Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-08-14
viii Do Much to Solve the Bartho-
liz Murder Mystery.
THOMPSON AGAIN SWEATED
Has a Marked Effect and for Mo-
ment lie Almost Collapsed Pressed
Him Hard 10 No Purpose,

Chicago, Aug, l3.--The police OBJ
tanned their first clue of value in the
Bartholin case tonight and develop
ments that viii go far toward solving
the mystery are expected within "a
hours
Inspector Hunt late tonight found a
woman who declared that at daybreak
on the morning following the night in
which Miss Mitchell disappeared In
company with William Bartholln, she
saw Oscar Thompson, driver for a
laundry company, and who Is now held
In custody by the police, John ClaiIy
the barn boss for the same concern,
and man wearing a Panama hat ana
dark sack coat in front Of the laundry
at daybreak. They were standing he
meath a bright arc light and she saw
them plainly She resided In the
nelghborhCod and knew both men Well.
While the police have always con-
tended that Thompson, who was
boarGor In the house Of Mrs Bartholin,
had knowledge Of her death. they had
not suspected that he was in any way
connected with the murder Of Minnie
Mitchell. The woman was positive,
however in her statement that she
saw Thompson and Claffy In company
with third man at the time and place
mentioned She knew both OF them,
and declared that there was no chance
Of her being mistaken The descrlp-
ton Of the third man, so far as Il des-
crlbes anybody Is description OF
Bartholln, the night he was last seen
with the Mitchell girl
Officers were at once sent In search
OF Clahv and he was taken into Gus
;ody without difficulty. The police will
talk to him tomorrow.
Thompson was then called into the
office Of the inspector and informed
that he had been seen with Claffy and
Bartholin on the morning following the
night Of the killing of the Mitchell girl.
The information had a marked effect
upon Thompson and he seemed for
moment on the point Of colapsng He
rallied however, and declared that he
was not there and knew nothing Of the
affair The police pressed him hard,
but he would not alter his statement,
although he was plainly much wor-
red.
After the interview Inspector Hunt
declared that he was more than ever
impressed with the opinion that
Thompson had guilty knowledge Of the
murder Of Mrs. Bartholln and he
thought before long Thompson would
weaken and tell what he knows.
Il cannot give the name Of the wo-
man who gave me the information about
the three men," said the inspector but
am positive that she told me the
truth. She knows Thompson and Olaf
| ~ personally and there is not one
. chance in a thousand of her being mis-
I taken. We had not suspected Claffy
! Of being in the case at all, and her
| statement that she positively recognized
him makes II impossible that she should
have been mistaken regarding Thomp-
son, whom she knows as we'll as she
| knows Claffy. The description of the
third man fits. Bartholin so far as Il
goes and / feel very confident that we
are on the right trail and will have
the strings all In our hands before very
| long"
The woman tonight was confronted
with Thompson, and while he was
| forced 10 admit theI he knew her and
| that she knew him, he denied the story.
| ut NOHlun utIltu tfldl llBnl-COl-
ored cap, which Thompson had at
| tempted TO throw away, was one that
he wore at the time she saw him under
| the electric light.
When asked why he threw the cap
away TO wear the one he had on when
he was arrested he hesitated and then
said Give me until tomorrow, / will
tall; with YOU then"
This plea was taken as an indication
! that ThompsOns stoidity was broken
down at lest by the strong evidence he
| had been confronted with. and the po-
| lice think he will tell all he knows to-
| morrow. They expect he will confess
| to a share In the murders.
Claffy after Thompson, was confront
| ed with the woman In black. He at
| first said he did not know her but i'm
mediately admitted that he did when
she called him by name. Claffy is d
man about As years old The woman
repeated the story In exactly the same
way she told II at first Claffy denied
being with Thompson and Bartholin at
the time and was Immediately locked
up.
The police during the day received a
number OF clues concerning the where
| abouts Of Bartholin. but none OF them
amounted to anything. They admitted
tonight that they did not know what
, had become Of him.