Evening journal., 1915-12-17
THE trunk MURDER
MYSTERY IS SOLVED
Victim Identified as D. !.
McNichol, Leather
Manufacturer
SUSPECTED EMPLOYE
PLACED UNDER ARREST

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Dec. IT,
Quick work by District Detectives
Barrett and Tyson, of the Frankford
police station. led to the identification
yesterday of the body found in
trunk in a cellar at No. 4O6O-64 Ken
sington avenue as that of ID. j. Nc
Nichol, % years old, of No. S66 North
Twenty-second street. McNichol had
been on the missing list" in the de-
tective bureau since March 80, 1914.
Identification was made by his widow.
Several hours before the police COM
pleted the identification of the trunk
victim, Edward Keller, employed by
McNichol when he had leather fac
tory. and formerly proprietor of
laundry in the building where the
body was found, was arrested He
was placed in a cell at City Hall on
suspicion of murder"
The identification of the trunk vic
tim was accomplished through his
notebook. After working all night
with a microscope detectives found
that the book was used by McNichol
when he conducted a leather plant at
Twelfth and Hamilton streets. Keller
admitted that he had often seen the
book in the possession Of his former
employer.
AS Mrs. McNichol identified her hus
bands body she collapsed. When she
revived she told the police that two
days after her husband vanished kel-
Ter came to her and told her to aban-
don the search, as the missing man
had written to him from New York
g.. oil
his advice the police also abandoned
the search. When her husband did not
return. Mrs. McNichol looked for Kel-
Ter, but could not find them.
The dead man was a member Of
the firm Of McNichol & McQuade, and
when Keller was in their employ the
concern was known as the Keller
Leather Company. A man named Sut-
ton. formerly employed by McNichol,
also identified his body.
Keller was arrested at the silk goods
manufacturing plant of John Norris
1899 East Madison street. Keller's
wife is employed there as a fore
woman, and she advised her husband
to communicate with the police as
early as possible.
In the Office of the Norris concern
the police found Keller lie was will
ing to go to City Hall. where Captain
Cameron administered the third de-
gree" He told Cameron he was en-
ployed at the leather goods factory of
the Miller Closman Company. Twelfth
and ButtonwoOd streets. His employ
ers said his reputation was of the best
After forty minutes examination. Cap
tain Cameron ordered that Keller be
placed under arrest.
Keller retained an attorney. c. p
Sterner. yesterday afternoon. The lat
ter was incensed because the police
would not permit him TO see his client
He tried to invoke habeas corpus pro
seedlings late in the afternoon. but the
courts were closed. He said he would
apply for a writ this morning
Keller, with Edward J. COnnery
owned the Red Star Wet Wash Laun.
dry. in the building where the mans
body was discovered. The police have
tried in vain to find Connery. who is
% years old. An aunt. Mrs. Daniel f
Bradley, lives at 754 North Twenty.
second street She SAYS COnnery put
up $1,000 to start the laundry He wa.
married last June. but when he gOt
work in New Jersey his bride went tC
he home Of her parents in South Phil.
idelphia.
The police heard that Connery was
working at the DUPONT powder plant al
-Pennsgrove, n. j.. but investigation
disclosed that he left there November
10.
It was given out by the police tha
McNichol was a distant relative Il
State Senator James p McNichol. bu
this was denied by the Senator's wife