New-York tribune., 1911-01-14
Mystery of Body Found Near
Albany Solved by RoChes-
ter Arrest.
WOMAN CLAIMED HER TRUNK
Widow of 20 Years, After Long
Maintaining Innocence, Breaks
Down and Tells the
Whole Story.

Edith Melber OF Schenectady, was ar
rested in the railroad station here this
afternoon and charged with the murder
Of her son George, five years old, who
was found frozen in a swamp near AL
bany last Tuesday with stains Of acid
on his lips. Less than an hour later she
had confessed to the murder.
The woman shivered when she saw
the uniform Of policeman. and, under
fire Of questions, soon broke down, and,
shaking in pitable sobs, told the whole
horrible story. She gave her child car
bolic acid to drink when he asked for
water, she admitted, and left his body
among the weeds.
Jaunty and self-pOssessed, the rretty
young woman. who says she is twenty
three years old, walked into the bag
gage room Of the New York Central
station at ; o'clock this afternoon and
| claimed her trunk, which had arrived
yesterday from Schenectady. Detectives
| recognized her at once and engaged her
! in conversation.
| She answered all their questions read
/
| police headquarters, where for more than
an hour she maintained steadfastly that
| she had given the boy to her cousin,
George Teller, who had gone 10 Chicago
to live. and that she was in Rochester
| only TO earn money enough 10 follow
them She had been unable to keep the
boy in any institution, she said. for she
could earn only s. a week, and she was
often i'll
| Repeatedly she corrected her answers,
admitting misstatements here and there.
iooncedng her identity in the end, but
| her nerve did not fail her until Detec-
tive Mcguire. speaking softly and slowly
and looking straight in her eyes, broke
through her guard with two direct ques-
tiOns.
Not all the facts bear out the confess
sion. The police believe there was a
struggle. They say that on the woman's
hand IS an acid burn; that on her coat
are fecks Of dried saliva.
When the trunk was opened II was
found 20 contain the woman's personal
effects, q mans suit OF clothing and a
/ bundle containing the dead boys clothes.
Detective John Reed, OF Albany, ar
rived here before the confession was
made. He will take Mrs. Melber 10 AL
bany tomorrow morning. Her maiden
name. he said. was Gibeau, and she
comes Of a respected family in SYRIA
cUse.
Trunk Watched All Day.
All day to-day two detectives in the
New York Central baggage room watched
the trunk which had been identified as
| Mrs. Melber's. About o'clock a young
and well dressed woman, seemingly un-
concerned, came TO the baggage office
and was recognized by the officers. from
the description sent them from Albany.
as Mrs. Melber Telling her that there
was so much confusion about the bag
gage room that she could save time by
picking out her own trunk. the detectives
led her into the baggage room, where
she identified tho trunk they had been
watching
The woman said she was Miss Ada
James. Of Fifth avenue. Troy. She. said
she had come 10 Rochester only recently
and was looking for work and staying
at the Young Women's Christian Asso-
citation. This proved 70 be correct The
detectives then told her that mistake
had been made and that she would have
10 accompany them 10 the Office. She
went with them TO a streetcar and across
the city apparently without suspicion
| bn uH
a blue uniformed policeman in the cor
ridor at Police Headquarters, when she
recoiled with a shiver.
Admits Her Name Is Melber.
| In the office OF the acting directos
Of detectives. Mr. Mcguire. and in the
| presence OF Chief OF Police Quigley and
| Inspector Zimmerman, Mrs. Melber re-
heated the story told at the station. AT
first she declared that she was not mar
ried. Then she admitted that she was a
widow. She had no children, she said
but a few minutes later she admitted
| that she had a son George, five years
cid. Questioned closely she admitted
that her right name was Edith Melber.
This was after an inspection Of her
|
handbag had revealed the name Of Mel
her on the lining. Chief Quigiey asked
what had become of her son. The
| woman hesitated and began 10 talk
| slowly. She said he was with her cousin
in Chicago, but that she expected TO see
| him soon. She had been widow about
| four and a half years, and had been do
| ing housework in Schenectady. Just
! before Christmas she had been notified
| by the Childrens Home In Schenectady.
| where her son was being kept, that she
must take him away She took him to
his uncle's home. but said that a few
! days after Christmas she Was told 70
come and get him. She tried TO get him
! hack in the home, but was told that sne
! could not do so unless the board bill was
roid. she said The assistant matron,
| she added. relented TO an extent, and
/ suppested that she would help her TO put
the boy In an Albany institution. SO. on
Friday. January q, she went 10 Albany
| nv trolley. taking her little son with her.
! sba reached Albany about 4:3O o'clock
and went 10 the institution, which is in
the suburbs. girl in the office told
her she said, that the boy could not be
taken in that day The girl telephoned
20 several officials and charity organiza-
tions but could get no authority for
| committing the child TO remain.