The sun., 1917-03-22
Sternberg's Father Makes
Effort to Tear Him
From the Police.
HE THROWS HIMSELF
BEFORE MOTOR CAR
LOopholes Found in Sus-
pect's Account of Where
abOutS in Afternoon.


Lee Hilair and benjamin Sternberg
walking together In the theatrical dis
trict of Broadway few minutes before
$3.50 o'clock last Thursday afternoon
was found ny Assistant District Attor-
ney John F. Joyce yesterday. MIR. Joyce
ard Inspector Cray Of the Second
branch detective bureau expect to ex-
anime tbs person IN detail to-day.
II was some time between 8 80 O'Clock
and 1880 O'Clock on Thursday evening
that Mrs. Hia!r. the police believe. met
death by strangulation in the room
which sne had taken under the name OF
Mrs. Florence Grey in the Hotel Mar
Unique.
SteTnberg, the "Benny" who met the
Brooklyn woman after brief Irritation
in the orpheum Theatre just a week be-
fore the murder and subsequently ac-
companed her TO drinking and dancing
par!ors in the overriver borough, has ad-
mitted that he came with her from
Brooklyn as far as the Grand Central
station on the fatal Thursday Mrs
Hilair registered at the Martinique at
l:2o She was not In her room at 80,
when q chambermaid entered.
0ternberg Charged with Crime.
eternberg. who is now formally under
arrest charged with the murder. has
been unable to give n satisfactory ac-
count OF his whereabouts between I
o'clock and o'clock of Thursday The
testimony Of tine newly found witness Is,
therefore, considered of extreme impor-
tance. IL it Is accepted as entirely credi-
BILE the officials will have linked up COM
pIetely the movements of the murdered
woman and the man accused OF the
crime during the entire day, save for the
three hours and half at some time in
which the tragedy was committed.
Further evidence along the same line
was furnished last night when a man
and woman called at the detective bu-
reau and told Inspector Cray they had
seen couple who they were certain
were Mrs. Hlair and Sternberg walking
near the Martinique about . o'clock
Thursday. They recognized newspa per
photographs of the two. "Beultv" was
asleep when they called last night and
the inspector did not disturb him.
Benny's father. Israel Sternherg. made
dramatic attempt yesterday afternoon
20 rescue his son from the police. A
few hours before Benny's name had
been entered on the hlotte- at the Seconu
branch detective bureau, Lexington ave.
nle near Forty second street. with the
charge Of murder against him As the
prisoner was led down the steps TO the
street his father, powerfully built and
erect despite his years. burst through the
guard OF detectives and threw his arms
about the Young mans neck.
MY boy, My boy he cried Are
they trying to XIII you, my boy"
Papa, Pa Don't let them take me
away papa" :" Benny pleaded.
Throws Himself Before Car.
Both men were in tears. The elder
Sternberg refused to release his son from
MS grasp and had to be torn away. Then
when the prisoner was placed in motor
car he threw himself in front Of the
machine and clutched the radiator.
,,,m,They can't take him away without
Allling me first" he shr!ekcd
The detectives were forced to lit the
e'der Sternberg, swinging his cane men
ae'ngN and struggling like madman,
ana carry him bodily to the sidewalk.
Benny was driven to the Municipal
hnilding and taken before Coroner Rior-
idn, where the charge was 20 have been
entered. Before proceedings could begin,
however. Jonah J. Goldstein, who had
oeen hlred as attorney, rushed into the
room with a writ OF habeas CORPUS As
the writ was retu-nablc at once the en-
uTe party tiled across to 81 Chambers
street ana before Justice Delehanty,
Word tnat Sternberg was in the neigh,
oorhood spread rapidly and q crowd nj
several scores Of persons tralled IL,
prisoner and his guard. In the crowt
was the elder Sternberg. who had com,
IRON the Second branch bureau in an
other car He managed To elbow hi
way to position close to ls son, auc
Benny" on seeing him cried,
ph papa, papa, they are trying [,
make reputation. They are going :,
my To- Nil me. but you know ! am limo
Appeal of His Counsel.
When Benny" was told that Justic,
p'lchfuty had gone TO luncheon h.
aa'a mat no too was hungry. so Detcc
Nv" beitsch led him to the lunch coun
''f IN tIe rotunda OF the buildiAg IA,
"tc ham sandwich and drank "A cup o
coHeH apparently oblvIous Of the Grove
w gaping curiosity seekers which
"Iohscd the corridor
lhtn, accompanied still by his father
S'erhh"fg was taken back TO justice
peiehdn'y's court room. where tn,
, susu'' was now ready to receive him
roidSteu addressed the court AT once.
Ih"re appears to have been mur
,er committed, "A Mrs. Iiilair havln,
pseh ihc victim" he said THE mann
% b'njamIu Sternberg WAS mentione,
~ me newspapers and he went to IN
SKIN branch detective bureau ant
asked II hey wanted him. After an
swering a number Of questions he aslSe,
ne could return TO his home. but the!