Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-10
MURDER CLUE IN
HERMIT'S DEATH
LEADS TO ARREST
Authorities at First Believed
Alexander Brown Died from
Pneumonia.
DETECTIVES OVERHEAR
STORY OF SALOON FIGHT
Robert Lutz Charged With Kill
ing, After Friend Is Given
Third Degree.

A chance remark overheard by
Third precinct detectives led to a
charge of murder being made today
in a case the police had previously
decided was not one of foul play
The prisoner, Robert Lutz, thirty
two years old. of 159 Seymour avenue,
was arraigned in the Third Precinct
, Police Court on charge of murder.
He is accused by Captain Peter j.
Christie with having cansed the death
of Alexander Brown in a Malvern
street saloon. Brown was knocked
down stairs and fatally injured Sat
urday night.
The police investigated the case and
came to the conclusion that Brown
had accidentally fallen down stairs.
So far as they were concerned the
case was ended.
Plainclothesmen Chenowith and
Connell were passing a street corner
last night, when they heard one man
say to another:
"Kastner says we may all get
pinched in connection with the muir
der"
The detectives found out that the
man referred to William Kastner.
who was taken into custody and put
resulted in the arrest of Lutz.
Alexander Brown died in the City
Hospital Tuesday night from what
was believed to be pneumonia. An
autopsy revealed a concealed fracture
! of the skull. An investigation made
| by the police on orders from County
Physician Mckenzie resulted in the
opinion that there had been no foul
play.
Found In Hallway.
| Brown was taken to the hospital
from a hallway in the rear of the sa-
loon of Israel Berman, at Malvern and
Van Buren, streets, Sunday morning,
after lying in the hallway all night
Berman told the police that Brown
had often been allowed to sleep in the
hall, and that no suspicion that he
was seriously i'll had been entertained
until morning. The police were salts;
| fed that Brown had received his In
! jury from an accident
Plainclothesmen Chenowith and
| Connell, of the Third precinct, opened
! the investigations afresh last night
after overhearing chance remark
about a fight in the Bernlan saloon
Saturday night. They arrested VIII.
lam Kastner, % years old, of 154 De
iancey street, who broke down under
/
fight between Robert Lutz and the
dead man in the Berman saloon. He
confessed that he kept silent to shield
Lutz from blame.
/ According to Kastner's story to the
detectives and Lieutenant Fohs, OF
headquarters, Brown entered the sa.
loon in an intoxicated condition, and
| insisted that Lutz take drink with
him. The proprietor's son, Irving Ber-
man, who was tending bar. pushed
/ Brown out of a side door. Brown in
sisted on entering, Kastner said, while
young Berman again pushed him out
of the doorway.
Lutz, who was also intoxicated, the
informant stated, reached over Ber-
mans shoulder and struck Brown a
blow on the head. Brown fell down
a short flight of stairs and struck his
head on a watering trough. KastneI
affirmed that after lying in the gutter
for ten minutes Brown was carried
into the hall by Berman and Lut2
and left there until the next morning
when Berman became alarmed over
his condition and summoned an am
bulance from the City Hospital
Young Berman confirmed Kastner's
story. Lutz was imm ediately put un-
der arrest. When arraigned in couri
| today the two were paroled as wit
nesses. Lutz refused to make state
ment.
Brown was sixty-two years old, and
for many years lived the life of her
nit on the meadows. A brother
Charles Brown. living in Wheeler
Point road, is the only known relative
of the dead man.