The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-15
WOMAN RECLUSE WAS ROBBED
Two NEN NEAT AND CHOKED
MRS. ktLL LAST WEEK.

Hoard Nearly 500. OOO-suspicion
That Some One Was Giving Her Liquor
1t came out yesterday that Marie Kull,
! the aged and wealthy recluse who was re-
moved on Monday by the police from her
! squalid rooms in the tenement house at
| 7i3 Third avenue to Flower Hospital, suf-
! fering from lack Of proper food, although
she had thousands of dollars in cash hid
den in the place. was robbed of a consider
able sum of money last week. 1t was be-
cause she feared that the old woman would
be attacked again and perhaps murdered
that her niece, Miss Susan Mang her only
living relative IN this city, asked the police
to have her taken to some place where she
could not only get proper food and care,
but where she would be safe from those
who might have des gns on her hoard.
Miss Mang IL employed in a Manhattan
department store and lives in The Bronx
1t was her custom 10 visit her aunt once
week. On last Sunday, when she called
Mrs. Kull told her that she had been set
upon while alone in her rooms on the pre-
vous Thursday by two men, who beat her
and choked her into insensihilty and then
made off with some 500 or $500 which she
carried about her.
Living in the house with her was an old
German named Herman Webber. who did
odd jobs for her for his living. Miss Mang
questioned him about the robbery, and he
admitted that on Thursday he had found
Mrs. Kul unconscious on the floor. with
an iron bar lying by her side. He had car
ried her to her cou5h and restored her 20
consciousness When asked why he had
not called policeman, he said he had gone
out to get one, but could find none in the
neighborhood When he returned 10 the
rooms. he said. the iron bar was gone.
Weber had been around the tenement a
year or more, getting his meals the best
way he could and sleeping on the remains
of an excelsior mattress in a room of the
old woman's. He was partly paralyzed
and as the old woman was very miserly
he was never known to have more than ten
cents at a time. After he had told the story
of the iron bar Miss Mang made some in
quiries about him among the other tenants
and learned that he had been talking for
several days about going back to Ger
many This led her to suspect that be
might have robbed her aunt to get the
necessary funds for the trip
Miss Mang sought the advice Of Coroner
y
the friends with whom she lives She
told him of her fears for the safety Of her
aunt. and he advised her to lay the matter
before the police. When the old woman
was taken to the hospital many bruises
were found on her body and there we're
marks on her neck which looked as though
they had been made by mans fingers.
II was also discovered there that Mrs. kull
was suffering from the effects Of alcohol.
As she was not in the habit OF wasting any
money on food or drink. it is thought
that some one had been plying her with
whiskey for the purpose of getting her 10
tell where she had hidden her money.
When the police had completed the search
OF her rooms last night they placed Webber
under arrest. He was arraigned in the
Yorkville police court yesterday. but az
there was no evidence against him he was
discharged.
Besides the seo59 in cash. bank books
showing deposits of over $4,000 IN various
savings banks and deeds to real estate
estimated to be worth 5000 there were
found in Mrs. Kull' 3 rooms one $1,000 United
States Government bond and several blocks
OF stock OF banks that have gone out Of
existence.
one certificate was for twenty-five 800
shares and another for ten 500 shares
Coroner Berry could not recall the names
of the banks last evening Her deposits
in the saw ings banks will amount to con-
sidernbly more than the books show. a. no
interest ha5 been entered IN them since
1899 Tho money viii remain in the hands
of the police until Mrs Kull RECEIVERS sufi-
GENTLY to have it determined whether she
Is At to take care OF her own property
The old woman'- husband, August kull,
was a we'll to DO business man and during
his lifetime they always lived in comforta-
hIe circumstances She was an unusually
good looking woman and was fond Of good
Iiving and wore good clothes Moreover
she Mas noted for her hterality. Mr. Kuil
was a director in several BANKS ana owned
considerable real estate lie retired from
business in 1876 and when he died seven
wears later it was found that he had left no
will Be had a brother and a sister living
and thew began a suit for the partition Of