The sun., 1909-06-18
BERSIN SUSPECT ARRESTED
ROY WITNESS SAYS HE'S THE
MAN; POLICE THINK NOT.
Joe Totaro Thinks . Painter Picked Up
In the Street Is the One Who Left the
Body with Him-Others Who Ought
to Know Fall TO Spot Him In Lineup.

IN the street Is the One Who Left the
Body with Him-Others Who Ought
to Know Fail 10 Spot Him In Lineup.
Sigrnund Goldberg. a painter who lives
at 1873 Allen street. was arrested yesterday,
because Joe Totaro, the boy with whom
the body Of Samuel Bersin was left at
Oliver and Henry streets a week ago
last night, says Goldberg Is the man who
promised him five cents to watch the two
oilcloth covered packages and didn'
come back The police think Joe Is
mistaken.
Three detectives have been walking
about the East Side with Joe Totaro on
the chance OF meeting somebody whom
the boy might identify as the stranger
of the oilcloth bundles. About $50 O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon they met Goldberg
in Alien street. Detective England asked
Joe II that was the man.
Totaro took a good look at Goldberg
besitated and then replied Yes SO
Goldberg went to headquarters. In
soector McCsforty was all smiles when
he told the reporters that he was led to
believe that Goldberg was the man
wanted. But after two hours OF question
ing the prisoner MoCaferty said: i
can't say that we have the murderer.
The boy says that Goldberg is the man
who left the body with him, and that
is all we have to on
Then they sent for Mrs. Ida Sohenker'
who has a soda water stand opposite the
house where Bersin lived and to whom
a man came inouiring for Bersin the day
before he disappeared. They also sent
for James Tobin, whose little dog ierreted
out the body and who says he saw the
man who spoke with Totaro, and for Walter
Won Hagen, a Chinatown carpenter. who
saws that he too saw the meeting.
Goldberg was taken into the detective
bureau and placed among a dozen men
or the same general type picked up oy
the police for the purpose. The three
witnesses look ed all OF them over carefully
and failed to. single out Goldberg;
been in this country about six years:
He lives with his wife in three small
rooms on the third floor OF the Allen street
house. He cannot give a detailed ac-
count Of his movements on the day that
Rersin III supposed to have been killed,
He says he thinks that on "Wednesday
and Thursday a week ago he was paint
ing in a house in Rivington street. He
referred the police to the janitor.
The police searched Goldberg's fat,
but found nothing to indicate that muir
der had been done there. In fact there
was scarcely room for such murder
and the subsequent butohery..
While McCaferty did not wish to admit
right away that a mistake had been
made it was pretty apparent that after
two hours talk with Goldberg the police
were sure such was the case. On the
strength OF the statement OF the Totaro
boy they felt compelled to detain Gold
berg over night and arraign him to-day
In the Tombs court,
Headquarters detectives went last
night to the house at 81 Rivington street,
where Goldberg said he painted last week,
and talked with the janitress,, Mrs
Schneider. The woman said that a
painter was in the house last week; she
was uncertain on just what days. The
Job was in charge OF boss painter named
Bersin or Berslng. or something like that.
she said. The similarity In the names OF
this boss painter and the dead man made
the detectives sit up until she added that
Bcrsing or Bresing was at the house on
Wednesday OF this week TO inspect the
work. She could give no description OF
the man who had done the painting