New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-26
GUILTY OF GIRLS DEATH
MCKenna Convicted After Jury
Is Out Hour and a Quarter.
BRONX CHILD STRANGLED
Sigrid Eckstrom's Body Found
in Tenement House Cellar
on June 6.

Joseph j. McKenna was found guilty
Yesterday before Judge Rosalsky, In Gen.
eral Sessions. Of the murder Of six-year-
old Sigrid Eckstrom. The jury was out
one hour and fifteen minutes. The de-
PENDANT, for whom the trial was evidently
a most painful ordeal, heard the verdict az
though in a daze. In monotonous voice
he answered the questions put to him by
George Spinney, clerk Of the court, He
will be sentenced next Thursday.
The case against McKenna was purely
circumstantial 1t was developed by Cap
tain Price Of the Bronx Detective Blu
reau and Detectives Buddemeyer and
O'Mara. Charles c. Mott. jr., and Theron
r. Strong were the Assistant District At
torneys prosecuting.
The body of Sigrid Eckstrom was found
on June half hidden under quilt In the
cellar of the tenement house in which she
lived at No. 1917 ogden avenue. She had
been missing only about four hours when
her body was found Finger marks on
her neck showed that she had been
strangled.
While the search for the little girl was
still in progress McKenna, who was
known through the neigborhood as Il
ne'er-do- we'll sauntered across the street
to the fire engine house. the centre Of
neighborhood gossip. There he met Peter
Bird, an ex-policeman. Bird noticed that
McKenna was pale and trembling, and
asked him what allied him. McKenna an
swered that he was all right Bird went
home ignorant of the murder.
The next morning he heard Of II and
remembered McKenna's demeanor. lie
told Captain Price of his suspicious. and
the detectives at once set to work. TO
cloak their real objective they made 1t
known that they were looking for a left
handed man. McKenna was found at the
home Of his sister In New Rochelle. He
came to the fremont police station and
made a statement, In which he denied
knowing the little girl or having any
thing to do with her death. He also said
that he had spent the night with his
brother-in-law, at No. 1913 ogden avenue.
The next day he saw In the station
house policeman who had arrested him
for vagrancy the preceding hight in
Mount Vernon. He changed his story to
include the arrest, and added that he had
had Sisrid In his arms when she fell and
became unconscious.
\ saloonkeeper in the neighborhoUd was
called as a witness. He said that Nc
Kenna ran into his saloon as the ambu-
lance clattered up and demanded a drink
of whiskey. His hand trembled, the
saloonkeeper said, when he poured out
the drink Children OF the neighborhoOd
who had seen McKenna standing near
Sigrid half an hour before the little girl
was missed and who had seen him give
her pennies were called.
Neighbors who had helped In the search
and to whom McKenna had give half
hearted assistance were also witnesses.
IL was known that the night the body
was found McKenna tried 10 borrow
money from several persons. and finally
obtaining a nickel from his sister, started
at once for New Rochelle.
McKenna swore that his first statement
was the correct one. that he hardly knew
Sigrid by sight and that he had never
touched her The second statement. he
said, was forced from him by the police,