New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-17
ACCUSED MAN C0[LAPSES
German Charged with Girls
Murder Breaks Down.
UNNERVED BY FAKE CRIME
In a Woods His Companion Pre-.
tends to Kill a Man, and Gets
Heidemann to Confess.

| Asbury Park n J.. March l6.-Frank T..
Heidemann. the young German arrested yes
! terday for the murder OF Marie Smith, a
school Girl. is n physical wreck. II had been
Planned 10 have him repeat his confession In
the presence Of County Prosecutor Apple.
gate to-day. but the prisoners condition Is
such that II was decided to delay the ordeal.
| IT is likely that Beidemann will he put on
| trial for his life within fortnight or i'm
mediately after the Monmouth County grand
| jury considers the case. The sole purpose
Of tho plan To wiring second confession
! from him Is TO enable the prosecutor 10 veri-
/ ~ the chain Of circumstantial evidence.
i fake murder was enacted on Febru-
airy IS by Heidemanns New York room
mate. a detective in the employ Of the Burns
Agency. in order to preciptate the confess
sion which was made In a room in an At
lantic city hotel early Yesterday.
! Accompanied by IIeidemanr. trip To
| Yopkers was made and ride through the
suburbs Of that city taken Both men were
armed. In a lonely woods man. another
detective stopped them. and a make believe
alteration followed. Heidemann's compan-
ion whipped out revolver and shot at the
/ 0
apparently dead. The detective seized
! Hedemann by the arm and dragged him
away
| The latters nerve was broken and he be-
gan To feel the need Of discussing his own
affairs with some one he felt to he sympa-
thetic From New York city IIeidemann
ard the sIeuth journeyei about tho country.
and finally landed in Atlantic City. He was
taken to a clairvoyant who had been posted
! by the detectives. The fortune teller re-
| vived the Asbury Park crime in all its hOr-
ror on ITeidemanns palm she traced a
| path through the woods leading TO the spot
y mere The schoolgirls body was found.
| When she told FIeidemann that she read in
| his hand lines that he was murderer. he
collapsed and was taken 20 his room in the
! hotel nervous wreck The scene had been
set before tho suspected man entered the
room In bedchamber adjoining. and
separated from his own by a partition so
thin that n voice in ordinary converse tional
tone would carry through il. a stenograph
er waited with pencil and notebook
Then the detective played his trump card.
He threatened 10 abandon Heidemann, on
the ground that he. a hunted man, feared
inc temptation tDdl must come 10 MS COM
panion 10 deliver him over 70 the police.
Again the ruSe worked. for Heidemann told
in detail the whole story Of the murder OF
Marie Smith in November Apparently re-
assured. the detective proposed that they
hasten back 10 New York city. and Heide-
mann consented \ brief dispatch 10 the
Monmouth CoJnty officials left Atlantic
city that night. and Yesterday afternoon
Detective Minaugh. Of Prosecutor Apple
gates force FASTENED TO Farmingdale and
boarded the train in which ITeidemann sat
at ease and unsuspicious beside his detec-
tive companion of four months Ills arrest
followed.
As Minaugh placed the German under
arrest Heidenann's companion. still posing
as friend, jumped up and mixed up
actions since he was first suspected Of the
crime. nearly four months ago. have been
under observation by the detectives.
The ''chum' who was with him when he
was arrested yesterday had been with him,
roomed with him. slept with him. almost
tine entire time since he left Asbury Park
ana went TO New York. early i'm January.
Together they had been To Yonkers. 10
Philadelphia and TO Atlantic city. Heide-
MAINS confession. the "details of which the
officials decline 10 make public. implcates
no one but himself. He Is a morphine iiend
and degenerate and character in New
Nork's under world.