New-York tribune., 1902-12-09
WESTPH4L ARRESTED.
Sans He Put B5OmO SeH-eT IN
LeYk's Glass.
GOT BICYCLE WITH OLD MANS NONE,

New developments-in which bromo-seltzer fig
ures-in the case of George F. Leyh. who died
after drinking poisoned beer at his home, No.
73 Broa 1way, Brooklyn, last Tuesday. led to
the arrest last night OF Robert WestphaI, the
fourteen -year-od boy, who was the only one
with the old man when he took the beer.
The boy who for the first time last night de-
cared that he had poured bromo-seltzer in Mr..
Leyh's glass. and who confessed to having
bought a bicycle with S27. which in his
employers pocketbook. was held on the technical
charge of being a suspicious person. He was
sent around to the shelter of the Children's So
ciety where he was locked UP. and will be ar
raigned in the AdaIns-st court this morning.
An effort will be made TO hold him until the
chemist has completed his analysis of the dead
mans stomach and of the beer.
The move that made last night was large
" due to the members af the Leyh family, who
have become impatient at the way the case was
handled by Captain Short, of the Bedford-ave
station. They had their suspicious about the
case. and expressed them freely to Coroner Will
iams Late in the afternoon Detectives Donion
and Miller, of Captain ReynoIdss detective bu-
reau who had been working Independently of
Captain Shorts men, got what they considered
important story.
They learned that on the evening of the day
on which Mr.. Leyh died the Westphal boy had
bought bicycle for S27 of the Yonkers Sport
ing Goods and Novelty Company, No. S69
Broadway. Brooklyn.
Armed with this information, Miller and Don
ion went to see WestphaI at his home. No 2oi
stockholm-st They asked him to tell them
about the bicycle he had bought The boy de-
MED having bought wheel and stick TO his
denial Then he was taken to the sporting
goods store where he positively Identified
by the young woman who had sold the bicycle
10 him She said that he had ordered IL sent
TO his home on the day before Christmas.
Finally. the boy admitted having bought the
bicycle. Next came questions as to where he
had got the money. His reply was that he had
picked it up in the street in front OF the f1rst
National Bank, Broadway and Kent-ave' at
6 d. m, on the day that Mr.. Leyh died After
some rather sharp questioning Westphal ad-
mttted that he had found the pocketbook on the
floor Of the Leyh house an hour and a half
after his master had died He had put 1t IN MS
nocket. not thinking it wrong, and hao
forgotten to say anything about it.
When Coroner Williams, who Is more famlilar
with the case, arrived, he went at the boy AGAIN.
When ii came to talking about the notties III
The Ieyh house Robert suddenly startled the
detectives by calmly saying that there were
two bromo-seItzer bottles there, and that he
had put dose of the drug in the glass from
which Mr. Leyh had taken his beer
But. Robert" said Coroner Williams. you
have said repeatedly that the beer tasted fiat
Now surely that would not be so If IL had bron1o-
seltZer in it.
We'll I don't know" replied the boy. how
that would be- but the beer was fiat
In order TO verify the boys story partially
two detectives at once sent to the Leyh
home They reported by telephone that there
were two bottles labelled bromo-seltzer on the
shelf and that was empty and the other
full. They confiscated. and what is left
of the stuff will be analysed.
The family thinks that some of the bottles OF
nelson in the photographers outfit in the store
might have been opened, some of the contents
taken out and the bottles thrown away. None
of those there now show any evidence or having
been tampered with recently.