New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-02-09
BAFFLED BY BOMB CASE
Dougherty, After FrultIeSS Day,
Seeks Relief at Theatre.
NEW MAN IN MYSTERY
Independent Investigation Re-
wolves Around Identity OF
Friend of Violette Leonard.

In the matter of the bomb murder mys-
tery pcputy Commissioner DoughertS' III
charge Of the case, went TO Weber q
Fields's last night, after saving the pollcs
had discovered nothing that would throw
any light on the murder
An investigation being conducted indie
pendently Of that under Commissioner
Dougherty developed yesterday man who
is new in the case and who was bitter
enemy Of the dead woman. He is the owner
Of an automobile and was an intimate
friend of Violette Leonard, of whom he
was so fond that he talked Of marrying
her, and she displayed a ring that she
said was an engagement ring given to her
by him.
This man frequently took Niolette Leon
ard away from the Walker fiat and Kept
her away for two or three days at time.
II is said by his friends that he was try
ing TO induce her to give up her way OF
life, and that It was this endeavor on his
par: that caused the quarrels between hirl
and Mrs. Walker. After the girl went to
the Magdalene Home he accused Mrs.
Walker OF having caused her to be SEP
arated from him.
Quarreled with Woman.
On the Wednesday preceding the bono
explosion this man went to Mrs. Walker ;
place. in nth street. late in the day. ana
there was a violent quarrel between him
and the woman. She had received a pack
age by mail that day, and it is suggested
by those who are making the investigation
that when he left the fat he took with him
the paper in which the mail package hau
been wrapped, having in his mind at the
time the idea Of sending the woman bonn.
This is offered as a suggestion 10 account
for the cancelled stamps on the paper in
which the bomb was wrapped. Postotticc
Inspector Jacobs has said positively that
the bomb was not sent by mail, and those
who are conducting the Independent in
vestigation are making a canvass Of the
small eXpressmen in the city to see if any
of them delivered the bomb
There are about two hundred of these
small independent eXpressmen, and
former head of the detective bureau sug-
gested yesterday that the bomb might
have reached the woman through one Of
them. When this suggestion was offered
10 Commissioner DOughertv. he readily re-
Piled that he was looking into that"
The man around whom the Investigation
revolves was a mechanic and had al least
sufficient knowledge Of electricity 10 con
struct the bomb. On one occasion he was
in a saloon frequented hv the Walker
woman and her friends when the electrical
piano got ont OF order. The man took 10
pieces the electrical apparatus that ran
the piano. repaired IT, and put II together
again
He was drunk al the time. and yet he
was sufficiently expert in the use Of tools
and sufficiently familiar with electrical
apparatus so that the piano has needed no
repairs since he fixed il This was not the
only time he exhibited his mechanical
ability All the repairs needed TO his auto
mobile were made by himself and he
showed his ingenuity in various small jobs
TOR his friends The making Of the bomb
required dizziness Of handling. as well as
knowledge Of mechanics and electricity,
and this the man showed constantly in a
marked degree
The explosive used in the bomb. accord
ing 10 the experts was not OF a compli-
Gated nature requiring any particular
knowledge Of chemistry. It consisted Of
black powder and chlorate Of potash. and
the mixture was one that anyone could
make The particular point was in the
making Of the bomb. as the person who
made IT took almost as much Of a chance
IN wrapping it up as did the person who
opened IL The mere matter Of the CON
structon shows that whoever made II must
have had perfect confidence in his own
ability 10 handle delicate apparatus.