New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-12
HELD AS GIRLS SLAYER
AFTER BEING CLEARED
Johns, Alice CrispeI|'s Admirer,
Committed on Same Evidence
That Exonerated Him.
PROTESTS; WILL FIGHT
Alderman Holding Court De-
cides Case Is Made Out
Girls Father Grilled-Body
May Be Exhumed.
[Ry Telegraph to The Tribune.

IBy Telegraph TO The Tribune.l
Wilkes Barre, Penn, July 11.-Tne
same evidence which a coroner's Jur!
heard last night, and on which the!
exonerated Herbert Johns of any part
in the murder OF his sweetheart, Alice
Crispell. tonight resulted I'm johns
being arraigncd and held on a charge
of murder i'm the first degree. Alder
man Frank B. Prown heard the case
and held Johns without bail, as the
slayer of tn girl TO await the action
Of the next grand jury. Alderman
Brown declared that the commonwealth
made out a prma facie case. and said
the evidence fully warranted that Johns
be held. Tbe prisoner took this de-
cision very hard. but he will begin a
fight tomorrow to get his freedom on
habeas corpus, 1t being his belief
that the judges Of the court VIII not
hold him on the evidence the common
wealth has so far offered.
The hearing before Alderman Brown
was personally conducted by District
Attorney John IL. Bigelow. Frank
McGugan appeared for Johns.
William Aicher, who was with johns
and the girl on the night of July 4, at
the Oneonta Hotel, Harvey's Lake, was
the first witness. lie said the girl had
few drinks ana was slightly i'll after
drinking a lemon and settler. He ad-
mittcd he heard Alice coax Johns TO
accompany her home. promising To get
place for him to stay with a relative.
Girl Had Been Drinking.
Mrs. Martha Holcomb, sister Of the
girl. gave practically the same tesu-
mony she gave last night, but on cross
examination admitted that Alice was
slightly under the influence of liquor
and that she was i'll during the early
evening. George Casterline told OF
finding the body.
Or. p. ]. Higgins was the next wit
ness. lie and District Attorney Bige-
low had several spats. The doctor
added 10 his testimony Of last night by
saving that he had been engaged TO
ascertain IL Alice Crispell met with
foul play. He was quizzed cons erning
the abrasion over the left eye, and said
the wound had not bled. lie declared
he had not examined the stomach or
the lungs. He said that the girl could
not have been dead when thrown into
the water, and that the lungs would
not nil with water in such case.
&. r. Nicholson testified that he came
along the lake road with his wife
shortly after IL o'clock, and that when
near the boat landing he heard a girl
cry. He said a man rushed past them
II che darkness.
Stella Oney. Clara Johns and Seph-
ania Reese told the same stories they
told at the Coroner's inquest
Father Closely Questioned.
William Crispeli, the girls father,
was grilled by detectives the entire
day, but he made no damaging admis-
sions. He chung to his original story
i'm all the essential details, but was
plainly unnerved by the ordeal. Girls
pel has admitted that he once threat
cned TO shoot the girl for staying out
late at night and that he frequently
chastised her, hoping To reform her
II is also known from letters that have
passed between Johns and his sweet
heart that Crispell did not regard
Johns highly, and that the girls ad'
mlrer always managed 10 keep out OF
his company.
| The body OF Alice Crispell may bt
secretly exhumed In order that another
autopsy may be held. County detec'
tives and District Attorney BigeloU
| believe that another examination OF
| the body should be made In order thai
the lungs and the stomach may be ex'
amined This question was taken uI
at a conference to-day, and Or. S. NJ
Wolf was called In. After a lengthy
talk the District Attorney said that h'
! would not attempt TO exhume the body
just at this time. Because Of the eX.
element a step OF this kind might
cause. It Is generally believed that thu
county officials will arrange to have III,
body secretly taken from the grave, in
the Lehman Cemetery. and for DR.
Wolf TO hold an autopsy before the
fact Of the elimination becomes
known.