EXTRAORDINARY" MURDER IN NEW YORK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 64, 29 January 1862, Page 1 (Supplement)

EXTRAORDINARY" MURDER IN NEW YORK.

[ri?i)M AX AMERICAN r.VPKB.]

The Felina" :iv.i".ler ai; piwilsas to be su Infoi'med the b'.oo ly work, tho amount of propi v:y involved, the fact of a pretty and designing woman being in the ease ami the suicide 0f,,.0ne of the .suspected parties, a'l go to make up a most thrilling: narrative of metropolitan crims. To-day we have to record another chapter in this extraordinary uffitir, which is nothing more nor less than the attempted Ktiiei'lu of Mrs. Marks, by severing- an artery in her left arm. Fortunately tiic movements of the prisoner ■were delected in time, or the result would have been most damaging to the ends of justice. Without going into the details attending Mrs. Marks' attempt at self-destruction, we now propose to give a full and complete narrative of the whole affair, from the time of the arrival of the murdered man in this city up to the present time. We find.that Sigismund Fellner, a citizen of Mayence, Grand Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, arrived in this port in the steamship Bavaria, about the 10th of October, aivl registered his name at the Prescott-house, in Broadway. On the voyage out he became acquainted with a very pretty Jewess, named Albertina Phlaum, whose pleasing manners and personal charms soon rendered him an easy captive. It is true Fellner was a married man, and had left an interesting wire behind him in Germany, but in a fatal moment he broke his marital vows, and allowed himself to be carried away by the fascinations of Miss Phlaum. During his stay at the Prescott-house lie was en intimate terms with tho fair charmer, and visited her daily at the house of her sister, Mrs. Murks, No. 45, East Broadway. Fellner was well off, with plenty of ready money in his possession, so he was welcome at Mrs. Mnrks's. During his visits he was indiscreet, .enough to mention the fact of his having some 38,000 dols worth of diamonds in his possession, as well as 9000 d'ds. or 10,000 dols. in cash. He stated that lie always carried the diamonds and monsy about his person for fear of being robbed, and on one occasion he exhibited the whole of his treasures to the gaze of the 'sisters. Fellner was exceedingly attentive to Miss Phlaum during these visits, and made her many valuable presents in the shape of money and jewellery. Things went on swimmingly and it was thought there would certainly be a marriage, when Fellner took a sudden dislike to the young woman and left off visiting her. When Mrs Marks heard of the estrangement she started for the Prescott house, and threatened to kill Fellner if he did not make an honest woman of Albertina. When confronting him she had a dagger in her hand, and so violent was she in her gestures thatpoor Fellner was scared to death almost. Finding that he was cornered, he promised to make all the reparation in his power, at the same time secretly determining to leave the city rather than experience a second interview with M\-s Marks. Through the advice of a young man named Ra'tzki,whose acquaintance he made during his stay at the Prescott house, Fellner started for Brooklyn on the 15th ult-., and took lodgings at No. 4 Carroll street, near Hamilton avenue. There -he-remained for two days, when he disappeared, leaving behind him his clothing and baggage. Much uneasiness was expressed by Fellncr's friends at his sudden disappearance, and an anxiou? look out was kept for newspaper paragraphs concerning drownei men. Nothing was heard of tho missing man, however, until the 23rd ult., when his body was discovered floating in tho water near Port Monmouth, N. J. From the appearance of the corpse it- was evident that the deceased had been foully daa't with. In the region of the heart- thsre was no less than 19 stabs, seven of which penetrated tho heart itself. Deceased's gold watch an 1 chain, his diamonds, and all his money, with the exception of 110 dollars, were found to be missing, and tho natural inference was that the murdsr was committed from avaricious motives. It was not until several days had elapsed that the body was identified and the facts in relation to Fellner's cruel assassination became generally known.

It was Mr. D. Loewenthal. of this city, who first identified the body of the murdered man. Ho was an intimate friend ot I'ellner, and seeing a paragraph in one of the morning newspapers in relation to finding of an unknown man at Port Monmouth, lie repaired to the spot, and stating that a friend of his had been missing for several days, requeste Ito see the body. The authorities who had Vemoved the remains to Middleton, and preserved them in ice, readily grunted his request. Mr. Loewenthal, on examining the body. at once pronounced it to be that of sigismund Pellner. The affair created quite an excitement through Monmouth county, and eve y effort was made to find some clue lo the murderer, but in vain. No one in that part of the country had seen deceased before, and the coroner was compelled to give the case up in despair. .Not so with Mr. Loetrenthiil, however. On his arrival back in New York, ho procured the services ot detectives Tietnan and Farley, and expressed a determination to spare neither pains nor expense until the guilty parties were brought to justice. Of Fellner's-intimacy with JVlisa PliliiuiVi, Mrs. Marks and young Ratzki, Mr. Loewenthal knew nothing. The deceased had never mentioned their names in his presence, or in any wav alluded to them. The detectives made the discovery, ho weveiv.before they had the case twentyfour hours. A pocket handkerchief, marked •'Albertina Phlaum," found upon the person ot deceased, afforded the officers ihe valuable information. Thinking- this might lead to <omething important, they preserved the handkerchief, find upon their return to New York, they instituted a vigorous search for Miss Phlaum. With no little sagacity they succeeded at last in finding the object of their search, at the residence of her sister, in East Broadway. Mrs. Marks was present when the detective entered the house, and acted so suspiciously, that it was deemed prudent to take her into custody. Miss Plilaum was also arrested, and conveyed with her sister to the detectives' office, corner of Broouie and Elm streets.

A personal examination of the prisoners resulted in the discovery of a gold watch and chain upon the person of Mrs. Marks, which was evidently a portion of the property stolen from deceased. The prisoners denied that they had come possession of the property dishonestly, however, and stated that deceased had made them presents of it. Upon inquiry the officers learned that the day after Feliner's disappearance Mrs. Marks, accompanied by young- Uatzki, called Tjpon the landlady in Brooklyn, and state.l that she had been sent to get some papers which were in deceased's trunk. The lad}-, believing her story, allowed her to have access to Pellner"s baggage, which was thoroughly overhauled. In°a few days afterwards Mrs. Maries and Ratzlri called a second time, and saying that her sister was about to marry Fellner, requested that the matter of searching the trunks should be kept a profound secret. The landlady promised to do as requested, and as a reward for her secrecy she received 2000f. The police were now convinced who the guilty parties wore, and strained every nerve to .secure Rate lei ;' but the latter got windof the proceedings, and has managed to sccrotc hiui.scif.ever since. They arc quite sanguine of his ultimatecapture, however, and calculate ou arresting him before many days.

The suicide of A'bortina Phlaum, whkvh occurred in the Fourteenth precinct station-iiou.se, on Saturday morning, formed the second chapter in the mysterious tragedy. Albertina was evidently afraid to face the" investigation into the circumstanced attending Fellnor's murder, and determined to commit self-destruction rather than submit to the slow ordeal of a trial. During her incarceration she appeared quite cheeriul, and no one had the slightest idea that the gay and laughing Albertina contemplated hanging herself! Mrs. Marks was not apprised of the tragic end of her sister, until she was conducted to Bellviu; Hospital and shown into the dead-house. When requested to look at the corpse, she readily crunplied, and gazed upon the pallid features of her sister without the slightest emotion. She was then asked if sho con 11 recognise the e-vpsc, when she coldly replied that sho could, and s;iid it was that-of her sister. Subsequently, v.v.cii the officers asked her if Alljertiua w :>.-:* :• ueerued in the murder of Mr. Fellner, she re;< ■.1 in the negative, and exclaimed "Oh no ! she was iui.ocent." Mrs. Marks was than conducted to the Eighth-precinct station-house, and placed in charge of a watchman, for fear that she too might commit suicide. It was very fortunate indeed that a watch was kept upon the movements of Mrs. Marks, or she too would have succeeded in destroying herself. Unknown to the police she managed to s-ecreto a small penknife about her person, and on Saturday morning, about six o'clock, while the back of the female attendant was turned for n moment, she co.ifcrived to sever o:ic of the arteries in her left arm. She then covered herself with the bedclothes, so as to

avoid detection, and lay down with the idea .of j quietly bleedin<r to death. Fortunately, however, j the attendant discovered the attempt in time to j save the prisoner's life, and, a doctor bemg called | in, tin- wound was bound up. Hie was quite ficblc j all day, hut; towards evening she v/as Mjflicu-i'tly ! recovered to converse with her keeper. She expressed {.'rent .regret at not bavin- succeeded in her efforts to commit suicide, mid hoped she would soon bo laid beside her deceased sister. It is not, likely, however, that she will be permitted to do herself any further harm, ns a strict writc.h will bc_ kept upon all her movements until the investigation is concluded.

The missing Jew, against whom suspicion is directed, is about 25 years of age, and is said to have served as a private in the 28th 'Regiment of Brooklyn, under Colonel Bennett. He is a darkcomplexioned man, has short black hair and alight moustache, and has rather a forbidding eountennncc. That the fugitive was implicated in the murder of Fellner the detectives have little doubt. It is supposed that he is concealed somewhere in this city, and that when his ready money gives out his'frietids will deliver him uj). The large reward (2,0d0 dollars") offered for the apprehension of the murderer will have a .salutary oil'eet, arid result, it is honed, in the speedy capture of the assassin. Likenesses of Rsifzki have been forwarded to all the principal cities in the North, and nothing will be left undone to bring the giti'ty parties to justice, so fur as the lAbrts of our detective police, lireeoncu ned. The detectives arc. yi;t in the dark as to whore the murder was committed, hut they feel quite confident that- if was not effected in this city. They think that the deed was probably committed on Staten Island, and that the body was cast into the bay from some point on the. south side, of the island' Time will develop matters, and befm-e the lapse of many weeks the affair may be as clear as noonday.