New-York tribune., 1913-09-15
ANNA WAS TO WE'D
ARTIST, SAYS FRIEND
Servant Tells Police Dead Girl
Named Alexander Bergen
as Her FianCe.
MADE TRIP TO EUROPE
Victims Associates Do Not Re-
member Her Having Men
toned Particular Friend
ship for Father Schmidt.


Annie Hirt a servant employed at 81.
Roniface's rectory. at Second avenue ana
East 9Th street. said last night that there
was another man besides Father schmidt
who had PLAYED an important part In the
murdered girls life. Miss, Hirt said he
was Alexander Bergen. an artist. VINO
lived somewhere i'm Ohio. Annie AumulIer
told her the day before she left the en-
pIoy of Father Braun. August 90 that she
nas TO be married the next day to Bor-
gen.
II never saw Bergen said Annie HIT
although Annie often talked about him,
and had told me she loved him. He often
visited New York, staying AT small
hotel. the name Of which I have forgot
ten. Annie was in his company on her
DAYS off whenever he was In town. /
never saw Father Schmidt. either. | came
70 work al the rectory after he left TO
go uptown.
Annie seldom mentioned the name or
the priest to me. and / cannot explain
her presence in his fiat the night she was
murdered She never said anything 10
me 10 Indicate that Father Schmidt was
Jealous of the attentions paid her bJ
Bergen
Miss Hirt. whose parents live at No. 2o'
East S5th street. was seen AT that ad-
dress last night She left the rectory late
in the afternoon to visit her parents.
after telling the detectives all she knew
OF Anna Aumuller's life and her rela-
tions with the priest and the artist.
II once saw photograph OF Bergen"
Miss Hirt stated. Gle had dark hair end
a beard and wore heavy trimmed glasses.
| was told by Anna that he was OF me-
dium height. spare. and was rather for
eign in appearance. She also told me he
was born in the same village I'm Hungary
where she was born and that she had
known him since she was little child.
Before she came TO this country two
years ago he wooed her. but understand
that at the time Anna did not pay par
ticular heed TO his suit.
In August OF last year I believe II
was. Anna went 10 Europe. While there
she met some one with whom she fell in
love. She mentioned il 10 me after she
returned To the 81. Boniface parish house
To work Whether Bergen had also re-
turned 10 Vienna, where Anna spent con-
siderable time. do not know. | believe
however, that Bergen was the man with
whom she WAS infatuated.
The day before Anna left she said to
me: L am going 10 be married to-mor-
row and go TO Ohio TO live | asked her
whom she was 10 marry, and she told mo
'Borgen.' She had sl0o saved. she said.
and she showed me handbook She
seemed bright and happy the day before
she went away--more cheerful tnan she
had been for many weeks.
Miss Hirt said also that Anna Aumuller
had a mother and sister living In vienna
and that the dead girl had occasionally
received letters from them. She had
cousin living in New York, named lgler.
with whom she lived for time after
she came 10 New York. two years ago.
According TO Miss Hirt. Anna received
occasional letters from the artist. The
police had a picture OF him. she said AZ
they had shown IL TO her and asked her
10 identify H.
Joseph Igler. Of No. 42S East 7Oth
street. the cousin of the slain girl, was
able TO give the main facts In her HE
Yesterday. She was born in Oedenburs'
Hungary. he said. and was about twenty
years old He said:
when Anna first came to New YORK
from Vienna she came 10 our house and
lived with my wife and family in l35th
street. The Bronx
After she had been with us number
OF months she had some little disagree
ment with US and went to work in the
r.ctory OF the 81. Boniface Roman Catho-
lie Church That was late In December,
1910.
"She worked in Father Braun's house
hold for a year or so then she left because
She said she could not get along with
the woman who was In charge or the
establishment during the absence OF
Father Braun's regular housekeeper.
"She had saved some money, we learned.
and later she surprised us by announcing
she was going to Europe. That was July
last year. and In August she sailed ana
did not come back until october.
when she came back she told us she
had met a man with whom she had fallen
in love. but she did not tell me his name
l 60 not rtCail ntI every SnS hio "'' N'''''
about Alexander Bergen. who l under-
stand is said to have at one time been
Annals dance. | did not know that Anna
was intimate with the priest
The Rev. DR.. John :. Braun. pastor OF
the Roman Catholic Church of St Boni-
face. IA small brownstone and brick
structure at Second avenue and East f'th
street. issued yesterday the following
statement regarding the principals In the
murder tragedy:
"Thc Rev. Hans Schmidt came from
Trenton, ~ j.. to this parish as an as
sistant priest on December 81, 1870 and
remained as such until the fall OF l9i2'
He was considered eccentric.
Anna Aumuller was recommended Tor
service I'm our parish by maid then IN
the house She came here week before
Christmas 1910, and left some time in the
summer OF 1911. She returned as maid
ON THANKSGIVING Day. 1912, and left Au-
gust 90 1918. At the time she said she
WAS about 10 be married and go to Ohio
In supplementing his statement Father
Braun said;
Father Schmidt, so far as ] know.
never had any trouble with the Catholic
Church while he was In Germany. before
] coming to this country. He never men