The Washington herald., 1907-05-26
SEEK GIRLS SLAYER
Police Close In on Murderer
Of Amelia Staffeldt.
MYSTERIOUS SLAV ARRESTED
Man Believed 20 Have Been with
Suspect Henry Becker Taken Into
Custody at NIaspeth-ClaiIns to Be
Able 10 Prove AIibi-Mnny Hurt In
Accident at Victims Funeral.

n
ping up to-day showing that Henry
Becker, the suspect in the Amelia Staf-
feldt murder case at Elmhurst, was on
the spot where the girl was killed at the
time of her death. together with the ar
rest of Slav, in Maspeth village, near
Elmhurst, fitting the description Of the
alleged companion whom Becker saw
murder the girl, have brought the police
to the belief that the mystery of the fif-
.teen-year-old girls death has been cleared
up They still believe that Becker COM
mtted the crime while in an insane
frenzy He will soon be probably placed
under observation to ascertain his sanity
The police have all along believed that
little credence could be put in the big
cared, squat little tramp's story Of the
tragedy. Hell say he did most anything
we suggest to him." one of them put IT,
.Beckers story has now been corroborated
in so many essential details by two peo-
pie, and several bits Of physical evidence,
that it is accepted as true in everything
but possibly as to the real perpetrator of
the crime.
Tile most startling of these circum-
stances developed to-day. To-day the
worn. broken shoes that Becker wore were
taken 10 the cabbage patch through
which a man fitting mis- description was
seen running from the place Of the muir
der just before its discovery. They fitted
exactly the footprints made by the fleeing
man in the soft earth. even 10 the breaks
IN the soles and the woTn-dOwn heels.
Tracing Bloody Transfers.
The finding Of two torn-up transfers
Of the cross-town l3Sth street line, partly
covered With blood, beside the body also
developed to-day into another bit Of
evidence fastening the arrested man u
the scene Of the crime AZ the time of its
accomplishment Becker admitted that
he had got the transfers. Samuel Lobel,
a conductor Of the Union Railway Com
pany, was found from the numbers on
the transfers. and said that he had given
them out lie described the man 10 whom
he had given them, fitting Becker pret-
~ closely and said he had remembered
him because he had looked az him sharply.
thinking him a spottcr lie then picked
Becker out OF Il half-dozeu men in the
Queens County Jail as the man who had
gotten at least one Of the slips. Becker
got on the car AT Cypress avenue and
got off either at Third avenue or Fourth
avenue, a general downtown transfer
point
Moreover. Becker was taken to the
scene Of the crime and compelled 20 get
on his hands and knees over the bloody
spot where the body was found He be-
trayed pitiable agitation lie is said %
have confessed 10 knowledge of the knife
with which the crime WAS committed. and
10 every Circumstance connected with the
crime, except that he committed the mur-
der.
All this. taken together with the finding
on him Of the handkerchief marked IS. ."
stolen from Mrs. Simonson. his identih-
cation by her from a Photograph rs the
man who was washing his bloody hands
at the pump about half an hour after the
commission of the crime. makes the de-
tectives believe that they have a great
mass Of evidence against Becker as the
probable murderer Of the girl.
Slav Arrested in Maspcth.
Late tonight "a slav was arrested IN
Maspeth corresponding TO the description
Becker gives Of the Slav companion he
picked up on the road, and whom ne saw
murder the girl lie was formerly
small farmer near Elmhurst and now
works in the stable Of q Naspeth painter
He alleges that he was i'm the stable eat
ing his dinner and feeding his horse be
tween 12 and o'clock Wednesday. when
the murder was committed and that an
other man knows Of this
The detectives Of the Elmhurst station
were out looking up this alibi late to-
night, while the Slav was still being
questioned by Capt. Kelly and his men.
His name has not been given out.
Accident at Funeral.
A catastrophe was added to the tragedy
Of little Amelia Staffeldt, when a score
Of persons were injured by the collapse
Of porch at the Staffeldt homestead, in
Elmhurst, while attending the funeral of
the girl. Fifty people were buried under
the splntered boards and supports Of the
porch when it collapsed under the weight
Of humanity. The crash came in the
midst Of the ceremony. and interrupted
the funeral services for half an hour.
Several were found 10 be seriously hurt.