New-York tribune., 1909-06-12
KNOW MURDER VICTIM
Police HALTED THERE.
Fer CIe5cS to 1SSaildnt - Head
Found Under Brooklyn Bridge.

=. 5isrpernbered body has furnished the police
'-otber murder mystery with many battling feat
O.. -1e work Of forty of the best detectives on
- force was effective yesterday AS for deter
.irr 7ozitively the motive Tor the crime, the
=. where i was done the person or persons
- might have done Il, the police last night had
-a7rartIv not made the headway they had hoped
- There was story that the police look
- for a man with whom the victim planning
:. % mo business They denied IL. however.
r. murdered man. whose torso and limbs were
.,r5 in separate packages in Oliver street, near
Ilsn-v street, Thursday night and whose head
rs found under the Brooklyn Bridge between
zose and Vandewater streets yesterday morning.
,as Samuel Bersn. twenty-five years old. He
was an interior decorator and had lived with the
.an7iv of Morris Kornboom at No, 221 East sSth
street for ten months.
Friends Of the young man. who came from
Russia TWO Years ago said ne sober and in
5rs.r50us q fair performer on the violin and
io1sr Of good music. He spent many of his
,rs a. home. In spite OF this, the police they
learned that he was fond of women's society. and
f-e9uerted a number Of well known places on the
-orer East side He was fond Of jevyelry. and when
he LEFT his home for the last tjme-at O'Clock
U-s6nes6a- rnorning-fe had rings and diamonds
m his person worth between 800 and 500.
These were missing. leading the detectives 10 the
,beo-v trst possibly Bersn might have been lured
irto a house in the Cherry Hill section by woman
for the purpose OF robbery story that the police
Rad located the iewelry in a pawnshop and had
learned that Bersin had placed il there himself in
order 70 ser money go into the decorating bust
ness with friend was denied by Captain Carey, Of
the Detective Bureau. Il disproved by the
ser5ing out Of a general alarm for The jewelry,
with c detailed description
Dr. ono Schultze. physician for Coroner Shrady.
al The autopsy late yesterday afternoon discovered
exf5ences f5e-sin either partially asphyXi-
a-sd or dead from gas at the time the body
cut This would II in with the theory that Bersin
had fallen asleep in some house and an attempt
had been made 70 stupefy him with gas IN order
,hst MS ievery might taken without detection
There was no evidence that he had been drinking
alcohol of any description before his death
The robber theory. into which the revelations Of
the autopsy IT perfectly. holds that 50 much gas
was used as 10 kill the man, at least 10 make
the robbers believe they had killed him. In order
70 ge, no OF the body i had been cut up and car
ried out OF the house.
The police investigation Of the story that Bersin
might have been killed by q rival for the hand
Ct Jennie SieEel. OF No Sheriff street.
fruitful. Il seems that the grl. who is eighteen
years OLD and works for the Clements Rubber Com
rany. al No ~ Broadway. had met Bersin year
and half ago. when she was living at No 2l5
East ssth street. She frequently visited Sarah
Rubin friend. who also boarded in KOrnbloom's
house
Bersin pressed his attentions her, but she
favored Hynan Olschek. her second cousin. On
one occasion when Bersin had taken her TO the
ThsIia Theatre she left him for Olschek Up 20
Easter Bersin used call her every Sunday
evening but he always played second fiddle to
Olschek- Since that time. the girl said. she had
seen him only once. weeks ago last Sunday
right Olschek is said work in a skirt factory
in West 18th street, between Fifth and Sixth ave
nues.
There had never been any quarrels between the
two men 50 far the police could learn but that
BersIn was desperately in love was indicated by
his asking fortune teller how be could win the
affection Of Miss Siegel He was told 10 bring TO
--.Eo a1Ia han and of hair
O. his lady love. Miss Siegel heard this from
Miss Rubin. and on her guard thereafter
3 Z did nor like him. she said last night I vas
afraid of him. He never had any encouragement
s-o-, me do no- know that he had 7ry enemies
Last summer she said. he used TO speak or try
ing 70 collect sE5 from old employer in Henry
street. The police did not regard this as prom
ising clew.
Bersin worked for e decorator named Balkin, IN
Lsnox avenue, near 18th street On Tuesday he
was OF & job in The Bronx. Wednesday at a m.
he left the Kornblooms, saying he had an impor-
tant engagement before going 10 work That was
the last of him alive by any Of his friends
he did not show up his Job. What his move
nents were between 3 q. and the evening. when
he was murdered. according 10 the condition Of
the body, are not known TO the police They are
running down every one who ever had any dealings
with him. and are operating IN Williamsburg ana
The Bronx. well as On the East Side.
Detectives using a dragnet in that section
within half mile Of where the body was found.
as they are convinced no would attempt 10
caTry such bundles any great distance
As told in yesterdays Tribune the torso vas
found IN package and the limbs in another
both wrapped first in manila paper and then in
black ollcloth, on Thursday night.
The head was found by John Kerns, a longshore-
man. who had been sleeping under the Brooklyn |
Bridge. Il Was wrapped Up but over il lay |
several sheets OF paper Of the kind in which
lie packages II the night before were epcaseo- |
After kerns had reported his discovery 70 the Oak
street station he and two companions were de- |
taired witnesses. Assistant District Attorney !
Ward, Tho examined them. reached the conclu- |
sion that they knew nothing about the crime
So regular vas Bersin in his habits that when |
he did not come home on Wednesday night Mrs.
kornbloom inquired If had been to the home Of |
his sister, Mrs. Molie Issacson. who lives al No
~ East -0lsr street. Finding he had not been |
there. she reported his disappearance Thursday
noon 10 the Fast 1e4th street police station Mrs
lsaacson and her brother. Solomon Bersin. who |
yesterday.
Captain Carsy. OF the homicide bureau at Police |
Headquarters. who IS in charge Of the case. &C |
knowledged last night that his men had not re |
ported anything which offer ed early solution of
tne mystery. Several OF the detectives are trying
ie find where the oilcoth came from in which the |
Il was known as Trenton drill and was made only |
n that New Jersey city. It vas such as is used |
largely By upholsterers The police paving no |
attention 10 he words BLACK Hand" which were |
inscribed in red and blue chalk on one Of the |
bundles. They look on that as an attempt to set |
tntn a false scent