New-York tribune., 1910-11-30
COMPANION SHOT DEAD:
THREE MEN SURRENDER
They Say Alleged Suicide Told
Them 1t Was He Who Stole
Load of Champagne.
CHEATED BY SALOONKEEPER
Prisoners Declare Fear of Being
Arrested Doubtless Led John
N. Koerner to Kill
Himself.

Three men who say they were in the
company of John n. Koerner at the time
he was shot and killed early yesterday
morning, in front of No 81 Manhattan
street, gave themselves up to the police
last night, and told their story of how
the shooting occurred, alleging that
Koerner committed suicide
The men are Warren Roach. of No :,t9
West Both street: John Johnson, of No.
;}}:21S West 31st street. and John Sullivan,
OF No. 415 West Both street. They We're
all held on the charge of being impli-
Gated in the death of koerner.
According to the statements of the
three men. Koerner started drinking
with them in saloon al 37th street and
Ninth avenue, on Monday night. After
a few drinks they all went to another
cafe, a. 140th street and Eighth avenue,
where they allege. koerner told them he
had been swindled out {. $500.
Anxious for the details of his story,
the three men say. they asked kfrner
for more information, and they declared
he told them that he was the man who
stole wagonlcad of champagne recently
from DelmonicO's.
The men allege that koerner then said
he sold the wine through a Tenderloin
saloonkeeper, who gave him $500 for it
and promised $500 more.
Threatened Suicide Before.
Koerner then went into a bacll room Of
the saloon and showed the three men a
revolver, according to their statement.
Il am going to kill myself" Koerner is
alleged to have said
only two weeks ago" the men told
Detective Forbes. ''koerner produced a
revolver in a saloon at 37th street and
Ninth avenue and fired several shots,
saying that he wished to test it
L wrestIed with him said Sullivan,
and took the gun away, but afterWard
gave it back 10 him.
The party in the saloon ended Mon
day night" testified the men. when
Koerner said he was going to visit a
friend at No. 43 Manhattan street, and
wished to go alone. However we fol-
lowed him to the house. In the hallway
on the fifth floor he discovered that he
was being trailed by US and tried to Kill
himself right there"
Sullivan says he struggled with koer-
ner, but the man got away from him and
later his friends saw him shoot himself
in front of No. 81 Manhattan street, a
few doors away.
We did not know what to do said
Roach. johnson and Sullivan. 80 we went
on our way home. We later heard of the
charge of murder. and decided to give
ourselves up to the police"
According to the men, koerner was
out on bail for having robbed truck
of a bale of tobacco on May 4. He was
arrested. they say, on May :. and was
ba:led out by his brother, Richard koer-
ner. of No. l79 Coney Island avenue,
Brooklyn.
Detective Forbes said he had been
searching for Koerner. koerner's com
paniuns said he was in deadly fear of
being arrested again and that probably
was on his mind and prompted him to
commit suicide.
a man who gave his name as John
Dietrich. Of No. 247 West 12Sth street,
gave himself up at the Harlem branch ol
the detective bureau yesterday. He
said that early Tuesday morning he had
fired a shot at three burglars VINO had
entered his rooms. Dietrich sWore that
his bullet took effect on one Of the burg
lars and thought that the man m1gh'
have been Koerner. Although koerner
was shot and killed in this district. the
police. however did not think it neces-
. =. bold dietrich for the shooting.