“You can’t do this to me!”

PM, March 12, 1942, p.5

Police Seize 3 Suspects in the Refuge Murder Case

“A wealthy Polish refugee, Mrs. Susan Flora Reich, suffocated last week when robbers bound and gagged her after stripping her of $2000 in jewelry. Her body was found in an East Side hotel apartment occupied by Madeline Webb, former model, and Eli Shonbrun. Third suspect, John D. Cullen, above, right, is watching Miss Webb climb into a patrol wagon. Evidence against the trio will be presented to a grand jury tomorrow. Assistant DA said Miss Reich was killed in a “barbarous, inhuman and savage attack.” In court, Miss Webb screamed: “You can’t do this to me!”

“Mullen represented himself as the father-in-law of Miss Webb in renting a Bronx furnished room. Here he is being booked for homicide. Police trailed him for two days before arresting him and getting information that led to the others. PM Photo by Hy Rothman

“Shonbrun drummed his fingers nervously on desk while giving pedigree. Miss Webb tried to hide her face from photographers. She came here from Stillwater, Okla, is a college graduate, worked as a showgirl, model and dancer. PM Photos by Weegee
PM, March 12, 1942, p.5

A great lesser-known photo… Photographer was INSIDE the patrol wagon…

Mrs. Reich was a refugee from Poland, the “wife of a New Jersey wax processor,” lived at the Hotel Woodrow (35 West 64th St), was 52 years old. She was murdered at the Hotel Sutton, 330 East 56th St on March 4th… Webb (“obscure actress college graduate”) and Shonbrun were living in 438 East 147th St in the Bronx… Miss Webb had an I.Q. of 90; Cullen’s I.Q. was 107; Shonbrun possessed an I.Q. of 102 according to the psychiatrist quoted by the NY Times…

“…she turned her eyes to the mural of modern justice…”

On January 9, 1967 Madeline Webb left the New York State Prison for Women in Bedford Hills after 24 years. Thanks to Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s Christmas clemency. She spent 22 years working as the prison librarian. (“As the sole inmate librarian, she spent almost every weekday of the past 22 years in the small but busy library.” THS, January 7, 1967.) She was 53 years old.

New York Times, March 1942 – February 1944