Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-24
lnhuman Nephew Admits Cold
Blooded Murder Of Aunt and
Attempt to Kill Her Pretty
Daughter,
ROBBERY SOLE MOTIVE
OF TREACHEROUS DEED
Woman Lured from Europe by
BIoodthirSty Monster, Who
Shows Small Concern When
Confessing Crime to Police.

COnfeSSing Crime to Police,
gDy Morning. Journal assclaI I.sssed Wire.l
New York, July 23.-Drawn back to
the scene of his crime by force he
could not resist August Eberhard,
self confessed murderer of his aunt,
Mrs. Ottilie Ebehard, Viennese
widow, whom he had lured to a lone
ly spot in New Jersey few days ago.
and shot to death, was captured near
Paterson, n. j., today and is now Il
prisoner in the Hackensack jail.
The reason Eberhardt gave for
committing the crime, was that he
was In love with New York girl, and
that he needed money to marry her,
so knowing that his aunt had $4,000
he plotted to kill her and steal the
money. Eberhardt says he also in
tended to kill his pretty cousin, Ottilie
Eberhard, to whom he was engaged,
so that nothing could be in the way to
prevent his marriage to the New York
girl. The police have the name of
the girl mentioned by Eberhard, and
she will be brought to Hackensack to
tell what she knows of the murder.
Hallow eyed. with cheeks drawn,
and with the look of hunted animal
on his face, Eberhard was found lay
ing on the lawn of a residence just
outsiae of Paterson There xas an
ugly looking wound in his right leg,
which he afterward confessed was in
flicted by himself so as to make the
police believe he had been wounded
on the night his aunt was killed. Nor
bid brooding over his inhuman crime
had apparently unbalanced the mind
of Eberhard, but he showed some of
the cunning that he displayed in the
murder plot when the police ques-
toned him about the murder Eber-
hard did not Immediately confess to
the police When he was placed under
arrest he expressed surprise that he
should be suspected of the foul deed,
and told an ingenious story to account
for his disappearance after the shoot
ing of his aunt to the effect that on
the night of the murder he had tried
to defend his aunt from the attack of
his cousin run ahead, and then re-
turned to help his aunt, but the muir
derers overpowered him after shoot
ing him in the leg. Then. he said,
he lost Inconsistencies and remem-
bered nothing until he came to his
senses In the Prekness mountains.
The inquisltors did not believe this
story and they kept Eberhard OF the
grill, until he weakened, and ma ie a
confession The murderer seemed to
feel relieved when he had finished his
remarkable narrative of the murder.
He asked the prosecutor, to whom he
had confessed. for a cigar, and when
II was given TO him. he smoked II as
though he had no other care ip the
world.
An important point in the confess
sion was the statement by Eberhard
that he had an accomplice In the
murder plot. He said, however that
his accomplice had no hand In the
killing Of MRS Eberhard. This man,
who was one OF Eberhard's friends,
has fled west and the police are look
ing for him. They have his name
Eberhard told the police that he
had planned the murder two months
ago. He wrote many letters to his
aunt in his efforts to induce her to sell
her home in Germany. and come to
this country to live. .
He even promised that he would
marry her daughter. Ottilie, and make
a comfortable home for her.
Then Eberhad recounted the arrival
of his aunt and his cousin. Ottilie, and
Of his hndlng rooms for them in q
hotel in West Twenty-third street, OF
the trip to New Jersey, and the final
walk up the railroad tracks. A blind
ing rain storm eame up while they
were walking up the susquehanna
tracks. and this aided the murderer
in his purpose. As the two unsus-
Meeting women were plodding along
In front of him, he drew his revolver,
took careful aim and fired. Mrs. Eber-
hard fell at the first shot, but TO make
sure of her death. the assassin fired
another bullet into her body as II lay
on the tracks Then he went in pur-
suit of hle cousin and tried TO kill her,
The poor girl believed he was trying
10 protect he and even up to yeste-
day, she had Insisted that she did not
believe that her cousin murdered her
mother. She accounted for his dlsap-
pearance by the theory that he prob
ably was shot by the murderers.
When Eberhard was searched. not
penny was found In his pockets Eber-
had said that he had buried the mon
ey he stole from his aunt He led ths
detectives to tree near the little falli
and there dug NJ q bundle OF bills
There was s2,f00 In the bundle, which
Is the amount that was stolen. hber'