Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-12
|PLEAFOR RELEASE
BY HAbEAS CORPUS
Herbert Johns, Held for Alice
CrispeIPs Death, Applies
to Court.
AUTHORITIES TO MAKE
AN EXTENDED INQUIRY
District Attorney at Wilkes Barre to
Have Body Exhumed and Rex
| amined by Specialist.

WILkES-BARRE, Pa, July 12.-Judge
Fuller of the Luzerne county court to-
day entertained a motion for a writ of
hapeaS corpus for the release of Her
bert johns. the mine worker who is
being held in jail without bail In con-
nection with the death Of Alice Crispell
A hearing for argument on the writ
was fixed by the court for next We'd
nesday. Johns in the meantime will re-
main in Jail. In making the application
counsel for Johns called the attention
OF the court to the fact that a coroner's
jury Thursday night had exonerated the
prisoner from any connection with the
death of the girl.
Another development today was the
granting by the court of an order ap-
piled for by District Attorney Bigelow
for the disinterment Of the body Of
Miss Crispell. In making the applica-
ton. he said that he was not satisfied
that the autopsy was complete
District Attorneys Statement.
The district attorney told the court that
he did not know whether the case was
one of murder. suicide or accident and
he wanted second autopsy performed to
help him in determining how the girl
died. He added that members Of the
Crispell family appeared to him to be
Indifferent as to how Miss Crispell died
but he believed the case to be Of such
Importance as to make second autopsy
necessary.
specialist from New York. 1t is expected
that the body of the girl. which was
found in Harveys lake near here last
Monday and buried Thursday, will be ex-
humed this afternoon.
Johns Committed to Jail.
At hearing last night before justice
of the peace Johns was held without bail
to await the action Of the Luzerne county
grand jury.
There is friction between the coroner
and the district attorney over the case
Thursday night jury sworn in by the
evidence produced. generating Johns
from any connection with the death of
the girl.
Verdict Displeases.
District Attorney ]. H. Bigelow and
the county detectives working on the
case were dissatisfied with the verdict
and the effort was made to make out a
prima facie case at last nights hearing.
The squire ruled that such case had
been made out and held Johns despite the
vigorous protests of his counsel.
Several of the witnesses examined last
night admitted having been with Miss
Crispell and Johns on the night Of the
Fourth of July when she was last seen,
and all testified that there had been much
beer drinking and that both Johns and
the girl had become i'll. Several Of the
witnesses testified that Johns had promis-
ed to take the girl to her home.
Evidence Is Similar.
The evidence produced at the hearing
was similar to that given at the
coroner's inquest Thursday night. Will
liam Aicher. who was with Johns and
the girl the night Of July 4. testified
that the girl had coaxed Johns to ac-
company ner home and had promised
to provide place for him to sleep with
a relative. Aicher said the girl had
a few drinks and appeared slightly Ill.
Johns in preliminary statements at
the time OF his arrest said that he did
not take Miss Crispell home because he
became i'll. The district attorney said
today that he was attempting further
to verify this statement of Johns.
The prisoner will he put through an
other severe examination today by de-
tectiyes. Thus far he has stood the
ordeal Of examination well, the de-
tectives declare.