Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-11-29
MRS. WILHELM TO
BEGIN FIGHT FOR
LIFE TOMORROW
Widow of Victim in Battling
Mystery to Face Murder
Charge.

When Mrs. . Mary j. Wilhelm is
brought to trial tomorrow, charged
with the murder of her husband, Frank
Wilhelm, she will be defended by Sam
uel Kalisch and Edward S. Black. Mr.
Kalisch and Eugene Dotto' will look
after the interests of Nicholas S. Sica-
h was indicted with Mrs. Wilhelm,
and who will be brought to trial at a
later date: No trial date has been set
for Sica, as the lawyers are awaiting
| the outcome of the woman's trial. 1t
| is understood that if the woman is
freed by a jury Sica will not be prose-
cuted.
The murder of Frank Wilhelm in the
basement of his home at 44S High
street on the evening of February l
last ushered in n of the most battling
mysteries the police of this city have
ever had to ace Wilhelm, who was q
contractor, was found lying in a rear
hallway near a rear basement door
about 3 o'clock on the night of Febru-
airy l, with a bullet through his head.
His wife found the body and gave the
alarm. The police We're summoned and
We're told by Mrs. Wilhelm hat she
had been visiting friends during the
learly part of the evening.
She said she had found her husbands
body upon her return inc declared h
believed he had been killed by a dis
gruntled Italian laborer in his employ,
who had threatened Wilhelm because
he was unpaid.
Sergeants Tuite and Horter, of the
detective bureau, who had the case
from the first, unearthed evidence the
day following the murder which placed
it in an entirely new light. They found
on papers in Wi1helm's desk thai the
murdered contractor had at one time
contemplated bringing a suit for di-
vorce through Attorney Edward S..
Black and from the attorney learned
that the name of the correspondent
who was to be mentioned was Nicholas
s. Sica, a real estate agent. Sica and
Mrs. Wilhelm were arrested.
Sica told a circumstantial story about
his movements on the day of the muir
der, which could not b. c~ontroverted at
the time, since the facts were given
publicity before detectives got to work
on it. Mrs. Wilhelm at first denied that
her relations with Sica were other thar
proper, but when confronted with Sica's
~ 9tOAJ oiAN OhO W. SLttd
that she met him regularly and had
been with him the night before the
murder. A few days later a witness
was found who identified Sica as the
man she had seen leaving the front
basement door Of the Wilhelm house
early in the evening of February /.
This door was found open.
The, new witness, a nurse girl in the
employ of a physician next door,, in
sisted she could not be mistaken in her
Identification, as she had known Sica.
when he was a boarder in the Wilhelm
house, a few months before.
A third sensation developed on the
day of Wilhelm's funeral, when a
woman from New York who declared
she was the real Mrs. Wilhelm APP
peared and identified the, murdered
man as her husband. Mrs. Mary Will
helm admitted She knew her husband
had been married before, but said she
thought he had been divorced. Mrs.
Wilhelm attempted the collection of a
life insurance policy of $1,000, but was
frustrated. Later, representatives of
the two women arranged matters SO
that the insurance money and the
estate. which was small, was divided
between them.
Almost thirty witnesses have-been
subpoenaed for the State. 1t is said
the presentation Of the States case will
take three days, and it is believed the
defense will need at least two days.