Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-10
love NOTES SHED
LIGHT ON TRAGEDY
Troubled, CrispeI| Girl "FeIt
Like Jumping Into
the Lake."

WILk ESBARRE. Pa, July 1O-Scores
Of letters that passed between Alice Girls
pell. the eighteen-year-old daughter Of q
farmer, whose body was found in Har-
veys lake last Monday. and Herbert
Johns, the mine worker. who Is under
arrest here in connection with her death.
have been made public by the county
detectives working on the case All the
letters are filled with love sentiments and
some of them show that the girl and
Johns had their troubles.
The girl in several missives to Johns
told of having quarrels with members OF
her family.
so many things are troubling me that
l feel like jumping into the lake" she
said in one letter Johns in letter to
the girl wrote: Il had a notion to jump
into the lake and end all my troubles.
Why, darling. l have so many l do not
know what to do with them
Both Had Been Drinking.
County Detective McKelvey. working
on the case said Johns admitted to him
night of the Fourth Of July. which was
the last night the girl was seen alive.
In one of his letters to Miss Crispell
Johns wrote:
I'm temperance between drinks and
SO are you, dearest. We won't have to
wait much longer till the Fourth Of
July. Then we'll have a devil Of a
time"
1t is expected that Sophanus Reese Of
Plymouth, who told the police yester-
day that he saw a girl resembling Miss
Crispell stagger along the road at Har-
yeys lake and that man was assist
ing her, will be one of the most i'm
portant witnesses at the inquest to-
night.
said today they feel almost sure that
the girl did not fall into the lake acci-
dentally, but that she either jumped
in or was thrown into the water.
The funeral of Miss CriSpell was held
from her home in the mountains today
Interment was in rural cemetery
about ten miles from the Crispell farm
Protests His Innocence.
Johns, who was taken into custody
shortly after the body was discovered.
continues to protest his innocence. His at
torney was In conference with the dis
trict attorney until a late hour last night
but the result of the interview was no,
made public.
Varying Theories Advanced.
Widely varying theories are being ad-
yanced to account for the girls death
| Those who believe Johns innocent assert
that another man may have killed the
girl or that she was seized with a faintine
SMELL and fell into the lake accidentally
| The detectives are trying to ge
possession of a letter which the cir
comnanion of Miss Crispell wrote to hel
| two weeks ago and which. 1t is said, may
contain some valuable information.
| Although the Crispell family cOntradic
the statement that their daughter was
subject to fainting spells. Johns himself
saws that the girl had a fainting spell
while walking on the streets of this city
| with him some months ago.
Opinion Of Physician.
Regarding the theory that Miss Crispel
was seized with one Of these spells wher
she left her lover Friday night last. an6
| while unconscious fell into the lake, 8
| well known physician. who has giver
the subiect some attention, says this
would not necessarily have caused death
| as the fall into the water would have
revived the victim and, as the water or
| the shore was quite shallow, she coulC
have waded out
| Nevertheless. those who are acquainted
| with conditions al the scene of tn,
drowning state that the body could
easily have been carried out into deeI
I water.