Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-02
.SLEUTnS At A STAADSTILL
BUT NO PROGRESS IN
NEW YORK MURDER CASES.
Police Commissioner Bingham Admits
That His Force Is Entirely Help
less-Public Inf1amed.

NEW YORK. August 2-The murder of
little eight-year-old Katie Tietschler. who
was found yesterday choked to death with
her own hair ribbon and her body mutilatcd
In dark cellar on list avenue. has called
forth today every effort of the whole po-
lice department to find the fiend who has
been satiating his murderous appetite in
the strangln8 and hacking to bits of his
victims. Unlike the Whitechapel Jack the
Ripper. the New York slayer picks out his
victims among the children as well as
women The killing of the Tietschler child
was the most atrocious in the city criminal
history
Two men and woman are being held
today In custody on the suspicion that they
might know something of the girls death.
The woman. Anna Mes5ner. was arraigned
In the night court and held without bail
Tor the coroner. She was taken to police
Headquarters and closely questioned
by detectives. She admitted that she knew
Gaetano Rppolone the cobbler, and his
empioye Giuseppe Bonfanta, both of whom
are being detained by the police. She said
she had been living for several days at
the house where the rchild's body was
found. Before that she resided with the
Tietschler family, but Karl Tietschler re-
Gently ordered her to leave the house
Police Are Impotent.
. The seeming inability of the police to
check the wave of crime which is spending
itself unchecked in the killing and spolia-
ton of women and children has created a
state of fear among hundreds of families
on the east side. where the Tietschler crime
was committed. and in other parts of the
city. Police Commissioner Bingham said
that the present police force is inadequate
to properly police the city, but everything
possible is being done under his direction.
Another Crime Attempted.
Anna Messner was arraigned today be-
fore Coroner Hamburger and. through her
counsel. declined to make any statement
She was committed to the Tombs without
bail. Rippoione was sent to the house of
detention as a suspicious person by the
coroner in default of 81 900 to insure his ap-
pearanCe at the inquest.
Another assault on a young girl was at
tempted today and only the timely arrival
OF the police prevented a crowd of enraged
ionSshoremen from taking the law into
their own hands. Carl Nelson, a Swedish!
sailor, seized eight-year-old Annie PIttman
as she was playing near the Rector street
pier of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
Her screams brought crowd of angry,
iongshoremen, who set upon Nelson and
beat him Numerically. Nelson protested
his innocence.
Three arrests have been made in connect
tion with the stranger murders. The pub
lie is inf1amed and a mob would have
iynehed cObbler named Rippolano, who
Was taken into custody yesterday, but the
police succeeded IN protecting linn.
Inc latest victim was Katie Tietscher.:
an elght-year-od girl. who. as told IN The
star yesterday, was found in cellar with
IN square OF her home. whence she dlsap!
peareu almost a week ago.
AT the cOrOnerS direction Gaetano Rippo4
Iano. whose cobbler shop adjoins the gIri s.
home, was arrested and asked to EXPLAIN
his absence from his shop last Friday. He
established the fact that he had spent the:
day at Bristol. Conn. The girl is said 20
have frequented Rippolano's place. and a,
search or the shop brought to light a
cobbler was arralgned and remanded to
the coroner. Giuseppe Bonfanto RIppo-!
lano's partner. was questioned, but threw
little hight on the case and was not de-
talned. The police also began a search tor
a woman VINO is sad to have formerly
roonred at the TeitschIer home, but who
LETT there after quarrel and took IOdg-
ings in the house where the girls body was
found.
Mob Was Infatuated.
When news of the finding of tie little
ones body spread through the neighbor-
hood excitement rose to such a pitch that
the removal Of the body and the arrest of
Rppolano caused almost riot Many
thousands of persons were in the nearby
streets when the wagon from the morgue
arrived. At sight of the covered body the
crowd vented its grief and rage in bal L
of tongues. The police were compelled to
use force to get through the street. Soon
afterward the arrest OF the cobbier became
known. and the crowd charged the pris-
oners shop.
RlEpoiano had been safely removed to the
station house, but his shop windows were
smashed. and only the determined front of
the police reserves. who cluDDeu right and
left, prevented greater damage.
John kusmIcho, the Russian Waterman
under arrest as a suspicious person, and
who is said to have been seen the COM
pany of the girl whose BODY was found N
the areaWay East 3Uth street, was today
remanded without bail until Saturday NO
clue to the murder IN "a street was
cured TO-DAY.