New-York tribune., 1908-07-24
ADMITS HEKILLED AUNT
GUS" EBERH4RD CAUGHT.
Tells Tale of Flying Trip after
Shooting WOmdn.

| Hackensack n. j., July % (SpecaD.-August Ed
| erhard the former clerk in Manhattan grocery
| store who was suspected of having murdered Mrs
Ottte Eberhard his aunt, the Susquehanna
Railroad tracks near Coalburs on Saturday night,
| arrested to-day near Paterson. he confessed
TO Prosecutor Koester that he killed his aunt. ne
had an ugly bullet wound in his leg, which he later
| said he had inflicted upon himself for biun
Eherhard was found partly dazed in front OF the
| home of II. B. Larue. at Totowa, and at once ao-
nfitted his identity. He told Prosecutor>hoes'er
that gang of Italians had ambushed his aunt his
cousin and himself and, while he was penulng
over his aunt, had knocked him unconscious with
blow on the head. He told of being held prls-
oner in a cellar and of being brutay treated until
yesterday, when he made his escape.
His clothes were ragged and his face was dra"h
and pale His eyes sunken and had huntea
expression had apparently slept in the WOODS
all night and had been without food
Shaking his finger close to his face, Prosecutor
Koester accused him of the murder and SAID thae
he had detectives following him since the crime
was committed At first the prisoner sno"eo Hiuch
bravado but the prosecutors third degree meth
DDS finally broke his nerve. and he astoundeo MI.
Koester and Police Chief Dunn by saying:
IF you won't have my picture taken ana my
story printed in the newspapers I'll tell you the
truth" 49,
He then told his story, interrupted frequehnS o'
the pain from his self inflicted bullet wound.
81 shot my aunt with one shot, ne salu
killed her, sending a bullet through her heart:
am a good shot. and she dropped. n,eu
only three shots at my cousin, the ouie' 'hal
clipped her being the one that paseeu uiieus e
the rim of her hat she was TOO iai away ~
me and 1t was dark
Il took the money from my aunt ana lheh iui
r;ed IN Paterson From there l came TO Ne"
York passing through Hackensack at ll;Zo satul
day night / the train the ere" Oh "iie
found nv aunt's body l went TO the saloon
where 1 left my grip. and bought a TICKET oh ..io
New York Central at 42d street for Albany tne
same night From Albany l bought uche' ~
Troy: from Troy l bought a ticket 10 Albany oh
the return. From there / went TO Blnshantoii
then to Rochester, then to Buffalo, then over 'ie
lake TO Toronto. from there to Detroit then 10
Lansing then to Adrian and then to chicago.
buying ticket at each place From Chioaso ,
came back to New York yesterday mornlhs' anu
then went to Little Falls by trolley "heh
was there 1 buried the money stole from my
aunt under tree near the Delaware AaoA' 1-i--N
& Western Railroad bridge.
II threw away my clothes. and tying my manu- u
kerchief around my leg, shot myself 1or d oio--
in the leg. 1 hid my pocketbook under cuiVer-
There s26 of my own money in it.
Eberhard taken to the place in an automobile
and he showed the officials where the money was
hidden On the way he smiled weakly at times and
remarked that he glad the strain was off his
mind. The of g. 2259 in American money and
$40 in German coin found in the worans hand
bag He said that he had not planned to Kill his
aunt but that the thought had come to MIN sud
denly and he acted upon the impulse.
MY sweetheart's face came before me, ne sald
land l knew she wanted money Here was
chance to get It, and 1 wheeled around and snot
nv aunt right through the heart. Then shot my
cousin but it was dark and l missed her CID
NOT NIT nv aunts body the tracks.
An electric searchlight- which Eberhard told the
nolice he had thrown away near the culvert, was
recovered and of the two revovers "hlcn ne
owned was found in the bed OF the Saooie hlNer
where he said ne had thrown it Five or It's chanl-
hers wen. empty Returning to Hackensack. Eber-
hard told the police that he had not eaten IN
six hours and a big meal ordered for him He
alta with evident relish. and smoked and laughed as
he chatted with the prosecutor IN MS room aIter-
ward
Iustice T. H Cumming committed Eberhard 70
isu on the complaint of Constable harry lawson
.rd he was held without bail. He explained pelore
I,.;-- +he courtroom that he had never intended
m marry his cousin Ottilie, but had not planned
- Liu her Prosecutor Koester SAID thal rs
thought Eberhard had plotted to BRING MIS- Eyer
hard and her daughter to America 10 roo thFlh-
He used the proposed marriage as oecoE' p"'
decided upon other methods when the women ar
rived -
resnits the questioning of the police and Mr
Koester Eberhard could not explain why he hao
returned so near the scene OF ms CRIME altei
he had managed to get as far as Chlcaso "l'hou'
being detected. Coroner De Mund will hold an m
o,,est into Mrs Eberhard's death at Ridgewood-
A, e+for, will be made to have special grand
trrv irnpaneled for the immediate disposal of the
case The next regular grand jury Will nor SIT
until September, and Prosecutor Koester says tnat
n will not require than four hours 10 dispose
of Eberhard's case and send him TO the eieclric
chair
Miss Eberhard the daughter of the dead woman
refused to believe that her cousin had committed
the crime until the police brought her mothers
money bag and the other articles and explained
how Eberhard had hidden them.