New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-08
THE HALLENBECK MURDER
TRIAL OF THE DEAD MANS NEPHEWS
OPENS AT HUDSON.

HUDSON. n. Y April IA jury having been
completed Saturday 70 try Willis, Burton and
Frederick Van Wormer. on the charge that they
shot 10 death their uncle. Peter A hallenbeck. on
Christmas Eve last. the case was resumed to-day
District Attorney Alfred B. Chace made the open
Ing address He rehearsed the details of the crime
telling how Hsllenbeck called to his door and
killed
Louis J. Eltinc was the first witness. He said
his home was about one thousand feet from the
Hallenbock residence. He heard shots on Christ
Eve and went to Hallenbeck's house. where
he found that murder had been committed After
the shots he saw men run behind Hallenbeck's
barn and drive away rapidly.
map of the country surrounding the Halien-
beck house was submitted in evidence. 1t pur-
ported to show tracks made by the accused mems
feet in the snow along with tracks made by the
wagon in which they rode. The defence objected
this introduction and to almost all the ques-
tons asked by the prosecution relating to 1t. but
Justice Chester admitted the map and the evidence
concerning it
Margaret Hallenbeck. widow Of the murdered
man, the next witness. When the shooting
occurred Mrs. HaTenbeck and her aged mother
n-aw the only persons in the house
with Hallenbeck. The mother of the Van Wormer
boys and Harvey Bruce's mother are sisters OF
Mrs. Hallenbeck The witness sewing while
her husband read. when hey four men COM
ing along the road in carriage. Later there was
a knock at the door. and the witnesses husband
opened ii. The shooting followed Immediately. Mrs.
Hallenbeck said she saw four men standing in the
doorway.
Mrs Hallenbeck said the shots fired rapidly.
Her husband groaned and she ran him. She
then into the dining loom. One shot was fired
over her head. She and her mother in-iaw whom
she met at the the stairs, to the attic.
During the firing her husband did not have his gun
In his hand. When I my husband con-
tinued Mrs. Hallenbeck he was lying the floor
near the range The gpn was lying acr9Ss nm I'M
men who did the shooting as being one tall. two
inside out, and all cloth masks. which were
different in appearance She was acquainted with
servatons she was not able 10 identify the masked
bean sble since tn 5entifv them as Frederick Bur
At The afternoon session Mrs Almina Hailenbeck.
eighty years old. She saw four men pass the
turned inside out The four men were about the
size Of the three Van Wormers and Harvey Bruce e
Shortly afterward she heard pistol shots fired rap
id Thn sae T f ana 20 et 9er
She did not see her sons body until the next morn
Herbert Bishop civil enginsser vas the ReEt
nToneTfx Mr. Bsbop escriSed the sounds Of
the Hallenbeck and told of the location of the
Dr.. Crawford E Fritts. the next witness. who
performed the autopsy, read from his notes a de-
coroner Edward H, Lisk then took the stand
syera bullets were o ID n eT the be2 he rot
them He said he saw six Of them taken during
the progress OF tue autopsy name
body and the seventh was handed to him by Mrs.
Peter 4. Halienbeck. One Of these bullets was
taken from the Jaw. from the right shoulder.
one from a bandage which Hallenbeck wore around
his waist. two from Of his arms. one from the
breast bone and another had dropped from the
clothes
Dr., Fritts was recalled and asserted that he was
able to testify the calibre of the bullets An
objection from the defence was not sustained by
the court The physician then described the size
of the balls. The taken from the jaw he sad
was 80 short. the one from the shoulder q 30
the one from the waist hand IS. The one from
the breast bone 30 short; another from the
arm near the shoulder and also the ore from the
clothing were 30 shorts There WAS wound
through the body. and which penetrated the verte-
bro in which no bullet could be found lie also
said that. while only bullets were found.
there were bullet holes in the body. All the
bullets were offered by the State in evidence. no
objection being offered by the defence
Dr. Lewis Van Hoesen next sworn. He had
assisted at the autopsy. He read to the Jury his
notes taken at the time and also Identified the
several bullets and described the portions OF the
body from which they were taken.