New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-20
"Bennie," Theatre Ac'
uuaintance of Four Days,
Gives Himself Up
Wife Hears Him Tell
Of Three Meetings
Prisoner Detained as Wit
ness Pawned Woman's
Ring Last Saturday

Bonnie" mysterious bejewelled Lo-
tharo of the tango resorts. sought
vsinly for forty-eight hours by the
police investigating the murder of Mrs.
Elsie Lee Hilair in the Hotel Mar
Unique Thursday. suddenly gave him.
self up at the Sixth Branch Detective
Bureau, in Brooklyn. late yesterday
afternoon.
Accompanied by woman, who said
she was his wife. and a man friend,
Bernie entered and demanded to see
Acting Captain John d. Coughlin.
''l'm the Bonnie you're looking for,
captain" he said, coolly. I'm the man
who met this Mrs. Hilair in the Or
pheum Theatre. My name is Benja-
min Sternberg. and live at 433 Miller
Avenue, East New York"
Police Act Rapidly
His appearance was the signal for
rapid action BY the police. Soon after
his surrender he was closeted with
Captain Cougllin, Inspector Cray and
Assistant District Attorney John f.
Joyce, at the Second Branch Detective
Bureau. IN Manhattan. There he told
IN detail Of his meetings with the muir
dercd woman.
Before being brought to Manhattan
he had been taken to the Hilair home.
at IL Clinton Street. Brooklyn, and
positively idertihed By Miss Irene
Al.
"Bennie" who had scraped acqua intance
in the 0rpheum Theatre with the
woman later found mysteriousiy
stranGled 10 death.
While his examination was ur der
way detectives were rounding up along
Broadway walters, clerks, check boys
and other employees OF hotels and res
taurants. in the hope OF identifying
Sternberg as tke Bonnie" said to be
a frequenter of Broadwsy's tango pal
aces. A dozen of these restaurant and
hotol employees fled into the Second
Branch bureau 10 look Bonnie over soon
after his arrival.
Before Sternberg's examination was
over. Inspector Cray announced he
would be held as a material witness.
Admitting he had been with Mrs. Hilair
on three occasions, Sternberg denied
that he had seen her since March l.,
the Monday before she was killed. He
denied Miss Murray's assertion that he
had telephoned Mrs. IIilsir on the
morning Of her death, making an APP
pointment. To prove he had not been
with her, he gave Inspector Cray the
names of several Brooklyn business
men who, he said, would help him prove
an abb.
RusheS for Sternberg
Mss Murray's identification OF
Sternberg was dramatic. For a mo-
ment she glared at him with flashing
eyes as he stood nonchalantly before
her Then, with a hysterical cry, she
sought TO fling herself upon him. De-
tectives held her back with difficulty.
That's the man who was with
auntyi" she cried. That's Bonnie!
III never forget his face as long as
live"
Eyes. I'm Bonnie, and | was with
your aunt at the 0rpheum-I don't
deny it," replied Sternberg. coolly.
Then he turned indferently and
walked from the room. with Detectives
Asip and Carney beside him.
Sternberg told Captain Coughlin he
had given himself up on the advice Of
a friend. whose name the police con-
cealed. He had known he was wanted
after reading the first accounts in the
papers Of Mrs. Hilair's meeting with
him at the Orpheum. Captain Cough
lin denied a report that Bennie mad
beeen betrayed to the police by the
mysterious "big blond woman" who
was his companion in the theatre box
on the afternoon of his meeting with
Mrs. Hilair.
The police attached much significance
70 the fact that Sternberg in the last
three days had pawned at least three
pieces of diamond jewelry. He admitted
this during his long examination. Civ
ing the police the name Of pawnbrok-
or at Pitkin and Rockaway avenues.
Brooklyn. with whom he confessed
having pawned woman's ring for 5000
last Saturday Diamonds said TO be
worth $4,000 were stolen from Mrs. Hi
lair by her murderer.
Sternberg Well Dressed
Sternberg is natty, well dressed and
good-looking. He might we'll fill the