Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-16
POLICE ON HOT TRAIL
IN CORD MURDER CASE
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
he betrayed no animus toward County
Detective Levns, who put him through
the examination.
The city detectives have been at work
on the case since four days after Cords
body was found in gully off the River
road, near the Fishhouse. n. j., station.
Today they made a report to Prosecutor
Kraft
William Hoover conductor, and VOLS
ton Thorn, motorman of Cramer Hin
trolley car. accompanied the sleuths 70
the courthouse. They looked Mt a pro.
tograph of Cord and identified 1t a5 tnat
of man who boarded their car at 5.23
o'clock Monday afternoon, August 80, ana
rode to the end of the line.
DESCRIPTION OBTAINED.
Hoover says he talked with Cord most
of the trip about jitneys. At the end
of the line a big automobile was seen
drawn UP across the road. Cord got OFF
the trolley and into the motorcar, IL
turned and sped up the River road. The
man who drove this car. according TO
Hoover and Thorn, wore a light suit a
Panama hat kid gloves. lie was about
s feet inches tall, apparently 2S years
old and light complexioned
At $50 o'clock the same night william
Lewis of 95l7 River road, helped a man
following this description to mend tire
on a car similar to that described by the
motorman and conductor. John Anchor,
of Bath street and River road. another
witness, says the driver of the mysterious
machine halted him in River road and
asked for help on the tire, but he re-
ferred the man to Lewis. A half dozen
boys, who were playing around Lewis
H..
also talked TO the detectives. Their de-
scription taliies with that given by the
motormsn and conductor. Anchor and
Lewis.
WOMAN IN MACHINE
All agree that at this time there was
n woman in the machine. At the time the
trolley crew saw it. however there was
no one In the machine but the driver
Meme Of the witnesses got the license
number of the machine, but with their
description of the driver and Of his car
the detectives feel certain that they are
at last on tho right track.
The third degree" to which Peterson
was subjected was the worst ordeal he
has had to face, according to his own
story, verified by the detectives. He was
aroused at midnight in his cell and led
into the hospital room OF the courthouse.
Two lights were burning dmly As
Peterson entered the room he came face
to face with Levins
ut runs into my mind" said the de-
tcctive, that you and another man con-
spired to murder Sam Cord. / have the
name of a woman living in Philadelphia
who has said you and Cord listed her
home often and discussed Cords business
matters Do you know this woman and
were you In her homer"
"rhe only time | ever accompanied
Cord on a trip in Philadelphia" said
Peterson, was when we went to the
Commercial Trust Building to the offices
of the Woodland Lumber Company"
Peterson then raised his right hand, ac-
cording to the detectives. and said
sWEARs HE'S INNOCENT.
Between God. you and me, / want to
drop dead II / know anything about
Cords death. / can't break down. as
you might suppose. because my con-
science Is clear 1t makes no difference,
Mr.. Levins, you can question me az
much as you please. have been frank
with you and everybody in the office Of
the prosecutor.
III / had a hand in Cords death. then
you shot him"
You're not telling the truth" said
Levins.
81 am" said Peterson.
The material witness" then was per-
mitted to go back to his cell. He lay
down on his cot, but he says he did
not sleep all night. His appearance this
morning indicated as much
The new evidence obtained by the city
detectives where the county men had
failed. served to draw attention from
Peterson, however, and he was not put
through any more questioning this morn
ing. Every available man was sent out
to question other persons along River
road.
Friends of the murdered man are now
asking what the forces directly under
the supervision Of Prosecutor William j.
Kraft have been doing while they have
been at work on the case. They had not
obtained a single clue TO the fact that
Cord evidently went to a spot near
where his body later was found the dav
Of his murder. All their theories were to
the effect that Cord was shot somewhere
else and that his body was taken TO the
River road In the automobile.
Another new witness obtained by the
detectives, woman, says she heard a
shot shortly after o o'clock the Monday
afternoon Cord was last seen alive. THE
detectives decline to give out her name
They have not yet fully Investigated her
story, but say that she also saw th9
mysterious automobilc.
The woman lives somewhere near the
point where the body was discovered. n
Is said. Her testimony and that OF An
chor, Lewis, the motorman and conductor
Is looked upon as the most Important so
N Inh