Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-03-09
Murderer Of Mrs. MCKeOwn
Found Asleep in House


Emma McKeown was shot dead in her
kitchen at her home on Schellenger
avenue by Fred Ellenger, who had
boarded there until recently. The po-
lice and members of the fire company
took up the trail and armed posses
secured the Island for the murderer
until $50 o'clock in the afternoon,
when he was found in an unoccupied
house on West 26th avenue in bed
asleep. Merchant Lew Harrison, a
member of the first ward fire COM
pany, discovered the fugitive. At
tracted by a displaced window sash
Mr.. Harrison investigated and looking
through a window saw man asleep
in a bed. He called to William Bush,
one of the hunting party, and Mr..
Bush peering through the window
recognized the sleeping man as Ell
lenger. Someone went to nearby
house and telephoned to the Wild
wood City Hall. Policeman Howard
Cattell, who had just come in from the
hunt, was at the City Hall and Ralph
J. It. Carter drove Cattell to the house
and the latter made the arrest, break
ing down door to gain entrance. FL
lenger made no resistance, although
two revolvers were found on his per-
son and he wore brass knuckles on
his hands, The house where the muir
derer was captured is said to be
owned by Issie Albaum, now in Court
House Jail for selling or handling
dope. His wife is also said to be in
the same Jail for bootlegging. This is
the house raided last summer by Of
ficers when a round up of dope ped
dlers was made. 1t is believed to be
more than a coincidence that the muir
derer should be found in that par
ticular house Ellenger was taken to
City Hall and on being questioned ad-
mitted killing the woman. About ten
o'clock Friday night he was taken to
Court House Jail. The dead woman'S
body was removed to Ingersolps un-
dertaking rooms just before noon on
Friday. An inquest was held Satur-
day. morning in the third ward fire
house lodge room by Coroner b. e.
Ingersoll, in the presence OF Acting
Prosecutor Eugene C. Cole. Several
witnesses were heard, including Miss
Annie Fredette, a comely young
woman of 23 years, who 1t is said
came to Wildwood about month ago
from Lewiston, Maine. She testified
that she had been employed in the
McKeown home for about three weeks
as a domestic. On the morning of the
murder she said she was washing
dishes in the kitchen when Ellenger
entered and asked where Mrs. Nc
Keown was. The young woman point
ed to where Mrs. McKeown sat at
table nursing her IL months old
daughter Florence with bottle. The
man walked toward her exclaiming,
"There you are, God damn you" With
that he pulled out revolver and shot
the woman twice in the head and
calmly walked out the back door.
While Annie Fredette was giving her
testimony with her back toward the
audience the murderer was brought
into the room. Prosecutor Cole asked
her to turn around, stand up and look
over the audience and see if she could
pick out the man who did the shoot
ing. The girl arose and her eyes
wandered over the room, gazing in
the middle of the room and back to-
ward the door at the head of the stair
way. 1t was a tense moment when
the girl almost pointed to man, in
that corner of the room. She recov-
cred herself and her eyes wandered
to the front row of seats, right in
front of her, where the prisoner sat
with policemen on each side of him.
With look of horror she pointed to
Ellenger, exclaiming in a clear voice:
"There he is'' Asked if she was sure
of it she answered yes The prisoner
was asked if he had anything to say,
being warned by the prosecutor that
anything he said would be used
against him. Ellenger arose and said
in distinct voice, II prefer to remain
silent" Another witness called was
Mrs. Harry Caplan, said to be the
daughter of the woman who operates
the old Hereford Hotel at Anglesea,
where Ellenger boarded after leaving
the Fremont. She testified that he ap-
peared to be in nervous condition
a day or two before the murder. DR..
Eisenhower, who talked with Ellenger
a few minutes before the murder, tes-
titled that he did not appear to be
drunk at the time. The first witness
was DR.. julius Way, county physician,
who examined the body at seven
o'clock on Friday evening. Mrs. Nc
Keown left five children under ten
years of age and boy of II by for
mer marriage. The dead woman was
a daughter of the late Mrs. Billhartz.
Interment was made at Gloucester,
her former home. 1t develops that
many people recall seeing Ellenger
frequently take the small McKeown
children to the boardwalk and to the
drug store where he treated them to
ice cream and the like. That he had
a mad infatuation for the married