The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-09-18
Man Missing From the
Neighborhood Where Gus
sic Pfeifer Lived Is
Sought By Police.
VICTIM WAS A coon GIRL
SHE HAD DONE NOTHING. TO
TEMPT THE FATE THAT Be
FELL HER POLICE TRACE
HER LAST MOVEMENTS.

The Bronx police are to-day redoubling
their efforts to find Joseph Girard. whom
Coroner O'Gorman wants to question as
to what he may know about the move
ments of Gussie Pfeifrer. the lace worker
who was found murdered on Saturday in
a thicket by Pelham road. The girls
body was not identified till yesterday af-
ternoon. 1t had been lying within five
minutes walk of the Pfeiffer home, but
the girls family had no idea she was in
the vicinity. A dispute with her mother
over money matters had led to Gussie's
departure from home 1t was an ac-
quaintance. jeweler Hugo Faldenstein. of
S3T East 139th street. who identified the
body.
The alarm sent out for Girard this
morning, gives this description of him.
81 years old, feet s inches in height,
weighs 160 pounds; of dark complexion,
eyes, hair and mustache; when last seen
he wore suit of dark clothing. Girard
came originally from Nashua. n. H.
Interest in this strange case, which
follows in so many details Poe's mystery
of Marie Roget centres in Girard chiefly
because Of two circumstances. He was
seen in the neighborhood when the body
was discovered. on Wednesday, night.
when, as it has now become known, tee
victim disappeared from her boarding
house; an in the house where Girard
lived the police have found suit of over
alls such as he wore dabbled with blood.
When he issued the warrant for Cir
ard, soon after midnight, Coroner C'Gor-
man said
I'VE have traced the movements of the
man up to the time of the murder and to
within 200 feet Of the place. We have
also traced the movements of the girl up
$50 o'clock on Wednesday night, when
she boarded Throgg's Neck trolley car.
The last seen of Girard was when he
left home on Thursday morning at 6
o'clock.H
Gussie Pfeiffer, so far as can be
learned had never done anything to in
vite such an eud. She was of a quiet.
Industrious nature, careful of her saw
ings but not a miser. She worked in an
embroidery factory, where her wages
ranged from $5 to SO week. She had
/, been in the habit of giving good part
of this to her mother She had saved up
over 500 from the balance. The autopsy
on her body. moreover, proved that she
had been virtuous girl.
Gussie had two brothers and two sis
tiers. She was the oldest of the children
and seems to have championed the others
to some extent, taking their part when
she thought they were not treated ex-
actly right The father was dead. Mrs.
Pfeiffer had married second time but
the husband did not live at home The
earnings of Gussie and her brother Paul
largely supported the family.
3 On Wednesday night Gussie Pfeifer
left her boarding place. She took with
he1 a suit case, saying that she was go
ing home to get her clothing. She board
ed Throggs Neck car at Westchester
and there the trail ends. To get to her
mothers home the girl would have had
to cross Westchester bridge on foot and
walk up Pelham road nearly three miles.
Did she set out alone on that fatal
journey, and meeting her assailant sue
cumb to the grip of his cruel fingers un-
til her life was choked out in. her strpg;
gle against dishondrs
5 Or did the fend or 6ends lisre Her away
TO some othel' place and hold her "a pris-
oneR with the d ltethative sof death :of
llfshonor, and when she had chosen the
death fate did THEY maltFeat her and
then carry Or drag her dead body TO the
haunted oak?
Vainly have the police been trying to
answer these questions ever since Satur-
day afternoon, when the body was dis
covered. At that time Mrs. James
Black, who owns the cottage nearest ia
the haunted oak went to collect her
rent The cottage was shut and she
waited for somebody to come.