New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-30
HAUNTING FEAR,
CLEW In MURDER
Yiddish Notes from Rela-
tives Try to Calm Dread
of Coming Evil.
HIRED MAN CLEARED;
SUSPECT STRANGERS
Prosecutors Evidence Points to
Several SIayers-Discharged
Girl Is Freed.
From star Correspondent, @; The rribun,l

Prom f, stir Correspondent O. The rribuns.l
New Brunswick, n. j., Nov. 2S.-All
the new evidence in the possession of
County Prosecutor Florance points to
the innocence Of Joseph Petrucha,
Polish farm hand, at first supposed to
have shot and killed five persons in
the lonesome farmhouse, three miles
from here, and then ended his own
life. Evidence uncovered by The
Tribune reporter to-day at the scene
of the crime shows there is more than
a possibility that a stranger, and not
Petrucha, killed Mr.. and Mrs. Weitz-
man, their daughter, and son-in-law,
and John Gannas, another farmland.
This evidence consists Of letters In
Yiddish written to the Weitzmans by
relatives. These letters referred 70
fear held by the elderly couple. None
of the communications found to-day
among a bundle of papers in the dreary
dining room explained what that fear
had been. The relatives of the muir
dered couple insisted that it was not
Petrucha, but an outsider-one or more
who had committed the crime.
By no means less important is the
fact that Kigner was shot in the hall
way and not in the room Of the farm
hands. This is borne out by pool of
blood found in the hallway leading 70
the room. Kigner was evidently
dragged after he had been shot through
the head from the hallway into the
bedroom Of the two laborers. II
Petrucha had killed kigner, II was
pointed out to-day, there was no rea-
son why he should have dragged the
dead body Of Kigner into his ROOM
inasmuch as ne was about TO XII MN
self a few moments later. On tne
other hand, there would be every fea-
son for a stranger doing so, as tne
body could easily be seen, II lett IN
the hallway, through narrow stFip OF
glass in the porch door.
Porch Door Unlocked.
The porch door was found unlocked
The windows in the room OF the laoor.
ers were found unbol.ed. The touch OF
a finger is enough to ooen them. Inc
guest room of the farmhouse had been
occupied, for the bed had been used
An overcoat WAS taken 70 the prose,
cutor's office to day, having been found
In one Of the rooms.
Antonina Metusezics. VINO was en-
ployed By the WeitZmans up 70 NO
vember II. vas in South River. sub
urb south Of New Brunswick, when she
heard that the authorities were look
ing for her. She surrendered to-day.
and so completely established her in
rocence that she was Immediately re-
leased. II hsd been feared that her
threat to get even" when she wasn't
paid the wages due her BIZ the Weitz-
mans might have had something TO Dc
with the crime.
"They gave me my money" she said.
~ never meant anything by saying
would get even. Mr.. Weitzman was a
fine old man, and treated me well. So
did Mrs. Weitzman and the others. Pc
trucha always attended 10 his business
and never gave any trouble, and was
trusted by Mr.. Weitzman."
Evidence is not yet complete that
only one gun had been used, as all
the bullets have not been found. IL
was also reported that the rumor thaI
young Mrs. Kigner had been attacked
had not been confirmed by the autopsy.
Samuel Kigner, who was under arrest
since Saturday for having taken deed
from one of the rooms, was released
to-day in time for the funeral. higner'
a brother of David, the murdered man
opened a small safe in the house. IN
which was a deed Transferring the
property to Weitzman and also pur-
chase money mortgage from Weitzman
10 Max Kigner. He said ne had gwen
il 70 a cousin, and was jail~d pendlng
its return. He produced me papers
This morning. but was held In sooo DAN
on a charge of grand larceny.
Rabbi Suspects Strangers.
The house was watched all night. A
new relay Of guards came on at dawn.
Paners were found in the house to-day
nroying that persons had ben indebted
70 the Weitzmans for ,nsiderable
sums. II f.i
Late this afternoon the funeral
nessed through this city. -Four coffins.
strapped TO a wagon. we're slowly pulled
mast the synagogue on Richmond
Street. Max kKner, father OF the muir