Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-27
WIFE AGAINST SLAYER
Testimony Corroborates Geb-
hardt's Confession.
SHOWED HER HIS PISTOL
Says He Brought Anna Luther's
Trunks to Their Home.
DENIES OTHER MARRIAGES
Woman Believes He Is Man Who
Welded Her in Russia Four
teen Years Ago.
DENIES OTHER MARRIAGES

NEW YORK, October 27.-AnsWering
every question that was put to him, but
never once raising his eyes to the crowd
ed courtroom around him. where sat also
his wife and two little children, Frederick
Gebhardt, alias Otto Mueller, yesterday
afternoon repeated in detail at the coro-
ner's inquest in the town hall at Islip,
l.. l.. his confession of the day before
of how he had bigamously married Anna
Luther and lured her to her death in the
Islip woods April 8. 1905.
He replied to every question clearly,
though with a low voice and troubled
brow, as If he were eager to have the
ordeal over with.
Immediately after the adjournment of
the inquest however, when Gebhardt for
the first time spoke to his wife and chill
dren in the Jail he fell on his knees and
wept before his eldest child, the two
year-old girl for whose sake. he said, he
had determined to kill Anna, Luther. The
child did not recognize him. owing to his
changed appearance. and began'to cry.
Then he rose and begged his wife to
give up the 500 that alone remained for
the support of herself and children, and
to give the money to lawyer to defend
him.
Denies Other Marriages.
Both at the inquest and afterward the
prisoner stoutly denied any other mar
riages than those to his wife and Anna
Luther, although quite a number of
claimants to that title had made inquiries
about him. and one thought she could
recognize him at the inquest.
Mrs. Gebhardt was the first witness
called by District Attorney George ii.
Furman to testify against her husband.
To TSlfn with her uncin
Fred Meineke of Rockville Center, and
her two little children.
While she testified in a nervous. fright
ened voice about her first meeting Geb-
hardt through matrimonial agency five
years ago, her subsequent troubled mar
red life with him and his "detective' trip
to Germany at the time of his honey
moon with Anna Luther, her year-oid
baby crowed merrily in her lap. gleefully
patted the table with both hands and
smiled archly at the spectators that
crowded the courtroom
Luther Woman's Effects.
The witness stated how her husband had
opened the trunks of the dead woman.
which he pretended to have bought at
Hamburg. and burned all the letters of
the Luther woman he found in them. She
said he brought home a revolver from
Europe and showed her that one bullet
had been fired Ito test it,
She saw the revolver. or one like 1t,
in his drawer as recently as six months
ago. although in his confession Gebhardt
said he threw away the weapon on the
day of the murder.
She said, too, that Gebhardt had not
been away from home single night
after his trip to Europe, although he
stated that he spent the night before
the murder at Jamaica with Anna Lu-
Their. When the newspapers began to
print reports of the Islip murder, she
said, he took them to the factory before
she could read them
Wife Refused Him Money.
Mrs Gebhardt's uncle. Frederick
Meineke testified that Gebhardt called to
see him at the home of his sister, Mrs.
Mary Wolf. a Reid avenue last Sun
day, to borrow SO. saying that he could
no longer live with his wife because of
her obstinacy in refusing TO turn over
her real estate to him.
He had shaved off his mustache,
and seemed cold. wet and hungry" he
added. Il asked him why he did not
take the money from his account in the
bank instead of applying to u.s. and he
leave the children without support. At
our urging he decided to return and think
the matter over day.
Henry Werpupp and his wife. at whose
home i'm Newark Anna Luther married
Mueller identified Gebhardt Otto
Mueller and repeated their formal testi-
mony as to the brief courtship. the dis
appearance and the taking away of the
woman's trunks. Mrs. Werpupp was
positive In her identification of Geb-
hardt and of the articles found on the
body as Anna Iluthers.
Gebhardt Repeats Confession.
While the two little children were play |
ing with a large sheet Of paper behind |
the coroner's chair, Gebhardt was sworn. |
raising his right hand. but never his eyes.