The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-02
CONVICT STABBED
Kid Miller a Hudson County
Burglar, Killed John
Weiss.
QUARRELED AT WORK
Both Were Preparing Break
fast In State Prison-Po-
tato Knife the Weapon.

Especial to 'sThe Jersey City News."I
TRENTON, June 2, 1884 fatal stab
bing ARRAY occurred at the State Prison
early yesterday morning, when Albert
Brown, alias Kid Miller, alias Fred
Miller, a noted all-around crook, thrust
a long bread knife into the side of John
Weiss, a fellow convict. The victim died
three hours later in the prison hospital.
Four convicts witnessed the crime, which
was committed in the bakeshop of the
institution.
Both men were employed in the cook
house at the prison. 1t is the custom of
the gang with which they worked to
begin every morning at five o'clock to
peel potatoes for the days dinner. AT
six they stop and wash for breakfast. 1t
was just at this time that the fatal
blow was given. The peeling was done
and the men were taking turns at wash
ing their hands Brown was at the sink
when Weiss approached and rudely push
ed him to one side. Brown resented this,
an alteration ensued and Weiss, who
was the larger man, struck Brown a
hard blow in the face with his fist.
A tussle ensued, and Brown finally
broke loose and seeing a knife on the
table, where they had been peeling po-
%tatoes, he ran to get it. Weiss saw what
was passing in the others mind and ran
after him to stop him. AS Brown got
the knife, Weiss grabbed the man. The
six prisoners who witnessed the rapid sue
cession of incidents narrated here, were
unanimous in the opinion that Weiss
could take care of himself, having clinch-
ed his man from behind and none of
them attempted to interfere.
The next move of Brown, however,
SHOWED them that they were WRONG, for
he grasped the sharp-pointed knife in
his left hand and passing it by his right
side. it went under the arm of Weiss
and made a superficial wound in it. 1t
passed on into his body, going between
two ribs and penetrating a lung.
The wounded mar uttered an excla-
nation of pain and surprise and let go
| the other. Brown threw the knife in a
corner of the room and stood coolly
watching the effect of his work.
When the other prisoners regained
their scattering senses Deputy Keeper
Jacob Rhinehart, who was near at hand,
was on the scene. Weiss walked down
to the hospital with some assistance,
while Keeper Moore, who had been
hastily summoned. looked at his wound
and deemed it to be so serious that he
at once summoned Prison Physician
Bruere at that early hour in the morn
ing.
His wound was at once examined. 1t
had an innocent enough look and the
physician announced that there was
little likelihood of its proving fatal. He
decided to sew it up. While he was talk
ing the stitches Weiss began to spit
blood. which caused considerable alarm,
as it was evident that the knife had lone
| serious internal damage.
When the evidence of internal hem
orrhage appeared Keeper Moore at once
summoned Coroner Disbrow, who went
to the Prison and took down the ante
mortem statement of Weiss. At the
same time Brown was brought before
the dying man and was identified as the
one who had given him his mortal
wound.
About fifty minutes after the dying
statement the man died without much
pain. He was conscious to the last.
County Physician R. r. Rodgers. Jr..
held a post-mortem yesterday afternoon
and found that death was caused by an
internal hemorrhage. The body was re-
moved to the morgue and Weiss family
was notified.
Immediately after the commission of
the crime Brown was taken to the centre
where he was stripped of everything thai
might in any way assist him in doing
himself bodily harm. He was then placed
in irons and put in the prison dungeon.
He will undoubtedly be charged with
,o,,rJn, hr +ba oitlorifiac ouJ will ha
tried in Mercer court.
Prosecutor Crossley was notified and at
once paid a visit to the institution to get
| the statements of the witnesses while the
| crime was fresh in their minds. He spent
a great deal of time at the Institution.
Principal Keeper Moore also examined
all the prisoners who witnessed the strik-
ing of the fatal blow. Each of the wit
nesses was examined separately and their
storiesSof the ARRAY were very much
alike
Wednesday of next week an inquest will
be held. Coroner Disbrow has
the following jury for the inquest: Harry
F. Smith, foreman; Charles d. Covert,
Samuel Kruger, David Newton, Edmund
R. Mutt and Richard Brown. The jurors
will view the body today. 1t is not known
positively just where the inquest will be
held, but it will likely be at the Court
House.
Both Weiss and Brown were born in
Germany. Each was about thirty years
of age. The fact that they were employed
in the eookhouse gang is evidence that
they were regarded as well behaved and
| safe prisoners.
The dead man, John Weiss, was sem
fenced from Essex county, and came on
March 16, 1898, to serve two years for for
| gerry. The man who did the deed, Alfred
Brown, is a professional craftsman. His
aliases are Kid Miller and Fred Miller. His
picture is in Superintendent Byrnes'
rogues' gallery. as is also his wife or mis-
tress, a woman. known as Tessie. When
| New York burglars are caught in Jersey
they are generally given long terms.
Brown was serving ten gears for breaking
and entering and burglary in Hudson
county, and came to the prison on May 8,
| 1897.
He will probably spend the rest of his
days in the prison where his deed was
committed and in a capacity which will
not be so pleasant as his berth in the
cook house. He can scarcely be con-
victed of murder in the first degree un-
der the circumstances, but will probably
be indicted for homicide. With his eight
,,oa PC az ,,novrirad tarfn and q oa,,nla of