Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-20
viennese Widow Murdered in
Lonely Spot in Jersey.
HER DAUGHTER WOUNDED
Police Are Searching for Nephew of
the Dead Woman.
HE WAS BETRoTHED TO GIRL
Circumstantial Evidence Points to
Plot to Secure Money-Tragedy
Occurs as Storm Breaks.

NEW YORK, July 2O-The tale of a
crime so revolving and replete with cruel
craftiness as to be almost unbelievable is
told in the case Of Mrs. Ottillie Eberhard.
a well-to-do Viennese widow. whose body
was found on the railroad track in lone
ly section Of Hackensack, y. j., early
yesterday
At first it was believed that the woman
had been struck by a train and killed.
Subsequent investigation. however, re-
veaied that she had been murdered and
her body placed upon the track in an ef-
fort to destroy traces Of the crime. 1t
was with this discovery that there came
the first intimation OF the deeply laid
and cunningly executed plot which places
the case almost in class by itself in the
history Of crime. AS a result Of that in
vestigation the police are now searching
for August Eberhard, the dead woman's
nephew. who had importuned Mrs. Eber-
hard to come to this country and to
bring with her her little fortune Of $2,6OO
and her twenty-year-old daughter. whom
August had promised to marry.
Searching for Eberhard.
II. was largely due to the story told by
the daughter after the finding OF the
older woman's body that the search for
August was begun, and the police or
every city in the eastern secion OF the
country have been asked to take him In
custody if found. He is wanted to tell
what he knows Of the circumstances re-
lated by the girl who was to have been
his wife. The young woman herself,
however refuses to believe that August
had any part in the tragic death OF her
mother. But, despite her protestations, de-
tectives have gone TO the home OF tne
mans parents. who live on farm near
Duchess Junction. in Duchess county,
N Y, and the search for him Is oelns
prosecuted in many other quarters.
According to the police. Eberhard nad
been at work for months carefully plot
ting the crime to gain possession OF the
little fortune that his aunt In Austria
possessed. He wrote many letters. paint
Ing in glowing colors the riches inst
the old home In Austria and come to this
new land. To the woman's daughter,
aged twenty. also bearing the name VI
title, Eberhard promised marriage II they
yielding to his opportunities, Mrs: Eber-
hard and her daughter set SAIL LOT tn~
country.
Brought Fortune With Her.
They arrived in New York last Thurs
day on the steamer Deutschland, the
mother carrying 5000 in the bosom OF
her dress Eberhard. who had been en-
ployed in a grocery store in st. Nicholas
avenue, asked his employer for q vaca-
ton on the day Of the women's arrival
and met them at the pier. After settling
them temporarily at a little hotel at 10th
avenue and 23d street, he took the elder
woman to a money changer, where her
little store of wealth was quickly con-
verted into American notes.
It was the intense heat OF Saturday
which furnished the pretext for the trip
to the country with its tragic ending. ac-
cording to the story told by the daughter.
Eberhard suggested a trolley ride in New
Jersey Mrs. Eberhard consented to the
trip and the three crossed the Hudson by
ferry on their way to the country. AT
Rochelle Park. two miles west OF Hack
ensack, the nephew suggested that they
take a walk. and the three left the car
to stroll through the fields. Evening
found them at a lonely spot on the tracks
OF the New York, Susquehanna and West
ern railroad. Eberhard told the women
he had lost his way.
Tragedy in q Storm.
A storm broke and the trio pushed
ahead down the track until In deafen-
ing crash Of thunder the elder woman
stumbled.
IT have been struck by lightning" she
screamed as she fell in heap by the
track. At the same instant Miss Eber-
hard says she saw a nash coming evi-
IDENTIFY from behind car on siding
nearby, and then a second and q third.
AS her mother fell to the tracks the girl
felt q bullet Craze her own neck cutting
a thin gold chain from which a iocket
urged her to run, and as second bullet
plowed into her shoulder she started
down the track screaming.
Once she turned back to see il her
mother was following her. and again
there was shot, which passed above the
bridge of her nose, the blood from the
wound half binding her: Through the
darkness and the storm the wounded girl
kept up her fight until she reached cot
tage, where she was taken In and cared
for until Sunday, when the storm had
passed. Then the Hackensack police
were notified.
In the meantime an engineer on pass
ing milk train had seen the body OF
woman on the track. and when he ar
rived In Jersey City he telephoned 20 the
coroner of Hackensack. Upon visiting the
SPOT indicated by the engineer the coroner
found the body OF Mrs Eberhard, horri-
bIy mangled Close examination, how
ever, showed that the woman had been
shot twice and was dead wnen the Train
struck her. The murderer must have
shot the woman as she lay PROSTATE on
the track. in order to make sure OF her
death before dragging her body across
the rails.
Eberhard's Parents Dismayed.
PoJ-GHKEEPSIE, n. Y. July 2o.-The
narents of August Eberhard were dis
mayed today when detectives informed
them that the young man was suspected
of the murder Of his aunt and an attempt
ON the life of his cousin at Hackensack
Saturday evening. The father said:
.sThrs is terrible news-terrible- Why,
the bow was to have been married in New
york Yesterday and We were expecting
hin, tn come home today with his bride"
Then the old man told the story OF how
his sister in Austria had come from the
old country with her daughter, who was
going to be married to his son. The
narents had looked forward for many
months with the greatest pleasure to this
event and also to the prospect OF the
mortgage on their farm being paid off
with money Eberhards sister-in-law was
to bring from the old country. The boy
had spent the previous Sunday on the
farm. he said. and had left only last
"wednesday. apparently filled with happi-
ness at the prospect OF meeting his
bride -to-be.
A close watch will be kept at the farm
in the belief that August may return to