New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-22
gatchen Mueller. Damaging to
Him on Stand. Brings Break
in His Stolidity.
VERDICT MAY COME TO-DAY
Lawyer for Defence Expects to
Clear His Client, He Tells
jury, by Evidence of New
Woman Witness.


court n General Sessions closed its case
.rs,rst Albert w. wolter. who is
.tsvge6 with the crime. only two an I
a, -4e davs were occupied by Frank
49, nc Assistant District Attorney. in
,,.r,i-e together the links 81 the chain
- .i-cunlstantial evidence by which he
,srects 20 send the nineteen-year-old de-
PENDANT % the electric chair.
TIC prosecution closed its case with
E-,ehor Mueller. the girl who lived with
,voto- and fed with him from the
,r.-tr,ent at No. 224 East 18th street.
81, he-e Ruth Wheeler was murdered on
,rs~oh a The story II the young
..erag~spher's death began with the
testimony given on Tuesday by her
~a-ber. Mrs. Emily wheeler A score
"a. more witnesses were relied upon by
-.- Moss in the presentation of his case.
md all told their simple stories. shock
Ing and hesrtrending as some Of them
were. directly and in straightforward
fashion.
Albert Wolter viii tell the fury to-day
that he is innocent of Ruth Wheeler's
death His lawyer. Wallace u. Scott.
orened for the defence yesterday after
noon. He asked for an adjournment
until this morning. when. he said. he
would bring forward ~ least one Wit
ness whose direct evidence he expected
would shstter the circumstantiaI story
presented by the prosecution.
The prisoner may know his fate late
this afternoon should the jury find a
verdict to-day FIVE DAYS only viii have
,lapsed since Judge Warren W. Foster
called on the first talesmsn in the open
inc ~ the trial II will mark the
svfftest disposition of a big murder case
IN this county.
Wolter Unnoved by Evidence.
WoIter. charged with = crime which
ras had few. il any. parallels i'm this
country for brutality and horror. sat un-
moved ss chapter after chapter Of the
evidence proved TO the satisfaction of
the prosecution that Ruth Wheeler had
gone into mis- apartment. that he had
vritton her name on q memorandum
book and that her body had been found
~ the fire escape Of an adjoining apart
ment two days after she had been
chosed and burned in his rooms.
He seemed 20 bow under the weight IF
the evidence against him only once.
That was Yesterday afternoon. when
Kstchen Mueller. worn out and dilapi-
dated. entered the courtroom. She had
been a prisoner in the House Of Deten-
tion since the day after Ruth wheeler's
BODY was found. She had withstood the
g~uelling denominations by the po-
lice the Coroner and the prosecutors.
hut her evidence yesterday seemed TO
crush out the last spark of hope in
Wolrer's mind
The giri. anxious To testify, but igno-
rant ~ the prosecutions plan to use her
g. rHuch the proof 81 Ruth Wheeler's
connection with Wolter. entered the
courtroom shortly after 1.5o O'Clock.
She stepped 10 the witness stand. too
frightened 20 recognize Wolter among
Jhose who crowded the inside Of the bar.
Have no fear; no one viii hurt you
now" Judge Foster said 20 her as he
rotod the terror which struck the girl
when her eyes met Wolter's.
Please speak little louder" prompted
5ho judge when her words were almost
insudible as she gave her pedigree TO the
court clerk
10 yc1 remember Thursday. March
= asked A1r Moss
Yes" replied Katchen Mueller. and
'hen she told how she spen; that day in
ilt bakery where she was employed. and
returned home 20 find Wolter. brush in
hand. painting the fireplace She identi-
fed as the brush and the pot Of paint
No'ier had used those which Jennie
Fischer. salosgiri I'm and 10 cent
STORE had sold him that afternoon. Jen-
hie Fischer had Identified them, too.
Used Last Pennies for Paint.
Wolter used the last pennies Katchen
Mueller had given him when he bought
the paint ana brush 10 try 10 obliterate
The stains. which experts said were those
q human blood. on the panel Of the
t-cplace.
told him ue were short ~ money
Fha be- should not have done il. and he
said that b. was onls 10 cents and that
h' might as well fix ND the place" said
lhe Hitress Then she added that the
slender means on which she and Woiter
i-1 .'.'6 ip the three weeks before Ruth
-'e'cr Nes killed were furnisrea by
-.
sna .rld heo Pearl Wheeler searched
- apartment thst night ard how VOL
'-f DENIED that Ruth had a=Fwered any
~ fl'e postcards e'hich h. mailed the
cary ierore
- go trs: night she heard a noise
nes ,3e GreDlaoe screen. which had
t-llra oo2r.
Ho" IcDg uss he fixing it?" asked
N- Hsss
1lr'o or for minutes" Wac tae am
tner
Voter .roI~1 Pc had recovered from
,'e terror that hod shaken hirr when the
81 took she s,a-d
kstchcn Muciier saic she took Ruth
Nhselers urlbrellz from "a closet in
h"i'ei's apartment and osrried " 10 30
,"'ms a East iH5tn street. where she
'hd HOlter rae Planned 20 make p frcsi
siaat under the name of Md@iier.
fr Moss then selected p bicod stai ined
fairt from ne trunk of exhibits. Nhict
hal 5een taken from wolter's roon,s. a.
'ording 80 the evidence givea b. tht
pnIfso