New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-04
FIND JAN|TOR'S WIFE
SLAIN IN BASEMENT
Harlem Police Hear Suspicious
Looking Foreigner Had Been
SkuIking About Place.
/ NO EVIDENCE OF A STRUGGLE
Both Coroner and Detectives
Puzzled-Kitchen Knife Was
Used by Assailant to
Slay Woman.

Inc police or the West 10th street sta
ticn we're confronted With harline
murder mystery last night when they
found the body Of Mrs Anna Muhlner,
wife Of the tanitor Of the building az No.
52s West 123d street. lying In the base
ment ~ the building. her throat cut on
, the right eide and her hair falling down
over her shoulders. A pool OF CONCEALED
blood under the woman's head seemed
70 prove that she had been dead sew
eral hours before her body was discov-
cred
An exhaustive search Of the premises
by the police disclosed a kitchen knife
about six inches in length covered with
blood wing IN an open pantry drawer.
but beyond this there was nothing 70
show how the murder had been commit
ted
There had apparently been no strug-
gle before the woman was struck down,
and II was evident that she must have
been attacked from behind while she was
preparing the evening meal for her hus-
bard
Detectives who reached the house
within a few minutes after the finding
f tho BODY were rewarded only by the
finding OF a small button such as might
have been worn on mans waistcoat.
This slender clew was found near the
woman's body
From tenants Of the house the
detectives learned that a man had been
seen skulking In the rear yard Of the
house some hours before Mrs. Muhlner
was found dead He appeared TO be
foreigner and was lost sight of after he
gained access TO the yard
puzzl. for Coroner Also.
one feature of the case that puzzled
the police and the coroner lay in the
fact that all the doors entering the jani-
tors fat. which is in the basement Of the
huilding. we're locked II appeared that
anvbodv who had entered the place must
have done SO at the will Of the woman
within. No signs OF a severe struggle;
no noises. such as might have been ex-
rected in the execution of such muir
der. were heard by the other tenants in
the five story apartment house. Added
10 this nobody has been found who saw
the murderer leave the place. which he
must have done by either the front or
rear entrance.
Mrs. Muhlner was a bride OF only
wear. and was a young woman ot pre-
possessing appearance. She and her hus-
band. stephen. had been acting az jani-
tors OF the building FOR the last three
months and during that time had been
highly regarded by the tenants. The
woman VAS apparently deeply attached
10 her husband. for II is said she often
spoke ~ him in affectionate terms.
stephen Muhlner is employed in a
piano factory I'm West 4oth street. and
does not get home until about ) o'clock
He was detained two hours beyond his
usual time yesterday by reason OF the
fact that he stopped on his way home
AZ No. $50 West End avenue. where he
spoke 10 his friend Louis Harra, en-
ployod in the building as fireman.
Husband Finds the Body.
After Muhlner and Harra had spent
some minutes I'm conversation they
walked 20 the janitors home. II Was
shortly before o'clock when they ar
rived az the door Muhlner knocked. but
received no answer Again he raped
sharply on the door. with a like result
While Harra waited I'm the vestibue
Muhlner opened the door 10 his home
threshold. but In a moment he hacked
out into the vestibule
Anna. she is dead murdered. there
n the floor" ne cried 20 his friend. and