The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-31
THE HALLENBECK TRAGEDY.
VICTIMS WIDOW TELLS STORY
OF THE ASSASSINATION.


as II the authorities had in their possession
sufficient evidence to secure the conviction
OF the four youths, now confined In the
Hudson jail. Of the murder OF Peter A. Hal.
lenDeck at ureenport on the evening OF
Dec. "a, even If Harvey Bruce had made
no confession, This afternoon George
Greenwood testified before the Coroner
that he had seen Bruce in Stockport Centre,
between $50 and Q o'clock on the Christ
mas eve when the murder was committed.
Greenwood works In Stuyvesant and had
taken a train down, thus being able to tell
accurately the time. He went into the
Brookside Hotel for a new minutes. and OF
coming out saw Harvey Bruce just about
10 get into a carriage which stood in front
Of a little store next to the hotel. Green
wood. who knew Bruce well, accoeted him
with How ARE you Brucy," but got no re-
ply TO his salutatiop, and the fancied slight
naturally fingered in his mind. Bruce
jumped into the carriage and started south
In the direction where about two hours later
Peter A. Hallenbeck was murdered. The
Sun reporter went up to Stockport Centre
this afternoon and found that Bruce's
visit TO the store was to purchase a paper
OF tobacco
Inc WIDOW OF tne NlCtlm Oh ule iouI
young men told the story this morning Of
the murder, Of which she was an eyewitness,
and the aged mother Of the dead mar was
also placed on the tand. TO make the
ordeal as light as possible for the two wo-
men the Coroner did not examine them In
the crowded court room. but heard their
story in the District Attorneys room,
allowing the representatives OF the press
10 be present. With tear-stained eyes
both women recited their sad stories. The
widow said that the rest Of the folks had
started for the church TO attend the Christ
mas exercises, leaving behind the aged
mother and herself. That was about o
O'clock. She occupied herself with sewing.
the husband p~erlsing a newspaper and his
mother going upstairs. Il was a bright
moonlight night ard n carriage going by
attracted their attention. A few minutes
later four men went by. coming from the
direction in which the rig had disappeared.
Tho mother had returned downstairs at
this time. and ell three watched the four
men out of sight. ard il was noticed that
their overcoats were turned inside out.
THAT'S probably those chicken thieves"
was Hal!enbcck's remark.
Then continued Mrs. Hallenbeck.
there came a knock at the door, and Peter
left the sitting room and started for the
kitchen door. | followed him and was
rightbehind him. As soon as he unfolded
the door and threw II open they fired. All
four at once fired as he opened the door.
He gave me a push back. knew that some
Of the first shots took effect. ] saw
each one Of them raise his arm and fire. |
became terror stricken and fed in fear OF
my life. | saw the four grapple with my
husband ~ | fled. They shot AZ me as |
ran into the sitting room, pleading for my
life. | met Mother H~allenbeck on the
stairs and told her they a killed Peter.
and We went up in the garrett from where
we could hear them about the house and
where We also heard several more shots.
] don't know how long we stayed up there;
We were afraid to 20 down stairs and
thought they might come up and kill liz.
] thought they were robbing the house aud
told mother to 10, them take everything IL
only our lives could I've spared
Tears strea med down her checks as she
told the story Of the tragedy The Van
Mormer bows always fo,ad In her a good
fiiend. and IL il said that she has often he
friended them and their stepmother, her
sirier. II H. old that the family lived IN
iil.ne-s l-aciusc she helps ii them along In
numerous NnFs, even AFTER NFf ul~bdnu
could no longer pHi up with hem.
Tho eight y-year-pld mother ~ the dead
man. n womnn possessing all her faculties
aud remarkably well preserved f"r t"r age. |
told substantially the sane s'pf" ~ her
daughi sr-in-iaw Both women gave their
testimony without any apparent Nindic-
iNene@s u" sidoW wa positive that all
tour -Nut- were fired al her husband az he
al ~nta the door.
sherir Henry } B~si testified a. follows:
-On ls-, - went 10 ilr sc.n. 81 The
tragedy. " whI"h lad been uotified Nv
Mllilm sheldon with me wer. Coroner
l.ss AMI a., undertaken We went Ia the
Ii-'lspis. = hCu-e and found IA. murdered
uaa0 iyiug on tie liable M III" kitchen.
! cssmiu-d III" surrounding pi.mis-s
aud iuund tDCis loading from the Kitchen
dpli ~" tra'k- ~ two men lrd dosu 10
thr mniI rYat l al-o found tracks la
iue r'af ct tNu haru l"ading across he
Irf AMI down 90 thr road 10 Ydhsr
ifark- vrr luuud that niglt. 1hs
dat, early 900 ths fpf"uJIn. more
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f,Hur Co. 80. 400 oft th' road iu a." f.at
- tho luu- stt.fHt no uu'hHrd and us.
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