Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-13 | Page 1 | Alleged Murderer Trapped by Police

ALLEGED HiEIH TRAPPEDJY POLICE John B. Koetters, Alias John Nieman, Arrested for Killing Kill-ing Mrs. Emma Kraft. SAN FRANCISCO. Feb. 1-. John B. Koetters, alias John Nieman. accused of the murder of Mrs. Emma Kraft In a Chicago hotel on November II, 191-. reiterated re-iterated tonight his former" declarations of Innocence, attributed his arrest and present predicament to thc "spilowork" of his former associate In business Iiere, Mrs. Viola Price, a widow, and agreed to return to Chicago without extradition. lie told the police he had 'nothing to fenr In Chicago and could explain everything satisfactorily, sat-isfactorily, but would not do hi here. Koetters wus arrested horc last night. Detectives havo been maintaining a watch over Kootlcrs's safe deposit vault since January 'J2, when tho police department depart-ment came into possession of information that Koetters was In or near San Francisco. Fran-cisco. Kooltor had taken his valuables from thc safo deposit box on January 12. but it was believed that he would again return. Mri 1'rlce told the police today that Koettcrs's freuuent importunities for her to wed him excited her suspicions. "Ono dav ho took nie Into thc office of an attorney." said Mr.- I'rlco. "and said, 'This ladv wants to draw up a will.' but I told the attorney that 1 did not want to, and 1 refusod to make a will. 11" kept aiiuovlug and teasing mi: to make a will, but I steadily refused, and then he- began be-gan to fpiarrcl with me and make my life miserable. Finally I bought buck his Interest In-terest In the hotol, giving him $950 on January 7. "Ho told some false and scandalous stories, about me to mutual friends. I told him ho had better quit talking about me or I would sue lilm for libel. He wanted want-ed to know what I expucted to got out of him. He said ho' bud only his shoes and coat. "Januarv 12 he left and sent me a scandalous scan-dalous letter from Sacramento. It was soon alter this tho police got on his trail, I think, and I arranged with the detectives detec-tives to let them know when he returned to this city. He telephoned me yesterday yester-day and I tried to arrange to meet him at il o'clock today." Koetters Insisted on making the engagement en-gagement for last night, and Mrs. Price immediately notlllod tho police department. depart-ment. When Koetters mot Mra. Price at an appointed strcot corner he was arrested. arrest-ed. He made no resistance. "I am very clud he is In Jail," ald Mr. Price. "I feel that I havo escaped from a groat danger." Koetters admitted his identity and told the police that he knew Mrs. Kraft In Chicago, but donlcd that he ever was engaged en-gaged to her or ever went out with hor. "When I reach Chicago." he said, "I will tell what I know about this chjio."