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In 1880, Henry Moeller became captain of the Lackawanna Railroad's river barges. In 1903, he became captain of tugs for the Hamburg-American Line. In 1920, he retired and went to live in Hoboken where he often sat in the back-room of Meyer's Hotel, drinking beer with other old captains. Last week he died. His daughter obeyed his request to place, under the dirty, salt-stiffened pilot coat in which Henry Moeller was buried, the purple silk umbrella which he had carried on all his voyages, short or long.
Vagabond
In Los Angeles, Calif., eight years ago, detectives found Walburga Oesterreich in a closet opening into the room in which her husband, Fred Oesterreich, apron manufacturer, lay murdered. Because the door of the closet was locked from the outside, she was never tried for murder.
Last week one Herman Shapiro told police that a Walter Klein had confessed to the murder of Fred Oesterreich, caused Klein to be arrested. Police-headquarters announced the results of an investigation. They said that Mrs. Oesterreich had become friendly with Walter Klein 18 years ago, had described him as her "vagabond half-brother." While the Oesterreichs lived in Milwaukee, Walter Klein inhabited a secret room in their house, unknown to Fred Oesterreich. When they moved to Los Angeles, another secret room, like the first, was constructed for Walburga Oesterreich's vagabond halfbrother. Herman Shapiro said that Klein had admitted overhearing a quarrel between the Oester-reichs, creeping out of his secret room, shooting Fred Oesterreich, pushing Walburga Oesterreich into a closet, locking the door from the outside.
Investigating the houses in which the Oesterreichs had lived in Milwaukee and Los Angeles, police found a secret room in each, shrewdly fitted under the eaves in the attic.
*Not to be confused with William ("Billy Burke") Burkowski, famed golf professional.