Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-24
TRUNK MURDER TRAIL
NOW LEADING TO MAN
WHO PAWNED WATCH
Essential, Loan Office Pro-
nrietor. Denies Keller De-
nosited Watch Owned by
D. J. McNichol
TO SEE SUSPECT AGAIN

n,,nctfyes' efforts in the trunk murder
stery were directed today to the task
~ learning the identity of the man who
ua,rned Daniel j.. McNichois watch. It
lnas not pawned by Edward Keller. ac-
sording to the pawnbroker, who received
a os n pledge in April, 1914.
tgeIier. who is AZ years old and lived Mt
s,io Frankford avenue, is in the County
5r,son accused by the police Of the MUIR
sar of NcNichol, who, when he dlsap-
ueared on March 30, 1914, was 2a years
y, aee. 1t Is the theory Of the police
mai NcNichol was shot at close range on
,bat day in his factory at 18th and Ham
nton streets; that Keller, who had been
rona GER of McNichors leather goods fac
,ary removed the body in trunk, which
was In turn nclosed in n packing case.
- bis home, which at that time was at
isis East Wensley street.
woman is said to have seen this
trunk taken from the Wensley street
sonse She lived q few doors from Kel-
isrs home. It is believed to have been
,oken from there to the Red Star Laun-
srv iO62 Frankford avenue, which Kel-
iar conducted after the disappearance of
afcNichol and the failure of the leather
goods concern. In the cellar of the
Trankford avenue building the trunk
was buried two feet deep.
Tho body found i'm the trunk was identl-
tbe KEYS in a pocket, by the gold filings
in The teeth and by notebooks.
In snite of these marks OF identfica-
Atom Keller stoutly maintains that Nc
NIchol is still alive. For this reason the
recovcry OF the missing mans watch was
OF great Importance, the detectives SAID,
n. making the identification undeniable
n was through n watch number In .
rotebook in the trunk that the watch
was found Rosenthal the pawnbroker,
saw photographs of Keller at police head
ouarters and said he was not the man
who had pawncd AtcNichols watch, but
he will 60 to Moyamcnsing today to see
Keller i'm his cell to make certain.
The police believe that the watch was
nawned by an accomplice of Keller's and
this man is being sought
The Coroner has been notified by Mrs.
Marie Jennings McNichol. widow of the
murdered man, whose home Is at S66
North 22d street, that she Is ready to
bury the body as soon as this will be
possible. McNichols fellow alumni of
81. Bonaventure College. Allegany, N. V,
believe there Is no doubt that the body
d found i'm the trunk is his, and there will
be a requiem mass sung at the college
today for him.
Robert NJ. Halahan, n student in the
theological seminary of the college, has
written to Bernard McNichol. the MUIR
dered mans cousin, expressing condo-
lence.
Members of the McNichol family said
they would not be satisfied II i'm the event
Of trial a plea of guilty of murder In
the second degree was entered. They
would be satisfied with nothing short of
q charge OF murder In the first degree.
c. p. Sterner, counsel for Keller, said
today he was investigating the recent
movements of band known as the
dump Rats" who used to hang around
the neighborhood of Keller's laundry at
R62 Frankford avenue in the cellar of
which the body of McNichol was found.
He believes it probable that McNichol
was murdered by this gang and placed
in the cellar. Some of these rats" are
now in Jail.
Keller has for a celmate in Moya-
mensing an Italian named Vincenzo
Rossi, who is accused of murder The
man cannot speak English. Friends of
Keller are indignant at the treatment
he has received at the hands of the po-
lice. They said today that unfair meth
DDS had been used I'm an attempt to
trap him into making damaging adms-
sions Complaints would be made TO Di-
rector Dripps against members of the
murder squad,"' it was said.
1t was reported at City Hall today that
the detectives now working on the case
would be replaced with others.