Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
DENY CONFESSION
OF MOHR'S MURDER
Negroes Charged With Staying
Physician Say They Did
Not Admit Killing.
TALKED JOKINGLY TO POLICE
Assert Absolute Innocence and
Belief That Widow Knew
Nothing of Crime.
TALKED JOKINGLY TO POLICE

complete reputation OF the alleged
plices gave new turn to-day to the
case OF Mrs. Elizabeth Tiffany Blair
Mohr. at whose door the police had
laid the death Of her husband. DR. c.
Franklin Mohr.
the police. followed admissions by
George w. Healis. chauffeur for DR..
Mohr: G. Victor Brown formerly en-
piovcd a hostlcr at the physician's s
Newport estate, and Henry Spellman
n half-brother of Brown, that she had
hired them to assassinate her husband.
upon whom she sought vengeance he
cause of personal abuse and his atten-
tions to other women.
For three days the officers have
sought evidence TO corrohorate the
published statements attributed TO the
three negroes. So far as known. they
have met with little success The re-
volvers with which the physician and
his secretary Miss Emily G.. Burger.
were shot had not been recovered to-
night, though in their reputcd confess
sions the owners stated that they would
he found in a brook near the scene of
the crime.
>,
of Darlington, in whose district the
murder was committed, and who has
immediate charge OF the police invcsti-
cation. when informed that the men
had denied their guilt. admitted that,
SO far he knew. none of them had
ever signed confession. The only
signed statement was ON in which
Heals expressed the opinion that the
motive of the crime was robbery.
Mrs. Mohr. from the first. has stoutly
maintained her innocence, and ex-
planned the murder by saying that
Brown had grudg- against the doctor
since his discharge, md that robbery
probably was an added incentive
WILL BE GIVEN HEARING
ON SEPTEMBER ia
Mrs Mohr. who Is out on bail, and
the threeinegroes Will be given hear
ing on September Ii. but It is consid-
cred doubtful that Mrs. Mohr's case
| Will be heard IS the grand jury be-
fore the December sitting. She is
charged with melting the men to COM
! mitting the murder. The penalty for
first degree murder in this State is life
Imprisonment. Capital punishment
was abolished some years ago.
The denial was made In the county
Jail At Bristol, where the negroes are
locked up pending a hearing at Warren
on September Is. Heals. the chauf-
feur. was the spokesman. Brown and
Spellman signified their assent TO all
he said
Tell the people," Healis said. that
We are absolutely innocent. and tina.
we believe Mrs. Mohr knew nothing OF
this crime. We have never signed a
confession. and anything so said to the
Providence police was said in a joking
way or in spirit of anger.
DIR. Mohr. to my knowledge, had
been threatened by several prominent
Rhode Island people. / found letter
in his car from man living on Elm
wood Avenue in which he threatened
the doctor. and said that If he did not
cease his attentions to his wife he
would fill him full OF bullets"
DOCTORS AUTOMOBILE
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER
Healis declared that the doctors au-
tomobile was followed, and it was his
| theory that DR.. Mohr was shot by some
man who jumped out OF car. fired at
both the physician and Miss Burger,
and then wrecked the machine on a
cross-road.
Brown broke in and said: II see
that the Providence police say that
Heals saw Mrs. Nohr in Providence
on Monday evening. That's a joke,
for Healis was in Newport all day Mon
day and Monday night"
Brown denied that he had ever writ
ten or signed confession.
Heals. resuming his story. said:
when / started the machine in the
h1rn Ttto oGd OH
On the way down the lights kept going
noticed by the headlights that car
was following me. but when / tried to
speed up the machine to shake off the
one behind, the engine went back on
me and finally stalled. The other car
came up behind, slowed down, and then
| went on. Just beyond where we
stopped is cross-road. a few minutes
after the car passed the shooting be-
gan. and believe that the man jumped
| out of the car when it slowed down
did the shooting and then cut across
| lots to the car on the cross-road."
ATTORNEY CONTINUES
HIS SEARCH FOR WILL
| Arthur Cushing. attorney for Mrs
Mohr. continued his quest for will OF
VI.
of New York. one OF two children by a
former marriage. said he did not think
there would he any disagreement over
the disposition OF his fathers estate
He said that he and his stepmother had
virtually agreed upon division OF the
property. which he estimated to be
worth 100000. He expected to re-
ceive $4,000. and his sister, Mrs
| Ernest Marr. of Baltimore like
| amount. The rest of the estate, he
said. would probably go to Mrs. Mohr
| and her two children.
Relating events subsequent to the
shooting, Healis said Miss Burger kept
crying hysterlcally on the trip back tc
Providence: "Oh, this must not get into
the newspapers"
At the Rhode Island hospital. accord
Ing to the chauffeur. George Rookie, a
brother-ln-law OF Miss Burger. accused
2 III, - IL r.k