Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-17
BRAN INNOCENT, thinks
MRS. R|NEHART, IN NEW
BOOK PARALLE[|NC CASE

That Thomas Bran, who was re-
Gently released from the Federal
Prison a Atlanta. after serving sew
enteen years for the murder of three
persons on the bark Herbert Fuller
is innocent of the crime, is the belief
of Mrs. Mary Roberts Rnehart. the
noted authoress, whose latest book,
The After House." parallels and is
based upon the incidents that con-
victed Bran, Mrs. Rinehart has re
Gently issued statement through
her publishers. in which she asserts
Bram's innocence. and advances ar
sument TO sustain ner belief.
Two Stories Parallel.
Mrs. Rineharts story is so evident
ly modelled after the famous Bran
case that Atiantans who have read !;
and who were familiar with the Local
end of the case were able readily to
trace the resemblance The murders
in the story and the murders that
actually occurred on the Herbert Full
Ter were committed with an ak: the
same number of persons were on
board the fictional boat and the real
boat. Through the story the parallel
between the Ella and the real ship
Herbert Fuller is striking. and the
first mate, SiISleton. of the Ella, Is
mate of the Herbert Fuller Like
Bran Singleton was suspected of the
crime and tried, but, unlike Bran,
was acquitted Here is Mrs. Rine-
hart's argument, by which she Sus-
tatns her belief III the innocence of
Bran;
Motive Dscredited
ca Bram's motive lacking any otl-
er, was laid to piracy If Bran had
had any piratical ambitions, it would
have been his attempt during the ear
lY part of the voyage to ConCiliate the
crew. On the contrary, his treatment
Of them was so harsh that when he
feared mutiny he impored the pas
senger to protect him from them The
only motive which the prosecution
could attribute to the first mate was
piracy. and here we have ii absO-
lutely discYedited.
CbD The crimes were hideoue'y
bloody ones. The AK left its dripping
trail IN the COmpa nionWaE to he
deck. diagonally across the roof Of
the afterhouse and back again to its
hiding place under a lashing plank.
eight feet forward of the port corner
Of the afterhouse. Could the muir
derer have avoided being stained
with blood? Or al least, fearing that
Dram was below five or six minutes
from the time Brown last saw him on
deck before he came up again. 1t
does not appear how long ne was be-
low from the time Brown heard the
Shrek until he came on deck again.
After i.uheaC heard the gurglinG
sound Bran went below. but came
NJ Immediately afterwardD And yet
from the moment Bran, according to
Browns story, came on deck, just
after Brown had heard the woman's
Shrek. until broad daylight Bran
was in the presence of others. ma le
no attempt TO change his clothing or
to wash, He went fearleSsly into the
Messengers room, while the passeH-
ger dressed. although the cabin was
lamp-lt
Discrepancy in Browns Story.
tc) There is a curious disCreDanrE
of time in the story Charley Brown
told at the trial He stated that five
or six minutes passed from the time
he missed Bran from the deck until
he returned up the forward compan-
ionwaN: that in that interval h HAD
seen him attack the captain and
heard Mrs Nash scream: that al the
end of this approximate length Of
time Bran appeared at the forward
comp niouway. walked back over the
roof Of the afterhouse. which served
as a part Of the deck to the point
where the blood stains stopped
stepped down on to the pO!t side 81
the deck, walked between the whntl
and the binnaCle to the starbOaCd
side, turned and walked back to the
port side. and then again to star
board After that he called TO Lo-
heac, who was on watch forward