New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-05
.CLEW To W0MAN'S DEATH
Police Find Motive for Ki||inq of
Wife of Harlem Janitor.
MAN UNDER SURVEILLANCE
Finding of Reversible" Button
in Victims Apartment May
Cause His Arrest.

The investigation by the police yester-
day Of the murder Of Mrs. Stephen Mol
mar. the young woman who was found
dead in her apartment. AT No. J2S West
123d street on Wednesday evening by
her husband. brought out facts that not
only established motive for the crime.
but pointed so strongly 70 one man that
the police felt justified In placing him
under surveillance The detectives in
charge Of the work said II was. in their
opinion. an inside job and that one OF
the janitors in the row Of buildings back
ing on the same yard as the house in
which the murder occurred would he ar
rested. charged with the crime
The autopsy performed by Coroner's
Physician Leblanc ests blished the fact
that the woman had been criminally as
saulted before she was killed. The fact
that she was killed convinced the police
that no stranger had committed the deed,
fful SUIil' on" klONI 10 DUN the TlLT
dered woman and her husband. and that
he had killed her in order that his iden-
tity might not become known TO her nus
band.
Among the objects found on the floor
rear the womans body were several side
combs and a small button. The combs
were recognized positively by neighbors
as being ONES worn by Mrs. Molnar. The
button. however. had pecularities that
made the police believe il would finally
lead them TO a solution Of the mystery.
II is what IL known as reversible but
ton" being the kind used by uniformed
men. such as streetcar conductors, 10 re-
place their brass buttons when off duty.
II is Of dark bone. and had been fastened
10 the garment by means Of a brass
staple. which passed through hole in
the cloth and spread out on the inside.
The staple was still in the button. as
though II had been torn out forcibly, ap-
parently from a vest.
The police also give great weight 10
the description OF the man tina! Mrs.
Nettie McCabe. Who lives on the floor
Immediately above the basement rooms
occupied by the murdered woman and
her husband. saw skulking in the back
Yard. She said she was looking out OF
her back window when she saw the form
of man in the YARD He was heavy
set man. she said. who seemed 10 be
stooring as il to pass unnoticed. He
had mass Of thick dark hair that hung
down over his face, and he wore no coat
or hat
When Mrs. McCabe saw him passing
she stepped 70 another window 10 watch
him. but he had disappeared The only
way he could have gone out Of sight 50
soon was by going down through the
basement door into the cellar The de-
scription given by Mrs. McCabe Of the
man was an exact description Of the APP
pearsnce of janitor Of one Of the other
houses backing on the yart.
This yard runs through the centre Of
the block with no fences. and il would
he an easy matter for man 20 pass from
one house 20 the other. with chances in
his favor ~ not being observed Mrs.
McCabo seemed - have been the only
rerson AT ono Of the rear windows at the
time who saw him.
ono ~ the detectives who are assist
ing Lieutenant Delaney on the case was
made up 70 look like this janitor whom
the police suspect. and when he went
crouchng past the window. Mrs McCahe
said he looked Just like the man she had
seen on the day of the murder. The
man when questioned by the police said
that he had been in his room all the
afternoon on the day Of the crime. He
gave conflicting stories Of different de-
tectives who talked 70 him separately as
to his actions during the day.
He was not allowed 10 suspect that he
was held under suspicion. but the police
say if they can find that he vas ever a
conductor or ever had in his possession
clothing fitted with reversible buttons.
such a. that found by the side Of the
dead woman. they will arrest him imme-