New-York tribune., 1910-01-21
THUG SHOT JEW ELER
CAUGHT, TOOK POISON
SraUosced Cwbolic Acid as
Police Cornered Him.

After shooting Frederick Boettcher in hts
sewelrv store. No. IS Myrtle avenue. Brook
iyn, yesterday afternoon. a man as yet un-
identifed was cornered in the street by
several patromen and an excited crowd
OF citizens. and swallowed carholic acid
He died shortly afterward in State street
Police Headquarters. Before being taken
10 the Brooklyn Hospital. where his condi-
ton is said 10 be serious. Mr.. Boettcher
Identified his assailant, who evidently had
intended TO rob him.
The stranger entered the iewelry store
about o'clock, when Myrtle avenue was
crowded with people. He had called several
times 10 inspect rings. and Mr.. Boettcher
knew him. Mrs. Boettcher a few minutes
before had gone upstairs. where the fam
ily lived. The man asked the teweller to
show him a $50 diamond ring. and said he
would take it, but he wanted it altered in
several details Mr.. Boettcher consented
20 make the alterations, and led the
stranger TO his workroom in the rear of
the store.
Mr Boettcher was bending over work
table, when the man hit him over the head
with a sandhae AS the jeweller fell the
man shot him behind the left ear.
Hearing the shot Mrs Boettcher ran
downstairs and into the store screaming
The stranger fired several ether shots, but
whether az the wounded man or at Mrs
Boettcher is not known She fed TO the
tstreet. her screams attracting a crowd.
The intruder threw aside the pistol and
dashed through the crowd at the door of
the store He ran down Jay street and
thence TO Tillary, shouting crowd in his
wake Patrolmen Malahen and Haggerdon
soined in the chase. and at Tillary street
captured their man. The patrolmen had
some difficulty in restraining the crowd
from attacking the stranger. but succeeded
IN getting him as far as the Adams street
station. a few blocks away. There Bor-
ough Inspector Holohan ordered them TO
take their prisoner 70 State Street Head
quarters in q patrol wagon. In the wagon
the prisoner became i'll. and the officers
with him srnelled the odor OF carbolic acid.
Then they remembered that he had swal-
lowed something while running away from
them. apparently a capsule containing the
poison.
At Headquarters the prisoner had TO be
helped out Of the wagon. He was taken
before Lieutenant Duane, in the Detective
Bureau, but was unable TO walk He sank
70 the floor, and the patrolmen carried him
into the sitting room There he died be
fore the arrival Of Dr. I.oehr. of the Cum
berland Street Hospital. He had not ut
tered a word after his capture
The dead man apparently was about
thirty-three years old His face had q
1 growth of brown stubhle. His clothes were
gray. shabby and of cheap material. His
hands showed signs Of manual labor. In
his pockets were found pair Of kid
gloves. few soiled handkerchiefs. &, cheap
gold filed watch, a briarwood pipe, a few
cigarettes a tie clasp Of sterling silver,
gold banded, and with the initials "V. W.
""
On their way with the prisoner TO the
Adams street station the patroln1en took
the prisoner into the iewelrv store. where
Mr.. Boettcher, who was under the minis
rrstions of his wife and Dr.. Isquith Of the
Brooklyn Hospital, identified him
The dead man was photographed. his fn-
ger prints were taken. and he vas meas
ured by the Bertillon system so that the
police may be aided in tracing a possible
criminal record.