter" said
Braun.
some interest in their future, but said not a
word about his wife. Later in the day Father
Church hi in Sing Slug called to see Braun = To the
priest the man talked openly, but what he said
was not disclosed, even TO the Warden; Father
st. John simply said that Braun wanted to mako
u confession. but that he had advised him to
wait until to-day and then put bis statementin
Ever since they we're married the Brauns
have lived on the upper east side of the city. A
number OF people who at one time and another
yesterday, and on two points they all agreed.
One was That Braun was q worthless and brutal
as herself and their Ave children; the other was
that Mrs. Braun, was a patient. long sufrering
her share of Ill fortune. with very little com
plant. AZ to the woman,s character; that was
knew anything about her.
Mrs. Braun's maiden name was Beetz. Braun
worked Tor a living because he had to. After
he married and the little ones came he began to
neglect and abuse his wife He quit work and
and provide food for her children his wife WAS
forced to 20 to work. They had to move a num-
the rent. They finally took three rooms on the
top floor Of a tenement on Avenue A. near
interfere several times because of the mans
brutal treatment OF his wife. On one occasion
Braun came home drunk and began throwing
the furniture and croCkery around. Mrs. Braun
fled to the rooms OF a neig hbor. Braun followed,
and when, admittance was refused he kicked
down the door. The neighbor's husband kicked
him up and down the hall several times. and
then threw him down stairs: Braun went out
and got some moro drink, and when he returned
and found his wife IL their rooms he beat her
until the neighbors interfered.
had her husband arrested for assault, but she
regretted hor action almost Immediately and
pleaded for the man until he was released; As
the result of tho bcatings she had received the
woman was unable to work for some time. and
when rent day came around there was no money
for the collector. The, Brauns were put out on
the idewaik. and. with her five little ones cling
ing to her skirts and followed by her drunken
where lodgings were provided for the night.
bosso Eighty't snys street. ire io,i nss; fT seeo1St ta os
what went on there to a sun reporter yesterday:
They were only here six weeks. but, good.
would make in q lifetime. He never worked. bnt
trout trout st o Of the back s1toop, and the nights b beat,
ing his wife. He WAS q devil. and how the Door
woman SLoOu MIN Ia more tnhn i can hnuei-
stand. Her shrieks would often rouse the whole
neighborhood. She used to run In here, poor
soul. when he was ill.treating her. She told mo
no took every cont she made unless che hid IL,
and that her life was one long struggle. She
said that he often threatened to kill her. and
that he had a long piece OF iron which he car
ricd with him and with which no used to hit her
on the back when shs wouldn't give him money.
Her back WAS sometimes SO sore that she could
scarcely walk, but she stuck to her work.
just O week before the row which resulted
In his being sent 10 prison he beat the woman 80
that / gapf alf and UnT fhr0e nnlCennn tn coma
In. They were itching 20 arrest him, and they
wouldn't have done a thing to him on tho way
to the station HOUSE, but she, poor creature. lay
quivering in q corner and refused to make a
complaint against him. She was a good woman,
and i was q terrible thing for him to say what
he did about her."
1t was while living in this house that Braun
assaulted Frank Bittel, Mrs. Freiberg's son-in-
law, and John Carroll. Bittel, In telling a re-
porter about 1t yesterday, said that he aud Car
roll resolved to put an end to Braun's brutality.
and when they heard Mrs. Braun screaming one
night they rushed In and tackled Braun. He
hit them with a fiatiron. They seized upon this
as an excuse to have the man arrested. and he
was tried and convicted OF felonious assault on