New-York tribune., 1912-06-11
bride ADVERSE WITNESS
Mrs. MuehIfeIdt TeStifieS Against
Gang Man for Murder.
LINGLEYS opal" ON TRIAL
Wife Says "The Kid" Got Mes
sage from Big Bill to Beat
It Out of Town

Ii was a trying ordeal that Frank w.
Muehlfeldt, known TO the Car Barn gang
as THE KID" had to face yesterday In his
trial in Judge Malone's part Of General
Sessions for the murder Of Patrick Burns
| in his saloon, at No. $50 Forest avenue, The
| Bronx. The whole of the case against him
was put in yesterday by Frank Moss and
John NJ. Minton. jr.. the assistant district
attorneys prosecuting him. His wife, Ida
May Muehlfedt, who is just Franks age
and to whom he has been married only
eight months, was a witness against him.
another was a third cousin, Mrs Ada May
Ordmann: another was Albert Philbn. a
member of the Car Barn gang. now under
arrest for robbery, with whom The Kid
had been familiar since losing his job with
a Stock Exchange firm.
| Muehlfeldt. although he IS twenty-one
years old, might pass for youth four or
five years younger 1t is said that he ANA
Big BIZ Lingey undertook the venture
| at Burnss saloon 70 prove their merit 10
The Mob" a sub-organlzaton Of the Car
Barn gang, Of which they had both been
| members and from which they had both
been expelled.
Big Bill" Muehlfedts cousin was con
victed of murder last week
Muehlfeldt showed little emotion ycster-
day When his young wife. decked out III
a hat brave with roses. with feather boa
floating behind her and bright cherry
bow at her throat. walked briskly to the
| witness chair something seemed 10 choke
| The Kid" for a moment. His mouth
twitched and he winked rapidly In mo-
| ment however, his lips had pursed them
selves into the silent whistle which rs ha %
bitual with him and he leaned back TO hear
what his bride had to say about him.
The young woman testified that her hus-
band was not at home at all the night
Burns was shot The next day. she said.
he read aloud from an evening newspaper
an account of the murder He came home
about o'clock in the morning the DAY
Burns was shot. his wife said. and had a
big cash in his scalp. lie told her that lie
! had received Il in a saloon In Second
| avenue.
+, Mr. Muehlfeldt STAYED close in the house
for nearly two weeks after the shooting
she said. Then one day his mother came
up and told him that Lngley had told her
that the police had identified Lingley with
the shooting and that Mr.. Muehlfeldt had
better beat It out Of town or he would
get the electric chair. Then he borrowed
some money from me and left"
She said that Muehlfeldt attended church
J regularly and was a religious worker.
| Detective Frank Casassa. who sent
TO Vineland n. j.. with Detective Mckenna
| by Captain Price 10 arrest Muehlfeldt told
O.. waking the young man after midnight
to arrest him. Muehlfeldt vas cool. and
when he was told that he was arrested
for the murder OF Patrick Burns he asked
to sec the warrant When that had been
read TO him he said. We'll. | get time
10 dress, don't l. Just get me some un-
derclothes out of that drawer
| While Casassa was getting the clothes
McKenna was going through Muehlteldt s
rockets Suddenly the cool young man
grabbed n letter that McKenna had found.
His act was so sudden that before either
detective could stop him the letter was TN
his mouth and he was chewing OH II. He
was forced 10 disgorge and the fragments
were pieced together. II was a letter from
his wife, filed with endearing terms and
telling him how much she missed him.
She advised him not to write. lest his hid
ing place be betrayed.
| MTS. OTulUtllii, Nih'lii'lbA = 'llih ''".ii'''
| testified that Lingley had sent her Z"
Muehlfeldt with message 10 make his
escape as "the game was up" Albert
Philbin, "A crony Of Muehlfedt In the
Car Barn gang. testified that "The Kid"
had at first tried to get him 10 join them
| I'm the robbery and had later told him that
they had had to d" 'croak' the guy In the
| saloon"
| Assemblyman Aaron j. Levy. counsel for
Muehlfeldt will outline his case 10 the jury
this morning. and hopes to finish this af-
|