The San Francisco call., 1897-11-12
Perhaps the Blind Man
Did Not Strangle
Alice Brown.
Small Hands That Could Not
Have Made the Marks on
the Girls Throat.
Large Fortune Cla m d by the
Accused Vender That May
Aid His Defense.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL.

BOSTON, Nov. 11-To-day saw sur
prising turn in the Alice Brown murde
case 1t no longer looks so black for the
blind song-vender, who is charged with
the killing Ly the only weapons possib' e
10 blind man-his hands. Two bright
young lawyers have been retained, rely
ing for their pay upon Leavltt's claim
upon u legacy CT $75 900 LETT by his foster
ia her, who cut him off with paltry five
dollar note.
The mystery in the case is deepened by
the claim that the small hands OF the
blind man could not have mai e the marks
on the throat OF the murd cred woman. If
this is So who was the murderer? The
body of Mary Alice Ruderhan, or Alice
Brown, as she was better known, has not
yet been buried. William F. Ruderhan, her
brother, claimed the body, and was going
to take it 10 Rindge, n. H., to-day and
consign it to grave beside her mothers
in the village churchyard, but sensa-
tional move made by the attorneys for
William c. Leavitt, the blind song-vender,
will prevent any attempt to remove the
body. Early this morning the lawyers ap-
pealed 20 District Attorney Oliver Stevens
10 restrain any persons from burying the
body until they have had an opportunity
to photograph the finger on the
young girls throat. A photographer, g
physician and an expert IN measuring
visited the Morgue. Every mark on the
girls threat was closely scrutinized, every
portion of the body was separately photo
Grauhed.
This move is considered 10 be important
and suggestive. 1t means that an attempt
will be made to prove that the hands which
so powerfully c.u:ched the throat of Alice
Brown were not those Of the blind song
vender. The blind song-vender claims
that the finger marks on the throat of
Alice Brown were too large to have been
made by him. The measurements were
maue for the purpose OF proving this.
Leavitt has peculiar thumb on his left
hand. The attorneys ella m that the de-
scription OF the thumt-mark does not tally
with shat OF one which Leavitt's thumb
would make. Leavtt also Gains that he
was not near Alice Browns room when it
Is supposed the crime was committed
His attorneys were at the COming-street
house and tried to find man for whom
the blind vender opened he door 10 let in
the house that night. They Will account
for Leavitt's appearance III the hall bv his
going 10 the door 10 let this man into the
house
Leavitt thinks he has fighting chance
to get share of the fortune left by his
Herbert d. Leavitt, which is
estimated at $50, COO. If he succeeds in
himself from the charge of mur-
der i: Is his intention, he says, TO try to
upset the will + his benefactor Laavitt
is understood to have N his posses sion
alleged facts regarding IA conversation that
a woman living near the Leavitt ia mily in
Melrose overheard about the time the vii!
was made. By the will OF Herbert D.
Leayitt, filed for pro bate at the Middlesex
County Courthouse, East Cambridge.
f. bruary 3 1898, and drawn March Is.
1891, the adopted son, William Craw-
ford Leavitt, was cut off with a bequest
Of s..