The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-07-12
JOHNS CHARGED
WITH MURDER
Fiancee Of Lake Victim Held
Without Bail.
CORONER'S JURY IGNORED
Suspicion Also Envelops the Father
of Alice CrispeIl and He is Under
+ Surveillance.

Wilkes Barre. Pa, July 12,-iierbert
Johns, accused of numbering his sweet
heart, Alice Crispell, whose body was
sound in Harvey's lake, was held or
the charge OF murder in the first de
gree after a hearing before an alder
man
A coroner's jury had exonerateo
Johns OF any connection with the ira
gedy, although deciding that the sr
met her death through violence.
Although Johns will now face tria
on the charge OF Killing the girl, with
whom he spent the last night she was
seen alive, tangle of suspicion has
also enveloped William Crjspeii, the
girls father. who it is alleged, once
threatened to kill her because OF hel
waywardness and 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 to have lost her life, is believ
ed by some to have been the father
who observed her i'll company with
speak to her.
William Aicher. who was with Johns
and the girl on the night of July 4
ct the Oneonta hotel. Harvey's Lake
was the first witness. He said the
girl had few drinks and was slightly
Ill after drinking a lemon and seltzer
He was forced TO admit that he heard
Alice COAX Johns to accompany hel
home, promising to get place fol
him to stay with relative.
Mrs Martha Holcomb. a sister of
Alice, admitted that Alice was slightly
under the influence of liquor and that
she was sick during the early even
ing.
George Casterline told of finding the
body Dr. p j. Higgins added to his
testimony at the coroner's inquest
saving that he had been engaged tc
ascertain if Aice CrispeIl met 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
1t would be possible for the girl tc
have been dead when thrown into the
water and that the lungs would not
III with water in such a case. He
ave drowning as the cause of death.
degree methods We're used il
4xamining the father of Alice. He
dung tenaciously TO his story that he
was home in bed at the hour the gir
was last seen alive He was unnerved
by the ordeal of the sweatboX and
showed signs of great anxiety. but he
offered nothing that would tend tc
break down his original story.
j. Crispell's admissions that he had
! Threatened to shoot the girl and his
statements that he was often called
upon to chastise her because of hel
Irregular habits, prompted the author
tiles to suspect that he might have lair
in wait or the girl and in beating hel
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
ters hinted that Johns was blamed fol
the girls waywardness.
This has led the authorities to be
Heve that Crispell may have become
angered when he saw the girl anC
Johns together at the Oneonta hote
and that he waited along the roadway
for her.
It is reasoned that if Johns die
leave the girl. as he says he did, thai
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 chastise her caused her tt
fall into the lake.