New-York tribune., 1911-12-07

erts. the elevator boy. early i'm the dav
but he maintained his innocence While
searching Roberts's home, at No. 26
West 99th street, Detective Wood found
a gold watch which a man named
Schumacher told the detective he had
bought from Nogel a few days before
house.
The Criminal Leaves Traces.
An examination of the basement and
elevator of the Canal street building
showed plainly the trail Of the criminal
and his work. When the police We're
called in by Schapps early Yesterday
morning Nogels body was lying on the
floor beside the furnace, and a trail Of
dried blood led from the elevator TO the
furnace door and then around to one
side Of the furnace. where the body was
found The skull was crushed i'm at the
back as if from the blow of some blunt
instrument md the ambulance surgeon
who was summoned said Vogel had been
dead more than ten hours.
\ trail showing the body had been
dragged across the floor to the furnace
door led the detectives TO believe that
the murderer had meant 10 burn it in
The furnace. but Vogel had been a stout.
heavy man and the small door Of the
furnace prevented any such disposition
OF his body.
In a nearby coal bin the police found
the gold watch which Vogel had car
ried according to Mrs. Vogels state
ment afterward. but the only thing
found actually on his person was bill
from J. Schmuckler. a jeweller on the
ground floor OF the Canal street building,
from whom il appeared later. Nogel had
bought about $500 worth of watches.
stones and rings on Tuesday afternoon.
detective John NJ. Hayes. who answered
the call sent in by Schapps when he dis
covered the body. was in the basement
with the superintendent when Roberts,
the elevator boy. appeared for his daily
work. HAYES talked to Roberts little
and then allowed him 10 start changing
his clothes to go 10 work. The detective
won. upstairs 10 the first floor and then
called Roberts up and put him under ar
rest He was taken TO the Eldrdge
street station. and when searched. the
police said. they found I'm one pocket a
silver fligree fountain pen which had
been the property of the dead man.
Roberts insisted that he had picked up
the pen on the floor Of the basement
after coming to work yesterday morn
ing.
Tho search also disclosed. the police
said. ring set with twin diamonds Of
small size. worth altogether about $50.
Roberts explained that he had bought
that ring for 50 in "A pawnshop.
Roberts Has Police Record.
Contradictions of everything Roberts
said popped up all through the day. and
the police added chapter from other
ovpericnces the elevator boy had with
Them which satisfied them that they had
enorgh To warrant charging him with
Nogel murder
He was arrested. the police said, after
the robbery Of j. Steinhardt, a jeweller.
of No 80 Broadway. His safe was
orapcd and robbed Of about $500 last
April. Some two hundred employees in
tho establishment the police said, con
scented 10 have impressions of their
finger prints taken. and Roberts, who
was = portcr there at the time. was the
only one who balked at the new police
scheme. He finally consented, however
and his finger prints. the detectives said
u,,re the only ones which corresponded
with the prints found on the metal of an
irror money box of the ri1ed safe
Roberts WAS not convicted on that
charge. however, the police explanation
loipg that IT was one of the first cases
binping solely on the finger print identi-
dcatinu. Some ten years back, they
soid he was arrested for completely i'm
rcoro cutting scrape, hut escaped con
,.iction because of lack of evidence.
Roherts bore up yesterday without a
,.,,i,er all day. He was subjected 10
Filling at the hands Of the police. and
i,te i'm the afternoon was brought be
f,r, Coroner Feinberg. The Coroner in
,or,,od him that he did not have 10 speak
,,,tess lie wanted to. because he might
,e,. lac sed Of Nogels murder, and
r,t,o,,e calmly stated that he was will
.ao,,.d an tuiru paae