New York, Dec, 21.
By the arrest today of Emil Totterman, a Swedish sailor, the police believe that they have cleared up the mystery of the murder of Sarah Martin, whose mutialted body was found yesterday afternoon in Kelly's hotel, a low sailor's resort on the East river front. The arrest, which was made in the sailor's union headquarters, followed information received from detectives who were sent to Bridgeport, Conn., to follow up a clue furnished by a purchase.

At police headquarters the prisoner check of Meigs & Co. of Bridgeport, for a pair of shoes and a sweater, which was found in the room in which the crime was committed. At police headquarters, the prisoner was fully identified by James Kelly, the proprietor of the hotel, his wife and other persons as the man who on Saturday night accompanied the Martin woman to the room in which her body was found. Totterman said that he had never been at the hotel, although he admitted that he had come from Bridgeport on Saturday. He also denied having purchased there the shows and sweater. He has been remanded on technicalities.

Tonight, Lopuis Baldwin and Parker T. Silverman, salesmen from Bridgeport, fully identified Totterman as the man who bought the shoes and sweater.