New-York tribune., 1918-11-28
Jealousy or Robbery Be-
lieved to Have Been Mo-
tive for Crime
Victim Smothered,
Autopsy Reveals
Dead Man Had Quarrel in
Brooklyn Rooming House
Just Before Crime


with watch still running in his
pocket, was identified yesterday as
that Of Joseph Ballard. Ballard was
proprietor of the United Shoe Repair
ing Company, 800 Fulton Street, Brook
lyn.
A man with scar on his left cheek,
who Is addicted to the use of patent
leather shoes and gray spats, and
woman with dagger-pierced heart
tattooed on her right arm and death
Before Dishonor" on her left arm, are
being sought by the police, who have
as yet formed no precise theory as to
when or by whom the crime was COM
mitted, and merely are hunting for all
whom they believe to have been ac-
Quainted with Ballard.
The woman with the tattoo marks is
known as Sarah Baldio and is believed
also to have been known as "Sarah
Banta," the name which was written
in crayon on one of the stats of the
trunk In which the body was found.
The name of the SCARED man is not
known to the police. but they have been
informed that he was with Ballard in
house at sc Cranberry Street, Brook
!yn. three hours before his death and,
perhaps, even longe,
Smothered to Death
This they learned from Mrs. Marion
Tharau, who runs furnished room
house at that address. From her, also,
the police learned that Sarah Banta"
probably was Sarah Baldio, the tat
tooed woman.
An autopsy performed by Medical
Examiners Charles Norris and Otto H.
Sehultze resulted in the information
that BALLARD had been smothered to
death. probably, the physicians said, by
anan or woman who knelt on his alb
dpinen and pressed a pillow or some
Similar object against his face until he
ceased to struggle for breath
me point where he body was found,
not far from where an Italian was
found lew weeks ago, lying dead in
the gutter with a stietto hilt pro-
ttrudlng from his chest, is only two
blocks from Police Headquarters. The
house at 6S Cranberry Street, where
Ballard spent part at least of his last
evening, is about the same distance
from Brooklyn Police Headquarters.
Rented Room for Two
ballard first called at the house
about o'clock Tuesday afternoon. He
told Mrs. Tharau that he wanted to
rent room for himself and his wife.
In In response to challenge in Mrs.
iharau'a eye or 10 the urging of an un-
easy conscience, he asserted: "I'm mar
Tled, and | can prove it." She let him
from roll. which Mrs. Tharau esti-
mated at 5000, and gave it to her as
payment in advanc,
ueSday evening about 8 O'Clock he
called again. His wife was not with
nm. His only companion was the man
WIN the ats and the SCARED face
pailaro was ready with his proof"
however pulling from his pocket, as
soon as his eye met Mrs. Tharau's.
document which she believed to he %
marriage certificate. s She remembers
only, that it purported to be evidence
e. the marriage of a man named Tony
Mhalaro at st. James's Church.
ne two men went upstairs to the
room Ballard had engaged. Ballaro,s
companion, Mrs. Tharau said, was dark
ABOUT twenty-seven years old, five feet
Ten inches in height and $50 pounds in
weight. He wore blue suit and black
cap and overcoat and his feet were
snod IN patent leather and graced with
u
ieit cheek. They brought no trunk nor
was there any trunk in the room.
for some time, the boarding house
Keeper said she heard the two talking
loudly. They seemed to be disputing,
she thought, and she heard footsteps
pacing restlessly. The loud voices and
the impatient tread were continuing.
sne slt thought, when she went 10 sleep.
"nat time thatwas she does not know
r., In the morning both men were gone.
The two beds in the room had been
Placed side by side and the bedclothes
were IN disorder, but not, Mrs Tharau
thought, the disorder of sleep The
room had been paid for in advance and
u was no concern of hers whether her
Doarder spent the night in it or went
elsewhere, and Mrs. Tharau went about
her customary tasks with an untrou-
pied mind until a detective called on
her.
From him she learned that her new
tpoarder had been murdered and his
pody found before midnight. She told
nm what she knew of him and his com
lanIon and Of the woman whom she
knew as Sarah Baldio. The detective
Departed TO look up the records at St.
.James's Church.
Woman Enters Case
IN ms absence the man with the
searred face returned. woman was
with him. Mrs. Tharau noticed that
ne man was dressed precisely as on
sne preceding evening, even TO the
spats With the information given by
ne Sne detective fresh in her mind, Mrs.
In,narau informed her SCARED visitor
mat nis friend had been murdered. She
was about TO add details when there
"as twinkle Of gray spats and the
ed seafred man was gone, and the woman
"'tn him. He seemed shocked by the
Hs"s, Mrs. Tharau told the detective
wnen he returned The detective in
stsIucted her 10 notify the police IL
Stner called again
ire search 1T the church had proved
.usaie There was no TTcofd Of any
marriage there in which Tony Schal
ia IL had figured, nor yet a Joseph Bal
70 money was found in Ballaro's
s.sSxe.s, although the police believe the
TT1h.amate Of his roll made by Mrs.
inarau 70 be fairly accurate, having
stnsd from other sources that he
2oeaniy had $50 In his pocket Tues
Z az evening. The receipts Of a single