New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-10
Denies He Has Seen Young
Woman in Four Years, but
Admits Both His Chill
dren Disliked and
Feared Him.
VICTIM OF RELIGIOUS MANIA
Hudson River Murder May Be
Cleared Through Finding of Man
Other Clews Fail, Although
Detectives Investigate
iAany in Effort to
Solve Mystery.

Solve Mystery.
Peter II. Sterner.ann, the eccentric
nedler whose rambling incoherent let
ters to the authorities investigating
the Hudson River murder mystery were
followed by his disappearance yes
terdav morning, was arrested in the
office Of "The New York Herald early
this morning as a material witness,
pending an attempt 70 be made 10 iden-
tifv the body as that Of his daughter,
Ella Sternemann.
Sternemann. except 10 explain that
he "surmised" that the body nlght ne
that Of his daughter. stesdfastly denied
10 Assistant District Attorney Deacon
Murphy. who examined him after his
arrest. that he had seen her in the last
four years. hut he admitted having
heard" that she was in several places
recently. This information came 10
him. he said, from enemies who were
prosecuting the Sternemann family
and who were trying TO "extinguish'
his relatives"
Sternemann went to Hoboken from
his home, at No. 1l3 Globe avenue,
Jamaica. Long Island. Yesterday, in
company with a reporter for The Trih-
une.
,r, 5 ror~,, r,tiIipery ned or
was found at his home, where he had
two unfurnished rooms. early yester-
day morning by Tribun reporter.
He had come in I ! 80 o'clock in the
morning. after a long round Of business
calls in The Brony, where he sold
feathers ant millinerv trimmings to
small retailers.
Becoms Greatly hetated
When he was told the mission OF MS
visitor Sterneman1 became greatly
agitated. 1t was explained that it was
necessary for him to so 10 the morgue
in Hoboken to try TO identify the torso
Of the slain girl, and when the prospect
of the trip was realized he begged Tor
water. complaining OF fainting spells.
He was revived al th, accompanied
The Tribune repor,er 10 Meyers Hotel,
at Sd and Washington streets, Ho-
boken.
In a room Of the hotel he rehearsed
at great length and with many Narid-
tions a long, almost non-understandA-
bic account Of many troubles and per-
secutions with which he said he nal
been afflicted. In none Of his state
ments. however. would he say that no
had seen his daughter Ella since She
ran away from him four years ago.
When h had spent most Of the day
in his .ambling story he first expressed
a desire to go 10 Volks morgue, ana
then Immediately changed his mind.
The ordeal. he thought would be too
much for him without a rest He
feared his enemies" had followed him
to the Hoboken hotel and insisted that
he go 10 Newark. He was accordingly
TO a hotel in Newark.
where he finally became convinced that
the best plan for him was 10 communi-
cate with the police.
Sternemanns mother and father, both
of whom u.ed while insane, were Asa
tian Germans, and Sternemann was
born in Germany fifty-seyen years ago.
According TO his story he has been
peddling feathers and millinery TRIM
mings for thirty years.
"All my life" Sternemann said yes
terday. II have been worried by my
family troubles and by my daughters.
1t is for this reason that | think my
daughter has come TO some unfortunate
end. II she has got into bad hands il
may be that it IS better that she is
dead. 1t would he a blessing II she
were not 10 be prosecuted by the en-
emies who have fought US al"
Says Daughter Feared Him.
Sternemann said that he had not
seen his daughter since she was em-
ployed in the home OF Mrs. Emily
Schaeffer. AT 23d street and Third ave-
nue., TOUR years aso Sic i"ii away
from there. he admitted, because she
did not want to see him. and feared
him. for some reason Sternemann could
not explain.
She then went TO the home Il his
half brother Henry Sternemann. who
lives at No. 304 North Terrace. Mount
Vernon, y. Y. This brother. Sterne-
mann said, would not tell him where
lis daughter lived. and from that time.
he said he has not seen her
From other sources, usually through
his other daughter, Emma. now in the
Kings Park State Hospital for the IN
sane. Sternemann says he learned that
Ella was employed by Mrs. Whitaker
North, who then lived at Metropolitan