Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-31
COHEN'S PITY SAID TO
HAVE MADE HIM KILL
Continued from rape one

vent suffering He worried constantly
over his erandmothers condition and
finally he decided the sacrifice of his life
was not too high a price to pay for her
release. according TO members Of the
family.
Cohen knew he could not end his
grandmother's life without putting his
own in Jeopardy. He did not care so
much for this as for the scandal that
would follow her killing, hence he de-
ciled to commit suicide and let those
left behind unearth the motive as best
they could He always had been meth
odical and bit fastidlous. Having come
to this decision calmly. he was calm in
carrying 1t out. lie went straight
through with his plan, swift and certain
when he started to act.
tIe arose yesterday morning before
other members Of the family. The night
before he had prepared a reason for this
in the story that he was TO return to
Chicago He went into the bathroom,
making sure he was seen. He shaved as
he would any other day. He went back
TO his room.
To that-.point there had been moth
ing unusual In his actions. Therefore no
one awake in the house suspected any
thing unusual and he was hardly no.
ticed In what he did next.
He slipped the revolver under his dress
ing gown, large revolver well oiled.
with a hammer spring powerful enough
to drive a hole through the brass cart
ride and obviate the possibility of miss
ing fire. Then. unhurrled. he walked up
to the third floor. held the muzzle OF the
heavy revolver a few inches from his
grandmother's head and fired,
Cohen did not even hesitate before he
followed her into death. The echo OF the
first shot was still sounding in the other
wise silent house when there came n
second. He never regained consciousness.
His sister sat by his bedside at the hos
pltal and held his hand and waited, but
his eyelids never lifted. and soon he died
DOUBLE FUNERAL FRIDAY.
Watchers sat in the rooms where the
bodies of Mrs. Cohen and her grandson
lay all last night, in accordance with an
ancient Jewish custom. They will be
there until the funeral, and after burial
"A special watcher will keep vigil for
three nights over the graves in the Mt
Sinai Cemetery at Frankford, where
burial is to be made.
A double funeral will be held Friday
morning from the home of Charles ].
Cohen, president of the Chamber of Com
merce. where the shooting occurred Ow-
ing to the circumstances and the notori-
ETY.. the services will be private.
The rites for the dead of the Jews pro-
vide that n woman shall watch over the
body of q woman and a man over the
body Of a man. Mrs. Cohen's body lay
all night on an undertaker's table in
the third floor room. where she was shot
yesterday morning while asleep. Beside
it sat a woman relative OF the family.
The body of Henry Barnet Cohen is in
a plain casket in the first floor front room
of the Cohen home. A man watcher sat
beside It all night.
SEARCHING FOR LETTERS.
A search for additional letters said to
have been written by Cohen to his friends
the night before he murdered his grand
mother was conducted today by Coro-
ner's Deputy McKeever.
Two of the letters have been discovered,
but 1t is believed Cohen wrote to several
other friends in addition TO D. II. Newell
who has offices In the Bourse Building,
and Captain Arthur C. Coahan, com
mander of Battery A. National Guard OF
Pennsylvania, of which Cohen had been
a member and former treasurer
So far Colahan and Newell have re-
fused to give out the text of the letters
They admit the mssives were in the
nature of farewells. and It is said that
to Captain Colahan. Cohen made a grim
jest of the suggestion that Battery A
sound taps over his grave. In this let
ter, 1t ls understood, Cohen said he did
not know whether the battery would
wish to sound taps or fire a volley
New light on the story that Cohen had
been treated for a mental disorder was
thrown today by his brother, Lieutenant
Cohen. The latter swore to the following
statement in the Coroner's office:
MY brother had been In a hospital in
Chicago a month or more. He was
nervous wreck, and to my mind not fully
recovered when he returned home"
The home, at 334 South 2lst street. was
deluged this morning with letters and
kilograms of coincidence. They came from
all parts of the East, while friends and
business associates of Henry Barnet
Cohen in Chicago telegraphed their sym
pathy to the family.
FEAR SISTERS BREAKDOWN.
Miss Eleanor F. Cohen, who bore up so
we'll yesterday after the shooting and sat
by the bedside of frer brother in the Jeffer-
son Hospital for two hours, until he died.
is feeling the effect of the strain and it
is feared she will suffer a nervous break
down.
Charles j. Cohen today made a vigor-
Gus denial of the story that there had
been friction in his home some years ago
and that Henry Barnet Cohen was forbid
den to enter the house, He said the re-
lations between himself and his son al
ways had been amicable. At no time, he
declared. did his son leave home except
voluntarily, on business or pleasure.
COroner's Deputy McKeeyer probably
will subpoena several of COhens friends
to produce letters he Is thought to have
written them. The inquest will be held
tomorrow. The news OF the letters
was first obtained by Director of Public
Safety Porter when Newell asked that
search be made for Cohen. Newell was
notified Of the murder and suicide and