The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-20
ALIBI DIDN'T GO.
Jensen Boys Convicted of
Brutally Assaulting
Their Stepmother.
NO INTERCESSION MADE.
This Time the Youths Must
Suffer for Their Mis-
deeds.

The Jensen boys, Charles J. and Will
lam, upon whom so much misplaced SYM
pathy has been wasted in the last two or
three years, will not perpetrate any more
of their deviltries in this neighborhood
for some time to come. They were con-
victed in the General Sessions Court to-
day of their most recent exploit, the lit
tie pleasantly of breaking into their Ia
theirs house, No 1S1 Highland avenue.
gagging and beating their step-mother
and carrying off all the money and Jew
elry they could find in the house. They
were convicted some months ago or steal-
ing their step-mother's jewelry but Pas-
tor Andreae and some other sympathetlc
people interceded for them. and two mem
bers of the Children's Aid Society were
allowed to take them away on the plea
that they would get homes for the two
boys The boys, by the way, are 10 and
20 years old respectively, Charlie pelng
the elder. They were not heard OF from
that time until they committed this latest
crime and how they distinguished them
selves in the interval is not known.
Mrs Marie Jansen, their stepdaughter,
told the story of their latest exploit ON
the witness stand this morning. ABOUT
nine A. M. on January &c, the door bell
rang and she went to see who was there.
Being alone in the house, she did not
omen the door. but looked out of the
small side window, but could not see any
body there. She started to go into the
parlor where she could get a better view
of the front stoop.
Mrs. Jansen had no sooner opened the
parlor door than Charlie pouneed on her,
grabbed her by the throat and threw her
to the floor. She began to scream, when
Willie, whom she had not seen, thrust a
handkerchief into her mouth. Charlie then
sat on her and held her down, while Will
lie went through the house in search OF
plunder Mrs Jansen was unconscious
and bleeding from a bruise at the back
of her right ear. She recovered con-
sciousness as Willie came down stairs
again. and then Charlie grabbed her by
the throat again, and threatening to Kill
her, asked where the money was. she
protested that she did not know ana as
threats and choking would not make her
tell Charlie released her and he and MS
brother fled through the front door. They
were, seen by Helen Beechler, nelgn-
boris daughter, running away from the
stoop and through an alleyway toward
Stuyvesant avenue. Before leaving the
house Willie told her to wash herself Her
face was covered with blood from the
bruise on her head. Mrs. Jensen also tes-
tilted that she saw Willie giving Charlie
the money out of her pocketbook.
After the boys left Mrs. Jensen went
out on the back stoop and called for
help. Mrs. Ellen Beechler who lives next
door at No 1873 Highland avenue, came
over and Joined her. Mrs. Jensen told
Mrs. Beechler what had happened and the
poIice were sent for. Detective Gallagher
and Roundsman Mcmahon, from the
Montgomery street precinct, were sent to
the house. Before their arrival Mrs Jen-
sen had made an examination and dis
covered that Willie had gathered up five
pocketbooks, pair of diamond earrings,
a diamond pin, gold watch and chain,
a ring and breastpin. Th value of the
property was $146.
Cornelius Jensen, the father of the boys,
testified that he reached home about half
an hour after he was telephoned for at
the Sugar House, where he is employed.
He found that window in the cellar had
been forced open. The window was large
enough for man to pass through and
that was evidently the way the defend.
ants had effected an entrance. He said
that the boys had been away from home a
great deal
Mrs. Mary Smith, an old lady who
keeps a grocery and candy store in Stuy-
vesant avenue, testified that the defen-
dants were in her place the morning be-
fore the robbery and bought two pies.
This testimony was introduced to knock
out the alibi the defendants intended set
ting up.
Detective Gallagher testified that he ar
rested the defendants at their aunt S
house in F'ifty-seventh street, New York,
about six weeks after theerobbery.
Assistant Prosecutor Van Winkle asked
the defendants if they desired to make
any statement.
q want have COUNSEL said Willie
in a surley tone Charlie stood up as II
to go to the witness stand, but Willie
restrained him and he sat down again.
.If you want to make a statement"
said Mr. Van Wrinkle, you'd better do it
now; this is your last chance"
Charlie. ignoring his brothers protests,
went on the stand and swore that he
went to New York at s o'clock on the
night of January 25 and boarded a New
York Central Railroad freight train. He
got off at Hudson and went from there
to Canaan, Four Corners, to visit some
| friends named Striebel. At nine o'clock
on the morning of the 10Th he was tax
ing breakfast with the Striebels. He was
looking for work cutting ice, and failing
to get it came back to New York and was
Mr. Van Wrinkle produced this letter,
which the witness recognized as being
| in his brothers handwriting
Jersey City, N. j.,
Hudson County Jail, March 6, 1900
| Dear I4lllu-We are in iail in Jersey