Kinkowski, Martin, -1882; Muller, Philomena, -1881; Murder -- New Jersey
find Stanton, and the policeman wanted to take Seide back. In the
meantime the Captain had sent Policeman Fitzgerald to aid Tregonning
in arresting Kenkouwsky. The policemen, Seide, and Stanton, who had
meanwhile relieved Seide of his embarrassment, waited for about three
hours, when they saw a man answering the description of the murderer
walking up the street. Policeman Fitzgerald arrested him. He offered
no resistance, and his only exclamation was in German: “Was ist? was
ist? was ist?” He was at once taken to the station, where he was locked
up. Sergeant Brown was sent down for Scherrer, and a policeman was
despatched for Strang. Scherrer arrived about twenty minutes after the
arrest, and identified the prisoner as the man who had been at his
house under the name of Kettler. Strang also soon appeared, and he too
identified Kettler. Meanwhile Policemen had entered the room at 510
West Thirty-sixth street, notified the woman of her husband’s arrest,
and taken the four trunks and the valise to the station. Our reporter
was present when the trunks were opened. Almost the first thing found
when one of the yellow trunks was opened was a letter addressed to
Mrs. Mina Muller, 338 West Thirty-ninth street. In a corner of the
envelope was printed “Germania Lodge, No. 70, K. of H.” It contained a
request for her to attend a lodge meeting on Jan. 10. The trunks were
full of articles of female attire, and in one of them was a pair of
men’s gloves of white leather, stained with dirt and badly torn, as
though whoever wore them had been handling some rough object. It is
thought that Kenkowski wore these gloves when he was married and when
he crushed Mina Muller’s skull with stones. A gray wrapper, and a straw
bonnet and table covers were among the other objects found.
[Illustration: MARRIAGE CEREMONY WHICH TOOK PLACE AN HOUR BEFORE THE
MURDER.]
[Illustration: MURDERING MINA MULLER IN THE WOODS NORTH OF WEEHAWKEN.]
At about half-past 9 the prisoner’s wife arrived at the station with
her boy, who was crying bitterly. She asked why her husband had been
arrested, and why the trunks had been taken away. When asked what his
name was, she replied, “Martin Kenkouwski,” and added that they had
been married ten years ago in Alsace, and had only been in this country
a little more than half a year. Her husband was a mason and kalsominer.
When asked if he had been at home regularly lately, she said he had
been away about ten days in the beginning of the month.
“Do you know,” asked the interpreter (the woman and her husband spoke
in German), “that he married another woman, and killed her?”
“I don’t believe it,” she replied firmly, while the boy cried more
loudly than before. “I don’t believe it!” she reiterated. “Let me see
him! Don’t cry my child” (turning to the boy), “or you will make me
weep. Don’t cry!” Here her voice faltered, and she burst into tears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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