The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-31
DRAUSS'S UNBIDDEN GUEST.
HE WAS TIE COOKS STEADY AND
HE HADAPLEASANT SUMMER.

while the Brauss Family Was Away Kunzs
Slept In Their Beds, Sampled Their
| Wines, Smoked MIR. Brauss's Cigars
and Stole the Family Pin Money.
Mrs. Mary Brauss, the wife OF Rudolph
Brauss, New York importer Of Chinese
and Japanese goods who lives at 1852 Airing
ton avenue, Jersey City, recently learned
that somebody had forged her name to a
draft on her pi money deposit In New
York savings bank and had withdrawn
ss5 from her account on the presentation
OF her pass book while she was spending
the summer at her cottage in the Catskills.
She had left the book at home when she
went to the mountains in July and failed
| to find 1t In It's customary place on her re-
turn. She closely questioned Katie Won
| der Burg. servant who had charge Of the
house during the absence Of the family, and
the girls answers led to the arrest day
or two ago of her sweetheart, Fritz Kunze,
on a charge of forgery. Kunze Is now In
the county Jail awaiting trial, and Mrs.
Brauss Gays she doesn't propose to prose-
cute him.
Kunze has made a confession to the police
in which he said he had the time Of his life
at the Brauss home during the summer.
He readily admitted the forgery and ex-
planned that his taste for luxury which he
developed while an unlimited guest at the
house got him into his present predicament
Kunze was born In Germany 20 years ago.
He came to America in the spring of 1908
and fell in love with Mrs. Brauss's Katie.
She had preceded him to this country by
about seven months. He secured q place
in a dry goods store as a salesman and
lost no time in making himself solid with the
girl. So we'll did he succeed that he ap-
pointed himself custodian OF. her wages and
collected them every month without the
knowledge of the girls mistress.
When the Brauss family went away
Kunze decided that he wouldn't work for
a while He gave up his job and moved
over to the house. He told Katie that
he was in need of nice long rest and he
didn't know Of a better place ito spend
a vacation than just where he was The
girl demurred She said she was sure her
mistress wouldn't approve of having an
unbidden guest in the house. But Kunze
replied that he intended to stay, and he did
Through the long summer months he led
the life of gentleman of leisure. he
lolnged III the sunniest rooms and had his
meals served on the family dining table.
Re told Katie that swells never ate in the
stock in Mr. Brauss S wine cellar and topped
Of mis- dinners with some of Mr.. Brausss
goot cigars He whiled away. many an
hour in the billiard room teaching Katie
no. 70 WELD the, cue. and the girl became
quite expert under his tutoring.
kunHe didn't select any particular room
for his sleeping chamber, but, like .Goldie
Locks, sampled nearly every bed in the
house. They were all so comforta BILE, he
said, he couldn't make up his mind which
cloud to dar,en his summer. He had
stopped drawing regular salary and his
girls savings had run low. He needed
money to continue his life of ease, and he
he happened to run across Mrs. Brausss
bank book, and his brain got busy.
hume knew how drafts were made, and
he concluded to borrow some of the pin
money. He argued to himself that he need
ed it more than Mrs Brauss did He looked
around for a sample of her writing and
found several of her signatures. For
number of days he applied himself to the
task Of copying them He worked at TT it
he was quite handy with the pen and he
finally decided that he could write the
name well enough to fool the bank people
He signed the. draft and presented the
paper and passbook at the bank. He got
$50 WltnOut ylInIlR happening,
and returned to Jersey City. Kunze hid the
book under a corner of a carpet and pro-
ceeded to have good time with the SIS
All good times come to an end, however,
and Kunzes vacation terminated with
the return of the Brauss family from the
Catskills He returned to his cheap board
ing house and went to work. Mrs. Brauss
was much surprised when she learned at
the bank that she had Ss5 less on deposit
than she had actually drawn out and she
made an investigation She didn't have
to 20 further than her kitchen for infor-
nation. Katie's clues did the business
and Detective James Larhins OF the Fifth
precinct made the arrest.
Kunze owned up to Mr.. Brauss that he
had forged his wife's name, and he gave
detailed account to Larkins Of the delight
full vacation he had spent in the Arlington
avenue house. He regretted that the
summer sped so quickly
Mrs. Bralss said yesterday that she did
not intend to prosecute the man.
Il do not care to send him to jail she
said, because it Is his first offencs ! do
not know what he did in our house while
we were in the country, but understand
he enjoyed himself. He seems to have
had a powerful influence over my servant.
She was in the habit of giving him her
wages to keep. / brought Katie to this
country with me about two years ago. /
ave always found her strictly honest, and
as believe her to be good girl shall
keep her with me.
Chief Of Police Ben iamin Murphy said
last night that the police will prosecute the
complaint against KunZe and will use Mrs.
Brauss as witness.