New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-01
Held as Girl s
kidr1aper, Says
He's Her 4 atller
Stephen Behrer and Brother
ir1-Law Both Claim That
Three Year Old Elsie
Miller Is L h ei r Child
Authorities Divided Also
New Jersey Officials Uphold
Prisoner, Found by N. Y.
Police ON tlle East Side

Stephen Behrer, who has been living
at 315 East Eighty-frst Street, was
locked UP at Police Headquarters last
night charged with kidnaping three
year-old Elsie Miller, who, he alleges,
is his child, from the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Anthony Miller, near Picatinny
On. j. arsenal, last Wednesday, The
child was found with Behrer and has
been turned over to the Children's So
ciety.
Though Behrer was arrested on
warrant issued by a Morris County
justice of the peace, officials at Plea
tiny substantiate Behrer', claim to the
child and declare that he mas been ar
rested for taking his ri daughter
from the home where ", Behrer left
her just before she die.
The Millers, however. ~ beer en-
phatic in their denial of re ~. ~ Of
Behrer, who is Mrs. MilIeg's Brother.
When little Elsie was take XcGm the
Miller home, near Picatinny 4senal,
Mrs. Miller went to the authorities and
declared that her bro.aer had never
been married and that he had been
coerced into taking his niece by an
other man, a radical German, whom the
Millers employed in heir restaurant.
Tells of His Taking Child
Mr.. Miller gave the following &C
count of the affair:
"Some time ago Behrer asked me for
$500. ! could not give it to him. On
Wednesday he told me he was going to
Dover, which is about six miles from
the arsenal, to have his teeth fixed. /
gave him 5000 to deposit in the bank
there
"Without NV knowledge Behrer then
went to my wife and told her that we
were all going to Lake Hopatcong, and
that he would take Elsie out to get her
something to eat while ! was getting
ready. Suspecting nothing, my wife
left Elsie got with him. He never re-
turned"
Miller swore out a warrant and the
Morris County authorities began their
investigation. This investigation is
said to have shown that when Behrer's
wife died he gave his daughter into the
care of Mrs. Miller. The child was
then six weeks old. AS the Millers had
never adopted the little girl the Off
cials saw no reason why the person
whom they believed to be her parent
could not take her away. This closed
lllc lidtlCI 81 lat DIS LLG AuVIIlS NOuIlLN
officials were concerned.
Believing that Behrer had come to
New York City, the Millers came here
on Friday and told the police of the al
legged kidnapping. Two detectives Of the
Fifth Street police station, where the
case was reported, were assigned to
find Behrer.
After a two-day search Detectives
sIurray and Tully last night found
Behrer at 3l5 East Eighty-hrst Street.
He was taken to Police Headquarters
along with Elsie and charged with
KIDNAPPING.
Insists Child Is His
AT Police Headquarters Bchrer was
emphatic in asserting that the child
was his and that the Millers had
charged him with kidnapping simply be-
cause they had grown fond of his
daughter and refused to allow him to
take her away with hiri.
When the detectives asked the child
who her father was, without hesitation
she pointed to Behrer. She was play
ing with ball as she sat on a chair
IN Police Headquarters. A moment
after she he'd pointed out the prisoner
as her parent the ball bounced at an
angle on the corner OF the chair and
rolled across the floor.
Uncle! uncle!" Elsie screamed.
Get bali! Get ball!n
Behrer was undisturbed by being
addressed as uncle, and when detec-
tives asked him about it he said:
That's ali my sister again. She taught
the baby to call me uncle. 1t was her
scheme. I tell you, snc was desperate
to keep the child. She will do any
thing"
Behrer was taken to a cell in the
station and the New Jersey authorities