The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-31
BRAUSS'S UNBlDDEN GUEST.
HE WAS THE COOKS STEADY AND
HE HAD PLEASANT SUMMER.
while tho Brauss Family Was Away Kunze
slept in Their beds, Sampled Their
wines, Smoked MIR. Brauss's Cigars
and stole the Family Pin Money.

uuu btViC uHo FuinhS Ehi NAo"SS'
Mrs. Mary Brauss, the wife Of Rudolph
Brauss, New York importer Of Chinese
and Japanese goods who lives at 50 Airing
ton avenue. Jersey City, recently learned
that somebody had forged her name to
draft on her pi n money deposit in a New
York savings bank and had Withdrawn
SIS 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 Its customary place on her re-
turn. She closely questioned Katie Won
der Burg, a 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 says 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 1903
and fell In love with Mrs. Brauss's Katie
She had preceded him to this country by
about seven months. He secured place
| in a dry goods store as salesman and
lost no time in making himself solid with the
girl So we'll did he succeed that he APP
pointed himself custodian Of her wages and
collected them every month without the
! knowledge OF tho 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
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 hun2e
replied that he intended to stay and he DID;
| Through the long summer months ne LED
the life OF gentleman Of leisure. He
lounged in the sunniest rooms and had his
/ meals served on the family dining table,
He told hattie that swells never ate In the
kitchen. He sampled some OF me pest
stock in Mr. Brauss g wine cellar and topped
of his dinners with some of Mr. Brauss's
good cigars He whiled away, many. an
hour In the billiard room teaching hattie
how to WELD the cue and the girl became
quite expert Under his tutoring.
| Kunze didn't select any particular room
for his sleeping chamber but, like Goldie
Locks, sampled nearly every bed IN the
house. They were all 80 comforta BILE, he
said. he couldn't make up his mind which
one he liked the best There was only one
cloud to darken his summer. He had
stopped dra wing regular salary and his
girls savings had run low. He needed
money to continue his life OF ease, and ne
Il a,p IN
he happened to run across Mrs. Brauss's
bank book, and his brain got busy.
Kunze knew how drafts were made, and
he concluded to borrow some of the pin
ed it more than Mrs. Brauss did He looked
around for a sample of her writing and
found several of Der signatu res For a
number of days he applied himself to the
task Of G90Ryns then re bms al chat
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
pa per and passbook AZ the bank. He got
SIS without anything pheasant happening,
and returned to Jersey City. kunze hid tho
book under corner of a carpet and pro-
ceeded to have good time with the SIS.
All good times come to an end. howeyer'
and Kunzes vacation terminated with
the return OF the Brauss family from the
Catsklls He returned to his cheap rd-
ing house and went to work. Mrs. l.. li1s
was much surprised when she learned at
the bank that she had Ss5 less on deposit
than she had actually drawn ont 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 Larkins of the Fifth
precinct made the arrest.
Kunze owned up to Mr. Braus that he
had forged his wifes name. and he gave a
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 Brauss said yesterday that she did
not intend to prosecute the man.
Il do not care to send him 10 jail, she
said. because it is his first offence. do
not know what he did in our house while
we were in the country, but l understand
he enjoyed himself He seems to have
had 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.
Rave always found her strictly honest and
as believe her to be good girl shall
keep her with me.
Chief OF Police Benjamin Murphy said
last night that the police will prosecute the
complaint against Kunze and will use Mrs.
Bra,iss as witness.
vyrrn DnccIDIE