The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-25
DASTARDLY
VILLAIN.
Mrs. Selliger's Fake Count
Numerically Scored by
Prosecutor and
Judge.
WLEST or CONSPlRATORS
VILEST OF CONSPlRATORS
Contracted to Ruin a Woman
for Pay-Three Years In
Prison His Reward.

Oswego, to this city, to induce Mrs. Will
helmina Selliger to violate her n-~rtial
VOWS for the purpose of furnishing her
husband with violence for divorce pro-
ceedings. The Judge looked Disguised
while Won Zeuner was giving his tes-
timony, ~smirching the woman's character
in the hearing of her three children and
the verdict could readily be anticipated by
those who know Judge Blair. When the
case was closed the Jude said
THE Court does not propose to go into
testimony in any way, but l am impehed
to say that there has not been a case be-
fore the Court since l have been on the
bench that has developed a greater de-
gree of moral depravity with respectable
surroundings thar this case. The story
of the defendant, if true, is the story of a
moral monster, and the Court has no be-
lief whatever in it. l have no hesitation
whatever in p~ronouncing this man guilty
and that is the Judgment of the Court. l
will pass sentence on him now"
Lawyer Isaac Goldenhorn asked that
sentence be postponed in order that he
might bring witnesses to show the de-
PENDANTS good character.
II judge of his character from his own
story replied Judge Blair, "and will pro-
nounee sentence" He then sentenced Won
Zeuner to three years in State Prison Il
to pay $500 fine. The audience in the court
room applauded with vgor.
Mrs. Sellinger's husband left her ten
years ago with three children to support,
but she had him arrested and the Court
required him to pay her a substantial
sum monthly. He is A. E. Selliger, Su-
perintendent of the Great Eastern Silver
ware Company of Oswego, N. Y. Mrs. Sci
Tiger went to Oswego last February, and
accident1y met Won Zeuner, who was
night clerk in the hotel where she
| stopped. h impaired her troubles and
he volunteered to aid her. She returned 10
her home, No. 663 Nelson avenue, this city,
in March, and was followed shortly after
ward.
1t wa S made clear by the testimony
yesterday that Won Cenuef had been en-
ployed by Selliger to get evidence against
his wife, He called on Mrs. Selliger two
or three times and finally obtained her
permission to board at the house. Selliger
must nave been slow in sending remit
| lance SO the Count stols a diamond
| finger ring an da diamond caring from
Mrs. Selliger and pawned them. Thls LED
to his exposure. He got Trunk on the
proceeds and when he was asleep Mrs.
| Selliger. searched through his pockets for
the rings. In the search she found W
| letters from her husband instructing him
| to send daily reports of how his work was
progressing. Mrs. Selliger caused his ar
rest for grad larceny.
Mrs. Selliger was very much excited
when she was giving her testimony, es-
pecially when she was being croSs-eX-
amined by Lawyer G~oldenhorn.
He boarded at your house, didn't he?N
asked the lawyer.
Yes, of course fairly screamed the
witness. st didn't think he was such a
sneak theft"
You thought a good deal of him, didA't
your
sulting questions"
You occasionally occupied the same
room with him, didn't you?"
a voice that could be heard across the
street. its a lie and whoever says so is
a liar!!' Here the witness went into a
Pronunciation of the rascals who she said
She kept her voice at a very high pitch
and talked so rapidly that the steno-
You gave him the rings, didn't you,
Madame?' continued the lawyer.
mo, it's a lie, a miserable lie and if
you say so you're a liar. Lawyers are
liars half the time any way"
Madame did you"
Don't call me madame" snapped the
witness, zeal me Mrs, I'm not a
| madame
Didn't you write a letter to YOU hus-
band saying thai you wanted him to get
a divorce SO that you could marry this
| MANI"
That's another lie, a miserable,
damned lie!' She then broke out into
| another violent denunciation of her enc
mics and pointed out a stout man who
was said to be Judge O'Gorman of Os-
wego. and a slim man with a Jewish
| cast of countenance, who was said to be
a detective, and two others. She declared
that they were all in the conspiracy
against her.
Judge Blair tried to shut her off but 1T
was no use. Even a threat to send her
to Jail had no effect on her. She finally
became hysterical and burst into tears.
Her testimony closed with the explanation
that she took Won Zeuner into the house
because he had offered to get testimony
and help her to procure a divorce from her
Van Zeuner testified that Mrs. Selliger
gave him the rings and that at her re-
quest he ordered a wedding ring with his
and her initials and the date March Is.
Assistant Prosecutor Van Wrinkle raked
the Count fore and aft on cross-exami-
nation. The defendant admitted that he
was a married man and said that Mr..
Selliger had employed him to come to
Jersey City to sell goods and at the same
time keep a watch on Mrs. Selliger. He
at the hotel where he was night clerk
and where, he said, she wanted to register
under ar assumed name.
Wasn't thai because she didn't want
Hri HuspatH " AAeW Sl4t sHS V@S W1ttA-
ing him?"
II believe she had some idea"
you correspondent with Seliger and re-
ceived money from limp"
"Yes.'
what are Judge o'Gorman and these
five lawyers doing here?'
II don't know. You are here
Eyes, but everybody knows who my
client is. Her husband hired you to come
here?"
yes"
her actions except with you?"
you gave daily reports of your do
ings to Selliger?"
Are these his letters?"
Are you . member Of the Royal fam
lily Of AUSTRIAN
i'm glad Of that" commented Mr..
Van Wrinkle.
of Seliger's letters, in which he ndfnon-
ished Won Zeuren to be more careful with
his letters and to make daily reports OF
his doings to Judge OGorman. On the
back Of one of the letters was a copy Of a
letter written By Won Zeuren to Selliger
in which he said there was no danger OF
the letters being found and asking for
more money if he expected to accomplish
Mrs. SeI'nger's ruin in six weeks.
Mr., Van Wrinkle scored the defendant
numerically in his summing up. Heaven
grant mercy to and keep a watchful eye
Owe all women" he said, lstswho are be-
man. this scoundrel who guarantees that
II 40 vyu1 invada the Sanetifv of n shame