Milford chronicle., 1913-07-18
JOHNS CHARGED
WITH MURDER
FianCee Of Lake Victim Held
Without Bal.
CORONERS JURY IGNORED
Suspicion Also Enveiopt the Father
Of Alice Crispsll and He Is Under
Surveillance.

~ NUT StiSFei e"O T't 70 ~hSNt
Surveillance.
Herbert johns, accused Of numbering
his sweetheart. Alice CIispeil whose
body was found in Harveys lake. was
held on the charge of murder in the
first degree aitel a hearing before an
alderman in Wilkes Barre, Pa
A coroners jury had exonerated
Johns OF any connection win the ira
gedy, although deciding that the giTl
met her death through violence.
Although johns will now face trial
on tne charge Of killing the ~, with
whom he spent the last night sIe was
seen alive, d tangle OF suspicion has
also envelOped william Crispell, the
girls father, who, it is alleged. once
threatened to Kin her because o. her
waywardness ami irregular habits
A man IN the dark. seen hiding
along the road near the scene Of the
tragedy. about the time the girl is
thought 10 have lost her life, is believ.
ed by some to have been the father,
who observed her in company with
Johns during the day, hut did not
speak to her.
William Aicher. who was with Johns
and the girl on the night OF July 4.
at the OneOnts hotel Harvey's Lake,
was the first witness. He said The
girl had a few drinks and was slightly
i'll after drinking a lemon and setter.
He was forced 10 admit that be heard
Alice coax Johns 10 accompany neT
home promising to get a place for
him to stay with a relative
Mrs. Martha llolcomb. a sister OF
Alice. admitted that Alice was slightly
under The influence Of liquor and tnat
she was sick during the early even
ing.
George Casterline told Of finding The
body. Dr. p j. Higgins added to MS
testimony at the coroner's inquest,
saying that he hOi been engaged to
ascertain il Alice Crispeil net with
foul play He was asked concerning
the abrasion over the left eye, and
said the wound had not bled.
He declared he had not examined
the stomach or the lungs He said that
It would he possible for the Rirl to
have been dead when thrown into the
water and that the lungs would not
fill with wafer in such ease lie
gave drowning as the cause Of death.
ThisI degree methods were used IN
examining the father of Alice he
cluns tenaciously TO his story that be
was home in bed at the hour the eiTl
was last seen alive. He was unnerved
by the ordeal of the sweatbox and
showed signs Of great anxiety. but he
offered nothing that woula tend TO
break down his original story
Crspen's admissions that he had
threatened to shoot the girl and his
statements that he was often called
upon to chastise her because Of Der
irregular habits. prompted the author
ities to suspect that ne might have lain
in wait or be girl and in beating heI
pushed her into the lake
Letters which the authorities have
in their possession show that Herbert
Johns the girls lover. was never anx-
ious to meet the girls father The let
tiers limited that Joins was blamed for
the, girls waywardness.
This has led the authorities 70 he
lieve that Crispell may have become
angered when lie saw the girl and
Johns together at the Oneonta hotel
and that he waited along the roadway
for her.
It is reasoned that il Johns did
leave the si'. as ne saws he did, hat
the father might have been the mys-
terious man in a dark suit and met his
daughter. and as result OF a possible
attempt to ohastise her caused her 70
fall into the lake.