The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-03
BECKER NOT HELDFOR MURDER
HIS CONFESSION OF ELMHURST
CRIME IGNORED.

Grand Jury Had Devoted n Week to Investi-
reldt Mrs. ~sinronson. Who Identified
Becker. Is Now strangely Prosecuted.
After n weeks investigation the Queens
county Grand Jury yesterday refused to
indict Henry Becker for the murder Of
Amelia Staffeldt. the ffteen-year-old girl
who was killed while picking dsndelions in a
field near her home at Elmhurst on the after
noon Of May %.
Becker was arrested near the scene OF
the murder the day following by Capt.
McCafferty and all other clues were aban-
doned. When the prisoner was put through
the third degree ne confessed. and then
he started in to confess to anybody and
everybody who happened to ask him about
the crime. He also confessed to imaginary
crimes, and after repeating his confession
when srrsigned before Magistrate Con-
norton in the Flushing police court follow
ing his arrest he wound up by saying:
And that's what they told me to tell
who told you to tell that?' asked the
Magistrate.
why. the officers" was the reply. Then
turning to those who had him in custody, he
COutltlucu. NOW, L totu Wbu yOu ea'sS
me to; are you going to let me go now?"
Connected with the murder is the mys-
FERROUS persecution that has followed the
family of George B. Simonson. who lived
on the Trains Meadow road, near the scene
of the murder. His wife. Mrs. Emily Simon
son. saw two men, one of whom. she said.
was Becker. washing their hands at the
pump in her yard about the hour OF the
murder. Since then an attempt has been
made to murder Mr.. Simonson while on his
way home through the lonely woods that
line both sides of Trains Meadow road,
shots lave been fred at his house at night.
his big Watchdog has been poisoned, Mrs.
Simonson has received three threatening
letters and word was left in a grocery store
where she deal hat her five-year-old child
would be kidnapped. Terrorstricken, the
Simonsons quit their home and are now
living with Mr.. Simonson's father at 20
Sycamore avenue, Corona.
When served with a subpoena Monday
night TO appear before the Queens county
Grand Jury yesterday Mrs. Simonson
said she was afraid to leave the house for
fear she would be murdered. Lieut.. Herbert
Graham Of the Brooklyn headquarters
was sent in a coach TO take her to Long
Island City, where the Grand Jury was
in session, but following the service OF the
subpoena she had become so ov~erwrought
by excitement JndL neT pnyblCldn Tclubeu
to permit her to leave the house.
All three letters sent to Mrs. Simonson
were mailed from station +, Manhattan,
and all were literally decorated with skulls
and crossbones, daggers and black hands,
while the third letter had the head OF a
young girl. well executed in pen and ink,
drawn on the letter sheet. One Of the
letters read:
Mrs. SIMoNsoN: Young Becker fellow
9 innocent. and II you and your husband
appear against him We will fix you
AZ HAND SOCIETY.
Another letter read:
Harry Becker is innocent OF the killing
OF Amelia Staffeldt. ] am the big Slav. l
did the killing. II you don't keep your big
mug shut we will give you the same dose
we gave Amelia Staneldt.
BLACK HAND SOCIETY.
District Attorney Darrin Of Queens
county will try to trace the author of these
letters. In the meantime the murder is
up TO the police again.