Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-02
WIFE HELD FOR HIRING
MEN TO KILL DOCTOR;
WARNED THE WOMAN
Slain Mans Chauffeur Says
She offered $4,000 if He and
Another Would Get"
Physician
ADMITS SENDING LETTER

! ADM - lOCIND1lNJ LIZ C1N
PROVIDENCE, r. l., Sept. 2.-Mrs
Elizabeth Blair Mohr widow of DR.. c.
Franklin Mohr, the physician who died
after being shot while riding in an au-
tomobe with Miss Emily Burger, was
! arraisned in Warren today and held, ac-
cused of hiring three men TO XIII her hus-
| band.
She will have further hearing two
weeks from today.
A plea of not guilty was entered by
Mrs Mohr through her attorney, Arthur
c. Cushing.
Three negroes, whose confessions, made
| TO the police caused Mrs. Mohr's arrest,
were also charged with murder and held
for a hearing on the same date. They
are George w. Healis, who drove the car
| In which the physician was shot; c. Vic
tor Brown alias James johnson, dis
! charged chauffeur OF Doctor Mohr, and
| Henry Spellman. half-brother of Brown.
They pleaded not guilty.
The arrest OF the slain Doctors widow
followed confessions made by Brown and
Heals, that Mrs. Mohr had offered to
give them $4,000 If they would kill her hus-
| band
| Inc ponce say tndt AlIs. MONT au-
ritted having sent a threatening letter
to Miss Burger but that she has made
no admission that she plotted the killing.
The following letter now in possession
of the police, was sent by Mrs Mohr n
| few days prior to the murder of her
husband TO George Rocks, brother-in-
law CT Miss Burger
| Dear Mr. Rooks.-Just a line to ask
you to tell your sister-in-law, Emily
Burger II she dares to go into my
Newport home she will never come out
alive. / am giving her fair warning.
No matter what the outcome may be,
/ will see it through.
II was told about her buying linen
at Gladdings for Doctor Mohr. I do
hope you will try and straighten mat
! tiers, and | know you can't stop her
| from going out to dinner with him, but
| she will have a sad ending II she keeps
! on aggravating me.
My home is being watched, and II
| should leave Newport this summer nv
| home Will be watched just the same
and should / get word / shall come
| right on.
The world is with me in my sor-
row. 1 am heartbroken.
Respectfully,
ELIZABETH T. MoHR.
| CONTRADICTS CHAUFFEUR,
The accused woman emphatically denied
| tho truth of the two mems statements
which were signed by them after an all
night grilling. She declared Brown, the
discharged chauffeur, had complained
| that Doctor Mohr owed him $40 and said
he would get square"
In addition to the money promised them
| according to the negroes, by Mrs Mohr
| for the shooting, they allege she provided
them with a motorcycle TO aid them in
committing the crime.
Developments came with startling ra-
pidity today, and II is believed the case
will prove one OF the most sensational in
the criminal records of Rhode Island.
spellman. the police say. confessed that
he fired three shots at Miss Burger and
that Brown fired the shots which proved
fatal to the physician.
Brown made the following confession:
"on Monday night, August 30, Mrs. Mohr
told me that she would give me $1,000 II /
would get the doctor right. She told me
| TO be sure and kill him. She said: Il
can't stand II any longer l said: Il
| don't want TO do IT, She said: Never
mind don't worry, 1 stand in with the
police at Newport and also with some OF
the Judges In Providence. I'll get you
out OF any trouble. I'll give you the 5000
In nine days the estate will be settled
II told her that had a half-brother,
Henry Spellman, and said he would help
me II l lid the job She said she'd give
me another $1,000 II got spellman 10 help.
She also told me that Doctor Mohr had
had two other children by women she did
not know.
CECIL VICTOR BROWN"
Heslis, who drove the machine when
the shooting took place. wrote the fol-
! lowing;
"Mrs. Mohr sent for me Tuesday night,
August 81. She told me that II ! would
stop where Victor Brown told me TO she
would give me 5000.
GEORGE w HEALIs."
Brown alleges Mrs. Mohr proposed sew
eral weeks ago that he kill Doctor Mohr
He told the police he brought spellnan
10 talk the matter over with Mrs. Mbhr
| BY request OF Mrs. Mohr. Brown said
Heals also was present at this interview
Brown and spellman, according 10 their
ooniessions, approached the spot where
the Doctors car was stalled by Heals
erept through the bushes and fred ~ ths
occupants After the shots were nred thev
returned 70 their motorcycles and ned
IN the darkness.
As soon as Mrs. Mohr was breugh, %
neaoquarters she was taken before Police
commissioner Bennins p. Moulton, Chief
| OF Police Thomas E Robbins =. - ~
rington; Constable James Wsusc.
speotor James Ahsarn ana captain af
Detectives George II. Monohan
Then Brown, Heals and spelIn,a, 49,.
pfousht INTO the room. All present h
ne room looked al Mrs Mohr sha
turned her eyes toward Victor Brown. ths
oisehsTged chauffeur. and said. Wv
II isn't 20. You know yon 80. 49,.
% my house enq laid that you were soisr ~
% SCI SQUARE with the doctor 49, s,,se se'hhs ~
aiq noi pay you what be owed ~, y