The Washington times., 1906-09-13
MURDERER USED
SURGEONS KNIFE
Police Confident Mrs. Lewis
Slayer Was a Woman.
Motive Jealousy.
SUSPECTS BEING WATCHED
Husband of Victim Declares He
Knows Who Committed
Crime.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa. Sept. 13.-
The police today are convinced that
Mrs. Morris X. Lewis. whose body was
found Monday in closet In the apart
ment house at 2lO3 North Eleventh
street. was stabbed to death with a
lance in the hands OF a woman and
that jealousy was the motive.
A woman. whom the police suspect.
was at one time employed in a place
where surgical Instruments are made.
This woman today is being closely
watched. The police believe the wom-
an was aided by another woman or a
man.
A man wearing a steel gray suit
answering the description or the
clothes declared 10 have been stolen
from the house where the murder was
committed. is being hunted by the po-
lice in every part Of the city. Tho
police have had his description for the
last two days.
The police expect 10 arrest this man
any mlnute- In an interview today.
Mr.. Lewis asserted he had good grounds
for suspecting two persons, a woman
and a man. OF knowing how his wife
was fOully slain.
II have promised the police not 10
4
all 1 know about the murder of my
wife. I believe that my suspicious re
garding the identity OF her murderer are
correct, and If the police do not act
soon shall refuse to remain silent"
Jealousy as a Motive.
OF the many motives for a murder
only one seems 70 have a direct bearing
on this case According 10 Coroner Jer-
mon and his physicians. there was alb
solutely no evidence OF criminal assault.
The fact that money IVES left exposed
on a table in the room where the murder
was committed and nothing of value
touched in the house puts the damper
on the robbery theory. Maurice X.
Lewis. husband of the murdered wo-
man, is positive that neither he nor his
wife had an enemy in the world who
would take such means to avenge any
fancied wrong. His statement is borne
out by reports from Allegheny concern
ing the home life OF Mrs. Lewis before
her marriage. The police have run out
all these theories and declare that the
jealousy OF a woman was alone respon-
sible for the crime.
Police Guarding Miss Kelly.
Miss Kelly and Mrs. Robinson. her
mother. are under police guard at the
house where the body was found. Today
Miss Kelly will be taken over the course
she says she followed the day of the
murder. when she declares she was
shopping and out in West Philadelphia
The body was seen by the first patrol
man TO reach the house at 5;15 o'clock.
It was then limp. Doctors say bodies
become rigid in half an hour. or three
quarters at the outside.
S0mers Taken on Test Trip.
Harry somers, the star boarder in the
house where Mrs. Lewis was killed. is
stiu held at the City Hall He was
taken over the run by street car from
the store, where he worked, to the house
at 2l05 North Eleventh street yesterday,
and made the trip IA fifty-five minutes.
The police argue from this that he
could not have gone home in the noon
hour. But he Is still detained.
AS yet the police have not turned
loose the negro, Rift. although they say |
they have no proof against him.
Suspect Quickly Freed.
Warnings we're sent out Tuesday night
late FOR the arrest Of q white man In
''slate-coIored" clothes. possibly with
blood spots. Holmes Agnew was ar
rested under this description in Atlantic
City. but released as soon as the Phlla-
deIphia detectives saw him,
This description is based upon the
robbery theory, which has not yet been
discarded. although the missing wedding
ring has been found SOmers says he
had a "steeI colored' suit, which was
stolen.
Two locks broken on doors in Miss
KeIly's house may have been smashed
by the first policeman to get there.
This Is being investigated.
John r. Bruce, of the Built building,
and James Peacock, OF 2240 Colorado
street. say that they saw a man coming
out Of the alley back Of Miss Kelly's
house at 3:45 o clock the afternoon OF
the murder But the back gate OF Miss
kelys place was locked. and has al
WAYS been locked. and 10 have escaped
that way the murderer must have climb
ed over the fence. Mrs Harry Schein-
a