Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-12
BELIEVE MAN is
MURDERER OF
ANNA POLTERA
SUSPECT CAPTURED AT BRAW-
LEY, IMPERIAL VALLEY
ADMITS HE ATTEMPTED TO MIS-
TREAT OTHER GIRLS
confesses to Numerous Crimes and
Seems Familiar with Griffith Park
outraae-Sherlff HammeI Goes
to Inspect Prisoner

II UDWIG MARTIN WEINEMAN,
40 years old. confessed moral
AA pervert, highwayman and bur
glar, now a prisoner in the Imperial
county iail at Brawley, is believed to
be the man who first mistreated ana
then murdered Anna Poltera in Grifhth
park, May 20.
Weineman was arrested in Brawley
by posse within a few minutes after
he had made an attempt to assault
young girl and from admissions made
by him to the officers he is thought to
be the man guilty of the Poltera out
rage.
The news of the arrest of the pris-
oner, who is a German, was sent Sheriff
w. A. Hammel at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning, and a short time after dark
last night Sheriff Hammel, accompanied
by Deputy Sheriff Martin Aguirre, left
for Brawley in an automobile to in
vestigate the story of the prisoner, and,
If it is thought he is the man wanted
here for the Griffith park crime, to
bring him back to this city.
The arrest of Weineman was brought
about by his attempt to assault Miss
Jessie Bennett, the 16-year-old daugh-
ter of a hotel keeper at Brawley.
A short time after she had retired
Thursday night in a room at her
fathers hotel Miss Bennett heard a
noise under her bed and, becoming
frightened ran to the room of her moth
er to give the alarm Accompanied by
Mrs. Bennett, the young girl returned
to the room, and a man was found
hiding in the clothes closet. Mrs. Ben
nett and her daughter screamed and
the man ran from the house, disappear
ing in the darkness.
Found in Tent
TKy
Martin, town marshal of Brawley, took
up the search for the man and found
him in bed in q tent near the hotel.
The man pretended to be asleep when
the posse burst into the mans shelter.
He was fully clothed. however. with
the exception of his shoes, which, to-
gether with a hat which he admitted
was his, were found beneath the bed in
Miss Benefits room.
Questioned by the men who arrested
him. Weineman, with brazen effrontery
and seeming disregard of the conse-
quences, admitted he had entered the
room of the young girl for the purpose
of assaulting her and stated that he
had served time in prison for like Of
fenses and that he had also been in
prison for highway robbery and burg
larry.
To Constable Martin Wineman ad-
mitted that he had been in Los AM
that he had camped in the bed OF the
Los Angeles river with a number of
hoboes. He also showed great famil-
iarity with the locale of Griffith park
and vicinity and the scene of the muir
der of the Poltera child.
Shown a picture of the man sup
posed to be the murderer of the child
which was drawn from the description
given by Martin Baumeister, he ex-
claimed: THAT is my picture, but you
haven't got me yet"
Continually and without having been
accused of the murder of the little
Poltera girl he uttered vehement de-
malls that he was guilty of that crime,
but stated that hobo with whom he
camped near Griffith park was trying
to place the crime on him, and he Of
fered if given the opportunity to find
the man who had committed the crime
and turn him over to the officers.
Two-Edged Knife Found
When searched by Marshal Martin a
long, two-edged knife was found on
Weineman and he admitted he was an
expert in its use.
The first information of the arrest of
Weineman came to Sheriff Hammel in
a telegram from Marshal Martin stat
ing that he had the man under arrest
for the attempted assault ON the Ben
nett girl and that he answered the pub
supposed to have murdered little Anna
Poltera.
All day long the wires between Los
Angeles and Brawley were keut busy
with an Interchange of kilograms be-
tween the officers, and finally at
o'clock last night Sheriff Hammel re-
ceived a telegram from Marshal Mar
tin as follows:
THE man answers the printed de-
scription of the Poltera murderer per-
fectly. He served six months in San
Diego Jail three years ago for assault
Attempted to assault young school girl
here. We took sharp knife off of him.
He admits he intended a criminal as
,sault. He was arrested for criminal
assault in Yuma last November We
showed him a picture of the Poltera
girl he refused to look at it, Broke
down and refused to discuss case. After
seeing picture of suspect stated that
1t was his picture"
Later in the night and while the
sheriff was making preparations to
leave for Brawley a telegram was re-
ceived from District Attorney r. NJ
Eshelman of Imperial county stating
that Weineman had been held on a
burglary charge and that he now ad-
mitted criminal assault and had con-
fessed that he had been arrested in
Yuma for like offense.
Prisoner Much Disturbed
The telegram further stated: "Pris-
oner extremely disturbed when ques-
toned about Poltera matter and with
out any accusation being made against
him repeatedly denies any connection
Herewith. Says hobo trying to fix it
on him. Says knows and can point OUT
man who did commit the crime"
Immediately on receipt of this mes
sage Sheriff Hammel and his deputy
left for Brawley in the big automobile
of the sheriff's office. The officers ex
rect to arrive at Brawley at o'clock
this morning, and If Sheriff Hammel is
convinced that Weineman is the right
man he will be brought to Los Angeles
to answer for the awful crime.
At the Brawley Jail last night, while
the officers and a posse stood armed to
protect the prisoner from a possible
ivnching at the hands of outraged
Brawley citizens, Weineman talked free
Iv of his crimes and did not hesitate a
moment to admit anything which might
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