The evening world., 1902-12-05
Close Questioning for
Hours Fails to Shake
y His Declaration of limo.
cenee of Putting the
Poison in the Beer.
lCIDE THEORY SUGGESTED.
Electrician Says
Leyh Himself Got Handful of
Poison at His Shop Tuesday
Morning Before He Died.

Robert Westphal, the ourteen-year-
old office boy of George i. Leyh, who
died from drinking poisoned beer in a
room back of his store in Williams
burg. wac subjected to a rigid eXamina-
ton in the Bedford avenue police sta
ton this afternoon, and came out OF
! the ordeal unscathed. The police are
now convinced of his innocence.
The lnquIsitors who put the third de-
gree" screws to the boy were Inspector
Druhan and his man. Roundsman
Becker. Central Office Detectives Miller
and Donlan and Precinct Detectives Col
Inns. Tracy and Garland. They took
the boy into the Captains private office
about 1 O'Clock and kept him there for
two hours. The father. who was in the
police station with his son. was not al
lowed to be present. When the boy
finally cam. out of the room he was as
pale as a ghost ana dripping with pers-
.piration. He was allowed to leave the
police station, but he was so weak his
father had to support him. Inspector
Druhan said that he would not be kept
under surveillance
we are still in the dark" said the
Inspector, but hope to clear the mys-
terry up soon"
Detective Tracy said tina there was
no doubt of the boys innocence. as he
had PASSED through a remarkably severe
ordeal without finching. None OF those
present nor the boy would explain the
nature of the inquisition.
Another theory to which police atten-
ton has been turned is suggested by a
story told by Joseph A. Baltzer, propri-
etor OF an electrical supply store at No.
Isl Broadway. Williamsburg.
Mr.. Baltzer says Mr.. Leyh visited his
shop Tuesday morning and procured a
handful of sal-ammoniac. Baltzer let him
have 1t because he knew him well, but
cautioned him that 1t was Il deadly
poison.
Young Westphal was away from his
home from 4 o'clock yesterday after
noon until 5 O'clock this morning. His
mother said to-day that he had been
out In the storm without an overcoat
and without money. He was nor out in
the storm, in fact. and the police have
learned where he spent the time.
Boys New Statement.
ION the day Mr.. Levh died. says
young Westphal in his latest statement,
The drank considerable throughout the
morning. Soon after L came on at Z
o'clock he drank a glass OF whiskey.
Then after about an hour he drank a
bottle of beer, and soon after he went
to the cellar and got another bottle Of
beer.
after this he went to the bank for
eight minutes. and when he came back
he drank u glass of red wine. Then
Miss Isabel brought up his lunch from
the kitchen in the basement. After
leaving the lunch she said she was GO
ing across the street to the real es-
tate office to telephone her sister.
while she was gone Mr.. Leyh got
q bottle of beer TO drink with his lunch.
The first taste he took of 1t made him
cough. He called to me to taste It,
and L did. 1t was very bitter. L did
not take more than a teaspoonful. AS
/ set the glass down Mr.. Leyh got up
and walked around the table. Then
he fell on the floor grooming. His eyes
got CLASSY. and he looked like he was
II for got that Miss Isabel was across
the street and started down cellar 70
i, step l tainted and fell into the cellar.
/ guess | was unconscious for about
five or six seconds. When l cover
went across the street and told Miss
4ea1N was lIo
with her father.
Mr.. Leyh was nearly dead by that
time. ] was sick for about three hours.
''On the day before Mr.. Leyh died he
told me to remind him next Monday
tina he had to pay interest ON some
mortgages and make n will leaving all
his property to his children. lie had
been quarrellinS with Miss Isabel about
a dark young man she called Pierpont,
who used to call ON her,
Victim buried.
The funeral of Mr.. Leyh was held to-
day from his family residence. The in
terment was In Lutheran Cemetery. Six
carriages containing relatives followed
the body TO the grave,
While the funeral services were being
held ln he upper part OF the house Po-
lice Capt. Short was making a search
of the storerooms downstairs. In a
closet he found bottles containing eva
hide OF potassium n a bottle half full
of bisulphtde OF mercury. The latter
poison Is almost as rapid and sure in It's
effects as cyanide of mercury.
These chemicals were used by the
members Of the Leyh family in develop
Ing photographs. All are enthusiastic
amateurs. As the daughters were mar
ried and left the old home they left their
materials behind. Capt. Short thinks
that the bottle in which he found the
bisulphide OF mercury has been recently
disturbed.