New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-31
WIFE SHOT DOWN;
HUSBAND,SLEUTH,
UNDER ARREST
Men in Gray Caps Killed
Her, Samuel Leitner
First Tells Police.
REVOLVER FOUND
IN HIS OFFICE
Couple Quarrelled Constantly,
Servant in Their Brooklyn
Home Asserts.

Mrs. Sarah Leitner. wife Of Samuel
Leitner, who operates the Leitner De
tective Bureau. at 50 East Eighth
Street. was shot and killed in her hus-
bands Office at O'Clock yesterday af-
ternoon.
Following a long questioning by the
police Leitner was arrested at mid
night. charged with homicide.
Mrs. Leitner was nervously pacing
up and down outside the Office, urging
her husband TO drop his work and re-
turn to their home at 1918 Forty-frst
Street. Brooklyn. as she did not like
g leave her FIVE children. aged from
nine months 70 ten years, alone with
ihe maid. when Ave shots were heard
and she fell to the floor. crying. T'm
killed"
Her husband was scarcely ten feet
away behind partition. The door
Of the partition was open. but he says
he did not see his wife, as he was
busily writing behind a high desk.
At the first shot he jumped to his
feet, and although four more shots
we're fred he was only able to tell
the police that all he saw was "two
gray-capped men rush through the
door 10 the street
Her Shirtwalst Burned.
Powder burns on Mrs. Leitners
shir,wsist. according 20 Coroner Fem
burg, show that the bullets which
killed her were hrcd within four inches
OF her body
A ladder was set up against the wall
in Leitner's Office In a chimney hole
at the top Of the ladder an Iver-John-
son revolver, with FIVE empty shells,
was found.
At the home Of Mrs. Leitner in
Brooklyn last night. Marion Sweet, the
servant girl, who said she has worked
for the Leitners for two months. said:
Mr.. and Mrs. Leitner have been
cuarreling continually since / have
been with them. For the last two
weeks he fought with her furiously
every night.
Last Thurs day he drove her out on
The street in her nightRown, and only
allowed her 10 come back into the
house at the insistence Of neighbors.
Several days ago, in the height Of an
argument, / overheard Mrs. Leitner
tell her husband: III expose your
methods TO the police!'"
According 20 Leltner's story TO Dep
uty Commissioner Scull last night, his
wife was victim of nervous disorders
and had been taking treatment at the
German Hospital three days a week.
After treatment she was in the habit
Of coming 20 his Office. so that they
could 90 home together.
She arrived az his Office at $3.50 yes
terday afternoon. From the hallway
there is railing with q gate which
leads 20 the outer Office Five feet
from the railing is the partition which
divides the room IN two. Leltner S
room faces the street. and in the rear
Of it is another room, occupied by the
\ew York Window Cleaning Company.
Urged Him to Haste.
Mrs. Leitner chatted with Miss Rose
Getter. stenogra9her for the window
cleaning company, while waiting for
her husband to finish his work Miss
Getter went home at o'clock, leaving
the Offices empty, save for Mr.. and Mrs.
Lcituer.
His wife, Leitner says, was nervous
and several times urged him TO hurry
up He was just finishing his work, he
says. when the shots were fired He
says the slayerS must have entered
through the hallway, leaned over the
railing and rmptied q revolver at his
wife Two Shots entered each breast
and one pierced her hand.
Loitncr rushed out, he says, and saw
twc men wearing gray caps disappear
down the stairway. He left his wife
and ran downstairs, but the mysterious
grsy-cappcd individuals were lost IN
the throng returning from work.
He then came back and picked up
his wife, in which action he was discov-
cred by John Belmont, of 125 Second
Avenue. and Theodore Miller, of 9Sl
Washington Avenue. his employees, who
were across the street talking 10 Bert
Meyer, stevedore, Of 229 East Ninth
Street. The three men had heard the
shots and ran TO the assistance Of their
employer, who sent for the police. Al
though they we're directly across the
street and were perhaps a minute in
reaching Leitner's Office, they saw no
one come down the stairs.
Inspector Cray, Deputy Police Com
Continued on page 4. column