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Subject: [Bklyn] Brooklyn Standard Union - March 17, 1931
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 16:02:55 EST
POLICE ACCUSE WOMAN AFTER LONG GRILLING
Son, 9, Kept Diary Which Hints of Secrets Shared With Mother
Mrs. Mamie DILLER, 34, wife of the murdered Herman DILLER, was arrested today
at the order of Assistant District Attorney Anthony DI GIOVANNI, and charged
with homicide. The widow, whose husband was found beaten to death with a
hammer yesterday in their apartment at 580 Empire Boulevard, had been grilled
by detectives for twenty-four hours, but steadfastly maintained her innocence
of the murder. However, Mr. DI GIOVANNI said this afternoon: "We have enough
on Mrs. DILLER to have a charge of murder placed against her." Mrs. DILLER
was ordered arrested at 3:30 P.M. She was fingerprinted, photographed and
place din a cell in Empire Boulevard station. She will be given a hearing in
Homicide Court on Snyder avenue tomorrow morning. Hanna GERSHON,
self-confessed sweetheart of DILLER, was released by police at 4 P.M. She, it
was told police that DILLER lived in fear of his wife, that he planned a
divorce and that she and DILLER were going to California after the divorce.
Police believe that Mrs. DILLER killed her husband, Herman DILLER, 35,
wealthy druggist, in a fit of jealousy, although they learned this afternoon
tat the nine year old son, Martin, may be able to tell the reason for his
father's death. Police today revealed they had found Martin's "diary" - a
single page of paper apparently torn from a notebook - and that notations on
this paper indicate the child may know why his father was killed.
The boy's mother, Mrs. Mamie DILLER, 34,dark and plump, is still being
questioned at the Empire boulevard station. Exhausted by the police, the
woman became physically sick and semi-hysterical shortly before noon today.
The police also are questioning Miss Hanna BERSHON, 32, of 209 Hawthorne
street, secretary to a Maiden Lane jeweler and self admitted sweetheart of
the murdered man, and Miss Mary FREELY, 20, of 1201 Union street, until
recently a maid in the DILLER home.
Shortly before noon today Assistant District Attorney Anthony DI GIOVANNI and
Detective Capt. John MCCLUSKY visited the DILLER apartment and there found,
in addition to Martin's note, which was entitled "The Life of Martin DILLER"
a hammer handle and a claw-hammer. Both instruments, DI GIOVANNI said, showed
traces of blood, but appeared to have been washed in an attempt to remove the
stains. They were sent to the office of the City toxicologist at Bellevue
Hospital for examination.
Police admitted they knew the hammer and the handle were in the apartment,
but said they did not think they had been used in the murder as the wounds on
DILLER'S head indicated a hatchet had been used. Now it is believed the
hammer was used, the blows being struck with the claw part of the instrument.
Motives for the crime definitely settled to jealousy today when it was
learned that DILLER had been away from home both Saturday and Sunday night
and that Mrs. DILLER was upset over this, because she thought the neighbors
knew of his absence.
JEWELRY NOT TOUCHED
The motive of robbery was discarded with the discovery of the quantity of
jewelry and $60 in cash in the apartment.
TEXT OF THE "DIARY"
But it was on the "diary" or "history" of Martin that the police pinned their
faith. The boy, exceptionally bright for his age, wrote on the one page of
paper a concise history of his life. It was all in capital letters, written
with a pencil, and police said it showed signs of having been edited by an
older person.
The diary said:
"The Life of Martin DILLER".
"I was born March 5, 1922. At that time my parents were living at 198 Grafton
street, Brooklyn, N. Y. The names of my parents were Miriam and Herman
DILLER. Later, as I became older, and when I was three years old, I had a
brother. His name was Howard. He was very weak when he was one ear old.
We started to move from place to place and at last we settled at 580 Empire
boulevard. We lived very happy there. And things were going along very good.
Imagine me only 8 years old and in the 5A grade. Our father had some stores.
One on Sutter avenue. Another on Tenth avenue, Manhattan. Another on New Lots
avenue. And one more on Broadway. He sold three of them but now has one on
Broadway."
"One day I heard my mother quarreling with my father. I did not know what was
the matter. As soon as the fight was over and my father went to work, I asked
my mother what was the matter. She said I should swear to tell no one."
WOMAN ACCUSES WIDOW
When questioned last night Miss BERSHON repeatedly pointed an accusing finger
at Mrs. DILLER and exclaimed: "She did it! She did it! She's threatened to
kill us both. I know she did it!"
Miss FREELEY told police that Mr. and Mrs. DILLER frequently quarreled over
Miss BERSHON.
The time of DILLER'S death has been fixed at about 10 A.M. yesterday. Mrs.
DILLER told police that after she sent her two sons, one 7 and the other 9
years old to school, she talked to her husband, who was still in bed, and
then left the house to visit her sister, Mrs. Bertha THERNOSKY, of 1419
Carroll street. She returned home about 3 P.M. she told police and found her
husband dead in the bedroom. She immediately notified police, she said.
In their attempts to reconstruct the murder, police believe that was sleeping
when the murderer entered his bedroom. The first blows, they believe, were
struck while he still was in bed, but there are signs of a fierce struggle
and his body was lying between twin beds when police arrived.
FOUGHT FOR HIS LIFE
DILLER, a powerful man weighing 225 pounds, is believed to have gotten out of
bed and grappled with his assailant. Chairs were broken, the bed completely
disarranged and the mattress lay on the floor, stained with blood in many
places. In other rooms, pieces of white underclothing were found stained with
blood, indicating that the murderer had wiped the blood from his hands with
these articles.
Dr. M. E. MARTIN, medical examiner for Brooklyn and Queens, said that DILLER
had been struck eight or nine times, probably with a hammer or a hatchet. The
ruthlessness with which the murder was completed leads the police to believe
that either revenge or the fact that the attacker was recognized by DILLER
led to the murder.
The physician declared that the nasal bones had been broken, the forehead
smashed and one blow had been struck on the back of the head. Indications
that DILLER had tried to ward off a blow were seen in the fact that the index
finger of the left hand had been badly cut. DILLER'S pajamas were in shreds
and he was scratched about the body, indicating the fierceness of the
struggle.
DILLER was robbed in his drug store some time ago and it is believed that he
carried a large sum of money home with him over the weekend. This led the
police to the tentative theory that robbery had been the motive but late last
night, police announced that nothing was missing from the home and the theory
was discarded.
CLERKS TELL OF REVELS
Two soda clerks at DILLER'S drug store at 2939 Broadway, Manhattan, also are
to be questioned in the district attorney's office today. Police have learned
that DILLER frequently went to an apartment he shared with the young men and,
according to the clerks, took women companions with him.
Police are satisfied that the assailant knew his way around the apartment,
located on the fifth floor of the building. Some of the children's clothing
had been taken from a bureau drawer in their bedroom and, bloodstained, it
had been left lying on the floor. No weapon such as must have been used to
crush his skull was found in the room.
The apartment DILLER was said to have visited at 535 West 112th street,
Manhattan, today was being searched for possible clues there.
transcribed for the Brooklyn Information Pages by
Mary
Salisbury, NC
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