New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-30
BECKER BLAMES POLICE
Says They Forced Stafeldt Confess
siOn-Similar 1ttack IN Corona.

At the arraignment of Henry Becker before
Magistrate Connorton. in the Flushing police
court, yesterday. the prisoner declared that his
often repeated confession of the murder Of little
Amelia Staffeldt had been forced from him bv
the police This statement was part of ram
bling explanation made when he was told 10
plead. the substance OF II being that the knife
too small To kill the child Although
Becker held without bail for the grand
jury. he probably never will stand trial. for
District Attorney Darrin believes him to he
hopeessly insane
Another attack on child near the scene NJ
the murder made many persons think the stat
feIdt murderer had not been found.
A big crowd was in court to see Becker The
family of the murdered girl was present. and
broke down he led In. handcuffed TO a
man charged with attacking his own daughter
Becker" said the magistrate. you are
charged with murder. Are you represented by
counsel and do you wish to plead?'
Il plead, judge. that l left my home No 64i
East 18th street. that day" said Becker This
conductor gave me three transfers / do not
know what l did with them BY and by
stopped 10 get glass Of beer Then. by and
by, saw a young lady. She was picking flow
ers- asked her II she had any work for me
She said she had nothing for me TO do and told
me to 60 away. ! touched her dress a little
She had knife, a little knife. | didn't need
TO Kill her, it little knife just little bit
Of knife. | walked off a little"
Would you know the knife If you saw it?.
asked the magistrate.
Yes. sure, Judge" replied the prisoner 81
went TO place and washed my hands had
not killed the little lady. had only struck her
on the back with the little bit Of a knife While
! was washing I saw three other men. one ~
them kicked me in the shoe When I was wash
ing my hands | saw little handkerchief do
not Know what direction the wind blew. This
can prove Judge. This was made to say"
Who made You say it," asked Magistrate
Connorton
The officers" said Becker.
DID the officers make you say that?"
Yes sir. I never killed any girl by that
name. anybody else in the world I only hit
her in the back with the little knife, and l can
prove that. Judge"
Il win hold you without bail for the grand
jury" said Magistrate Connorton
The knife shown to Becker hut he turned
away indifferently without identifying it, When
he was taken back to the Long Island City jail
some difficulty was experienced i'm getting him
on trolley car. dense the throng
Another attack. similar i'm many respects to
the Stafeldt murder, stirred Corona yesterday
and gave rise 10 an often expressed opinion that
the Staffeldt girls assailants or one of them NAV
still be at large The attack was made not far
from where she was murdered The child was
Marie Luck. the little daughter OF John Luck
Of No. Pa Johnson avenue. Corona. She was
playing near her fathers house when a young
fellow seized her Her screams were heard by
her father and the young fellow fed He was
caught mile and a half away 10y Patrolman
Brunn. mounted of Luck's horses.
crowd of farmhands tried To take the prisoner
away and Brunn only saved his man by dis
playing his revolver and threatening to shoot
The father attacked the prisoner too and it
WAS only after hard work that Brunn got his
prisoner safely locked up. He said he was
Leon Graham. of No. $50 Graham avenue
Brooklyn
A lock Of hair closely resembling in color ana
texture the hair of the Staffedt girl was found
on him. He said it had been given TO him by a
young woman whose name he could not remeu-
Der. He said that he brother in-law of
John Bell the motorman convicted of the muir
der of Dr. Townsend. The police say that he
was released only three months ago from the
House Of Refuge where they say he served three
years. He SAYS he home the dav of the
Staffeldt murder, his sister being at the Bell
trial
Joseph Engel of No % Prospect street who
found the body of the Staffeldt girl and his
helper Adam Hummel. who as well as EneeI
saw a man fleeing through the cabage patch
went 10 the Newton station house last night and
took careful look al Graham. Both said while
he looked a good deal like the man they had seen
running across the field. they could not identity
him positively.
They said that they would like To get look
at him at the same distance s that at which they
had seen the stranger the day of the murder and
while they were in the same relative positions
ana II is probable that Graham will be taken Ia
the cabbage patch to-day and placed where
EnEei and Hummel saw the man running away
The police visited Grahams home Yesterday
ana TOOK some of his clothing. One shirt they
said' was torn. According to the police. Graham
told his family of his movements every dav Iost
week, except Wednesday. the dav of Tho r,Tr,,or