The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-09
Wholesale Murders in
Bronx Is Theory of
Martin.
ARSENIC BOTTLE Is
SEIZED AS EVIDENCE
Beating of Girls Is Inves-
tigated-May Suspend
MatrOn.

YoNHHRs. y. Y, Feb. s.-Mrs.
Susanna Schweitzer. a feeble old
woman inmate of the German Odd
Fellows Home on the Tuckahoe road,
and little orphan girl of IL years.
Barbara Pabst, testifying before Core
ner James i. Dunn tonight in three
hour hearing on the questionable
deaths of eight inmates. told in STAR
ling detail OF the deaths OF two of tho
old persons whose end the erstwhlle
porter, Frederic Mors. now in Bellevue
Hospitals psychopathic ward, has de-
clared no fastened by administering
poison.
The officials who heard their story
and the stories Of another girl and two
other old women in the home said
afterward that II was the most I'M
pressive testimony they had heard In
their effort TO corroborate the details
in Mors's confession to Assistant Dis
tr1ct Attorney Deacon Murphy in
Manhattan. The scene OF the hearing,
the room where one Of the old folks
died was a hitting setting for the re-
markable tale.
The deaths described by the unusual
witnesses were those Of Mrs. Catherine
Plazzi on November last year, and
Ferdinand Scholz on January 4. These
are two Of the six to whom Mors said
ha
others, according to his story, were
despatched by arsenic. Three OF these
eight deaths occurred when the home
was located at Unionport, The Bronx.
Mrs. schweitzer was the roommate
of Mrs. Piazzi. Two other friends who
saw the woman shortly before her
death also gave their versions.
Girl Describes Death.
II was the girl, Barbara Pabst, who
told OF the death of Scholz. She WAS
going upstairs, she swore 10 Coroner
Dunn. when Mors. then n porter. gave
her a bottle TO take to the old mans
room Barbara, dressed in her bingham
apron and simple dress her dark hair
as shiny as her eyes and to all appear
ances realizing the burden of her story,
described going upstairs with a basKet
In one hand the bottle In the other
The stuff in the bottle made me
feel funny" she said. The Coroner and
Sheriff took that as an indication that
the bottle contained ether. In the old
fellows room she saw him dead, propped
up by pillow in sitting posture, his
eyes staring at the opposite wall There
was some absorbent cotton on the table
and another bottle. Ring, another Dor
ter now in Jail. and Mors were in the
room and shortly after she left Scholz's
body was prepared and removed to the
morgue In the cellar.
Mrs. Schweitzers testimony was to
the effect that she saw Mrs Plazzi sit
ting In her chair In her room feeling
quite well and happy about half an hour
before her death was announced. They
had been chatting during the latter part
OF the afternoon, but about gao Mora
came and announced supper. so Mrs.
SChweitzer went down to the dining
room. When she came back about q
o'clock she told the Coroner, Mrs. Piazzi
was lying on the bed, Mors sitting on
the edge. his head bent over her and
his eyes looking intently at her as she
breathed her last
Mors. according to the woman's story.
told Mrs. SChweitzer on her return 10
the room that Mrs. Plazzi was dead and
that she would have 70 find other quar-
ters, He pushed the door shut on her.
few minutes after the old woman
died. she said. Adam Bangert, the aus
pended superintendent. also In Jail az
White Plains as n material witness,
came up TO prepare the body with Mors.
The death OF this woman was also de.
scribed as sudden shock TO the old
people by Mrs. Barbara Grem and Mrs.
Elizabeth Rehm, both aged Inmates.
who visited her on the afternoon she
died and found her in fair health.
Arsenic Bottle Seized.
While the Coroner and Sheriff Ulrich
Welsendanger. who conducted the long
hearing at the home. thought these tho
most significant and salient deyelop-
ments Of the day. the seizure OF a bottle
supposed to contain a half pound OF
common arsenic In the medicine chest In
the private cellar under the superintend-
ents office was taken 10 Indicate that
the Westminster county authorities are
endeaVoring to bolster up the cases Of
alleged arsenic poisoning In Bronx
county as offering the best field for
prosecuting Mors.
This course OF action was strongly ad.
vocated by Col. Frederick C. Weeka
District Attorney of Westchester county.
after conference this morning with
Coroner Dunn the sheriff, and Assistant
District Attorney Seymour Mork OF The
Bronx, who talked with Weeks over the
telephone. 1t was shortly after that
conference that the bottle labelled "at-
senic' was seized by the order OF Ch,eS
OF Police Wolff, although It has been