The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-14
NljLLER'S TROUBLES END.
Found Dead in Bed at His
Hotel in Hoboken
This Morning.
KNOWN As TIE GERMAN DUDE
Rumors Of Suicide and MUIR
der--Found by Law
yer Bretzfeld.

Franz Muller, knowu as the German
dude. was found dead in his bed, in the
Washington Hotel. Hoboken, this morn-
ing. His death is shrouded in mystery
Some say it is suicide other that 1t Is
likely that he was murdered, but it is
possible that death was due to natural
causes.
Muller was one of the best known char
acters in Hoboken, and recently figured
in many escapades. Although sixty years
old ne was well preserved, and was all
ways faultlessly att.red 1t was only two
weeks ago that Mrs. Louise Meyer, OF
No. 139 Leonard street, Jersey City
Heights. accused Muller of obtaining
money from her under false pretences.
She created a sensation in Justice Potts.
Court by positively declaring that tha
German dude had hypnotized her, and
that he had her completely in his power
Last May, Miss Meyer and her mother
were living at No. 521 Brook avenue
Manhattan. They had a small delicates-
sen store from the proceeds of which they
saved some money. Mrs. Meyer wanted
to get married again. and placed a marrt-
nonial advertisement in a German news
paper. 1t caught the eye of Muller, in
Hoboken and he visited the widow. He
said he had hotel in Hoboken. and
made such a favorable impression that
he got Mrs. Meyer to draw $500 from the
German Savings Bank, on Fourteenth
street, New York, which he appropriated.
Then he got the widow and her daughter
over to West Hoboken. The following
story was told last Wednesday, by Miss
Meyer to Justice Potts of this city.
He took rne to Jersey City Heights
and introduced me as his wife. When
he looked at me I could not deny 1t. He
had very bad eye. He completely cons
trolled me. He took all my jewelry ana
pawned it."
Justice Potts issued a warrant for Null
lers arrest on charge of obtaining
money under false pretence. Before the
warrant was served Mrs. Meyer and her
daughter lodged another, and more seri-
Gus, complaint against Muller. They ac-
cused him of trying to poison them. They
said that he had sent two bottles Of
poisoned wine to their home in West Ho-
boken. They were suspicious and drank
sparingly of it, and became violently i'll
A warrant for Muller was placed in the
hands of the Hoboken police and he was
arrested on Washington street, Hoboken.
last Thursday. He gave bail to appear
before the Grand Jury.
But there was more trouble in store for
Muller When his last wife died she left
the Amsterdam Hotel and other property,
When her will was offered for probate Ii
devised all her property to her husband
Her two sons were penniless. They en-
gagged Counsellor John Weller who as
soon as he saw the will pronounced it a
rank and clumsy forgery. The witnesses
to the will are Hoboken lawyers Morris
and Jacob Bretzfeld. Weller said that
from the handwriting there wasn't any
reason to doubt but what the will wa1
drawn by Jacob Bretzfeld-
1t was Jacob Bretzfeld who discovered
Muller this morning. He went TO room
NO 5 of the hotel and Immediately ran
downstairs with the information that
Muller was dead. The police were Ina
mediately notified and IN turn notified
Coroner Hoffman,. The Coroner took
charge of the body and County PhysicIan
Converse will make an autopsy to des
termine the cause of death.
The theory of suicide finds conhrmatior
in Muller's actions last night. He was
in Daansen's saloon at No. 314 Hudson
street. making threats that he would stir
up trouble before morning and set some-
thing afire. Shortly after blaze was
discovered in the stable in Court place,
which is part of his wifes property Th&
fire was puJ out with small loss