The sun., 1903-09-27


made friends and were not unpopular
Meantime, in addition to their other ex-
penses, there was added the necessity OF
paying rent, from which they had been
exempt while living in their mortgaged
Greendale home. All this demanded greater
activity in the poultry business,
THEY CONTINUED TO STEAL.
The old Greendale neighborhood was
still their favorite raiding ground. With
fast horses they made swift nocturnal de-
scents upon the territory so familiar to
them. People found that, although alb
sent, the Van Wormers were still with
them.
Hehroost after henroost was swept
bare as Of yore. That the three rascals
did a smashing business was shown by the
checks from New Yorkand Albany COM
mission houses which continued tn come
to their address even after they were in
prison corridors and which were to lead
them to the electric chair.
Their practice in swooping down by
night upon the old Greendale neighbor-
hood and the demonstrated ease with
which they could do this and get back
quickly and safely to Undertook, unques-
tionably was factor in their calculations
when they planned the murder OF Peter
Hallenbeck. Daring. apparently reckless
as 1t was, there was that in their strategy
In this crime which offered chance OF
immunity from conviction.
That everybody would be morally GER
tain Of their guilt was foregone conclusion.
But moral certainty and evidence sufficient
to convict of murder in the first degree are
two different things. Reconstructing the
crime Of the evening of Dec. "a, 1901, on the
lines on which the Van Wormer brothers
undoubtedly planned it, there appear loop
holes through which they might, not with
out some show OF reason, have hoped to e.
cape punishment.
REVENGE AND ROBBERY.
As for the crime itself, everything tends
to show that it contemplated originally
even more savage butchery than actually
occurred. Its motives were twofold-
first of all robbery and, incidentally. re-
venge upon Peter Hallenbeck for fore
closing the mortgage and driving the Van
Wormers from their home. Evidence was
brought clearly showing that the Van
Wormer boys, notwithstanding their sue
ceesful thieving, were in need OF money,
and that prior to the murder they made
arrangements to pay on the day following
the crime money which they did not get
and had no visible means Of getting except
by robbery.
The general plan of the crime was similar
to the chicken stealing raids in the Green
dale territory--a swift descent, swift re-
turn and the establishment of an alibi by
appearing in Undertook and other points
remote from the scene at such an hour az
would make it appear impossible for them
to have done the deed. The time fixed
upon was Christmas eve, when 1t was known
that there was to be an entertainment in the
Creendale Church which some, at least, OF
the Halenbeck household would attend.
The chances of Peter Hallenbeck, with
his known habits, attending were remote.
The chances that Peters brother Charles
and Charles's wife, with their known habits,
would attend we're good. This would
leave Peter Hallenbeck, his wife and his
mother, a woman over 80, in the house alone.
Peter was in the habit Of carrying consider
able sums of money on his person.
CRIME WELL PLANNED.
If the house could be reached early
in the evening while the church festival
was going ON. every soul in it murdered
il necessary, Peter robbed and the evi-
dences of a murder or robbery scattered
about, the murderers could rush back to
Kinderhook, show themselves in a way to
establish an alibi and leave room for argu-
ment that the crime was the work oi
tramps or burglars. with broad element
of reasonable doubt to be impressed upon a
jury in case the real criminals were brought
to trial.
Now, but for two things. notwithsta nd
ing the moral certainty Of guilt which
would have attached to the Van Wormers.
it may be doubted whether they could have
been convicted of the crime. In the first
place, they made the fatal mistake Of ap-
preaching the house through snow which
took an impression as though 1t were in
wax Of their footprints, and. in the second
place, they made the still graver error OF
taking with them an accomplice.
Harry Bruce. young man Of 10. cousin
to the Van Wormers, had been living with
them in Kinderhook for some months. He
had participated with them in their chicken
stealing raids and been partially but not
quite transformed into the desperate
criminal that each Of the Van Wormer boys
had become.
The footprints and the testimony for the
State which Harry Bruce gave. thereby
saving his own life, proved the Van
Wormers' undoing In all other respects
save the robbery and the murder Of their
aunt and the aged Mrs. Hallenbeck, the
crime as presumably planned was carried
out.
With a fast horse and q top carriage al
four, two sitting on the laps of the others,
drove to Greendale. The Van Wormers
peered through the church windows and
saw Charles Hallenbeck and his wife there.
Then with masks on their faces and with
their overcoats turned inside out they
knocked at the back door OF the Hallen-
beck house.
THE MURDER.
Hallenbeck himself answered the knock.
The instant ne opened the door one OF the
Van Wormers shot him in the face, shat. d.
terms his jaw and binding him with the
flame and smoke.
He staggered and CROPPED his way to
where his loaded shotgun Was standing.
He actually reached the gun, and fell dead
with it in his hands. for as fast as they
could fire, the murderers emptied their
revolvers into him. Nine BULLETS In all
struck him.
Mrs. Hallenbeok, who was close behind
-. h,,.haud wh~p ha nnAnAd thA Scor