Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-17

$1,000 from the Real Estate Title Insur-
ance and Trust Company three months
! before his disappearance on March 20,
1914 He mortgaged his properties at 1922
South Front street and 20i3 Catharine
street for the purpose, He did not put
the money In bank and there Is nothing
to show that he put IL into the leather
goods business. in which he was associ-
ated with Keller at 432 North 18th street
What became Of this money? Did Kel-
Ter know what became OF it? These
questions the police are determined to
solve. the most important in this quick
developing case since the finding on We'd
nesday at noon of the body.
TALE OF BAD CHECKS.
The career of Keller was revealed with
greater detail today. II was declared
by Mrs. Michael Jennings, mother of
the victims wife, today that Keller
visited her home at s66 North 22d street
several times since McNichoI disappeared,
saying that the missing man was In New
York, alive and we'll but in great need
of money. She said she gave him on one
occasion $40 in cash and on another
check for s25 for her son-ln-law.
Then she became suspicious and re-
called the s25 check, so when Keller went
to the bank he could not get the money
Detective Belshaw said that he had
traced bad checks and believed that Kel-
Ter was implicated in the attempt to
pass at least one of them.
WHERE is THE 5000?
David ]. Smythe. former Director of
Public Safety, counsel for the McNichol
family, said today that the disappearance
of the 5000 was very mysterious, Nc
Nichol, he said. could hardly have spent
the money in the short time between the
time he borrowed the money, on DeCem-
Der 16, 1918 and the day of his dlsap-
pearance, March 30, 1914
One link in the chain Of mysteries was
cleared up today. Edward j. Connery
who was a partner of Keller's in the
Red star laundry at 1862 Frankford ave-
nue. in the cellar of which the body was
found turned up today. It was at first
believed that it might be his body which
was in the trunk He was closely ques-
toned by the. detectives at City Hail
as to his dealings with Keller.
WAS COUSIN OF ]. p. McNICHoL.
McNichol was the son of the late Ed
ward McNichol, for many years a tip
staff in the Court of Common Pleas and
before that a city contractor. He was
a cousin. twice removed Of State Senator
James =. AIcNichol. He was the son of
Edward McNichol's first wife His fa-
thers second wife was Miss Sallie Dur
ham. sister of the late Israel Durham.
heleT mas enSaEeu NllTeICe |
Sterner, an attorney with offices In the
Land Title Building, to defend him. Mr..
Sterner said today that he would go be-
fore Judge Finletter In the Court of
Common Pleas today to ask that a writ
of habeas corpus be granted for the re-
lease of Keller.
1t was not McNichol's body that was
found in tie trunk, Mr.. SteTner declared, |
and both he and Mrs. Keller said that
they would produce witnesses at the
proper time to show that McNichol is
alive today and living in the West.
MISSING WATCH A CLUE.
The chief points which the police say
they have against Keller arc these: That |
certain pieces of leather straps were |
found in house he formerly occupied
and they are of the same kind of leather |
as that found on the trunk in the base
ment of the dismantled and unoccupied
house at 1862 Frankford avenue; that the
place where tie trunk was found was
once used By Keller as a laundry; that
McNichols gold watch and diamond ring |
are missing, and that, according to Mrs.
McNichol, Keller came to her home, S66 |
North 22d street, in october, 1914, or seven |