The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-31
MURDERED IN HIS SALOON.
FERDINAND SPRECKLES KILLED
AFTER A BITTER FIGHT.

Found Dead In His BarrOom in TIT Bronx
Early Yesterday M0rninS-He Had
Been dubbed and Stabbed-hOuShs
Who Had Been Playing Pool Suspected.
Ferdinand Spreckles, a saloon keeper at
Westchester and Eagle avenues, The Bronx,
was found murdered in his saloon at s
o'clock yesterday morning by william
Bushler, the day bartender, who came to
open up the place. Bushler was surprised
when he put the key in the lock OF the
front door to find it open. Inside al was
dark, as the blinds had been drawn. Stick
ing out from behind one end Of the bar
were the legs Of tho murdered man.
Policeman Cynes summoned an am
bulanoe from the Lebanon Hospital and
the surgeon, DR.. ziegler, said that Spreckes
had been dead several hours.
The back Of Spreckles's head had been
crushed and there was a wound In the
abdomen, evidently made by an ice pick
that lay on the floor behind the bar. Near
the body was the butt end OF a freshly
broken billiard cue and the police and
Coroner we're convinced that this was
used TO fracture the saloon keepers skuu,
although there were no bloodstains on IT.
The motive for TIE murder evidently was
notrobbery, forS2o0in bills and $40 In change
were untouched in the cash drawer.
Spreokles boarded at esl Eagle avenue
with Mrs John Ewald. She told the police
Yesterday that she passed the saloon at
l2:45 o'clock on Thursday night and, look
ing in. asked S~prsckles If he was going to
close up and 60 home. She says that three
rough looking men we're playing pool IN
a rear room of the saloon and that the
saloon keeper told Ter hat be would close
up as soon as he could get rid OF them.
Mrs. Ewald continued on ner way nome,
she says. In the ,pooloom the roaoe
game, and the letters H and indicated
nat there had beer only two players.
The police took this slate to use as evidence
in the event of the capture of the men
who were last seer in the place.
s~preckles was a years old ana OF po owe
ing over 200 pounds. The condition OF the
Mace showed that there had been a fierce
struggle. The furniture in the POOL
and billiard room was wrecked. Be-
hind the bar the police found Spreckies's
pet fox terrier, with the right foreleg
broken. The dog was badly bruised and
cut and the police think that he went to
the assistance Of his master when the latter
was alta cked.
An Italian bootblack, who left the place
Just before midnight, has given the police
the names OF two men who were playing
pool when he left. The police are Watching
The homes Of these men. Neither had
shown up at a late hour last night. Spreck-
les bought the saloon, four months ago.
He han't been in this country long. Three
sisters and a brother live in Germany.
Policeman Clynes, who bad the, post
on which the saloon is situated, told the
Coroner yesterday that he had passed the
place at 2:30 o'clock in the morning and
had tried the door and found it locked.
This has led Detective Sergeant Sam Price
of the Bronx detective bureau, who a
charge of the investigation, to suspect
that the murder was committed only
a short time before this and that the three
men were hiding in the place when the
policeman tried b door.