The Washington times., 1920-05-11
MYSTERY GIRL IN
HOBOKEN Staying
Phones to Home Of Man Killed
BY Thisf-Says She Was
His Fiancee.

NEW YORK, May il.-Aithoush
the police are confident that wss
a burglar who shot and mortaiy
woupded Frederick RueekerI Nee
pre.ident OF the White Metal Com
pany, in his bachelor apartment AT
Ii2T washington street Hoooken'
early sunday morning. new eie-
ment OF mystery was injected into
the case yesterday .,by. mysterious
woman.
shortly after IL was reported that
Rueckert. just before he died ITO"
two bullet wounds In ST. MAYS nos
pitsI. had made a substantial sellie-
ment on his fisncee. Miss cara
Elsie Vorrsth. whom he was 10 mar
ry next August, a woman giving her
name as Miss Mae Trask. telephoned
the apartment and Informed detec-
tive there that she was engaged 10
the slain man.
when the telephone rang two de-
tectives OF the prosecutors office
were examining Rueckerts papers
and effects. The woman said that
she was Miss Trask. the fiances OF
the dead man. When the detectNe
Informed her who he was she s.'o.
~WeIl, / can tell you just whsi
room you're in. You're in Mr.. Rueek-
erts bedroom. because the telephone
Is there"
k.sw Rsesas Well.
The detective reported that she ap-
peared to be very familiar Win the
apartment, judging from the correct
description she gave. she theh an
swered:
"Weli. / ought to be, for was en-
gagged to be married to Mr.. Rueckert.
and / intended to go there before
long and see that things are straight
ened out"
In answer to further questions the
woman said she had been engaged 10
Rueckert for some time. and when
the detective asked when the engage
ment had been broken on she snapped
back: T-,a
3"I don't know that you could say 1t
was every broken on. expected 10
marry Mr.. Rueckert. II you will look
in the second drawer of Mr.. Ruecker'a
| dresser. in his bedroom you VIII ind
photograph Of me taken by f.
BrummeI. 1 West Thirty-fourth street.
| II YOU will be SO kind ] would greatly
| appreciate it IL you would take pos
| session of II for me. 1t Is q pust
photo and was wearing straw hat
with flowers on II and corsage bou-
quet
The detective found in the drawer
photograph such as she described.
The detective then sought to find out
| where she was calling from. but she
| refused to say, except that II was
from a pay station in New York. She
| refused further information and
abruptly hung up.
Rueckert's valet Identified. the pic
ture as that of a young woman VINO
had visited the apartment, but ne
said she hadn't been there for three
| weeks. He knew her as Miss Trask.
He had never heard of his employer
ever having been engaged to anyone
except Miss vorrath, he told the de-
| tectives.
| Photo Identined.
| Subsequent investigation disclosed
the fact that the photograph found
| in the dresser was that OF Miss
Mae Trask, who up to three months
ago had rooms at lle west seventy
first street She put her furniture in
storage at that time and the people in
the house had seen or heard nothing
of her since.
| while this peculiar twist had no
bearing on the murder itself. the de-
tectives were anxious to learn more
about Miss Trask and her acqusint-
ance with the dead man.
| Inspector Daniel Kiely and his de-
tectfves were convinced yesterday
that the murder was committee by q
professional burglar. Nothing in the
apartment had been disturbed and
$500 in cash, which he had drawn
from the bank on Saturday and his
valuables were found intact in his
pockets.
| This gave rise to a rumor, hours
before the mysterious telephone call
was received at the apartment. that
jealousy might have ;mpelled the
shooting. The detectives, however.
secuted this theory.