The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-01-18
Turned Out To Be An InSpGC-
tor OF Shells
And Was Immediately RGIGaS-
ed By The Police


man, answering the description of the
murderer Of Dolores Evens, or, as she
was also known, Elizabeth Myers,
who was killed in Cleveland hotel
last week in a fiendish fashion, had
left some clothes to be pressed which
bore marks of Cleveland firm.
One garment in particular attract
ed attention and, because of its rarity
in this community, seemed conclusive
evidence that the murderer was at
tempting to seclude himself in this
cloistered spot in evading arrest for
his outrageous crime. This piece OF
clothing was a chefs coat, resembling
tuxedo, but having no silk facing.
In view of the late information that
the murderer had formerly been en-
ployed as a chef at the Cleveland Ath-
letic club, this coat seemed damning.
The suitcase in which the clothes
had been brought to the shop was
rather old and bore several foreign
labels, all or which tailed with the
fact that the murderer was an alien.
There was an undecipherable scrawl
on a tag which was attached to the
suitcase, evidently written hastily
and with an indelible lead pencil.
Although all this evidence had not
single weakness, there was yet the
man himself to be considered He
had appeared in the shop late Friday
afternoon with the suitcase and, in
broken accent, asked that the clothes
be pressed and sponged. In company
with him had been woman who
waited outside.
The proprietor of the shop, reading
the newspapers Saturday morning
was struck with the similarity in
weight, height and accent of his Gus
toner OF the afternoon before and the
Cleveland murderer The clothes
worn by the two tailed likewise.
This weight of evidence was sufIic.
lent in the judgment of the tailor and
employees of the shop to place the
matter before the police department.
This was done with the result that an
officer was stationed in the shop with
instructions to place the stranger un-
der arrest on his appearance.
! The watch for the suspect contin-
ued all of Saturday morning. and "A
goodiy part of the afternoon. The
more the evidence was discussed, the
more convinced everybody was that
1t was indeed the murderer who had
braZenly left his clothes to be press
ed
Shortly after $3.50 o'clock, the sus-
pect came for his clothes. The same
woman accompanied him. He was
accosted by the officer In waiting who
asked If he We're not Tony Ross of
! Columbus-a fictitious character. On
replying in the negative, the suspect
was assured that he resembled Ross
greatly and was asked to go with the
officer to police court.
On his arrival at the mayors office
the man was questioned closely about
his residence here, his purpose in the
city, etc. 1t developed that he had
come to Mt. Vernon from Cleveland
another link in the chain of evidence.
However, he had arrived in this city
two days before the murder was com,
mitted -puzzling, but possibly false
hood An end was put to the posi-.
bllity OF the suspects being murder.
or when he explained that he was EN-.
ployed with the c. a G. Cooper Co as
al inspector of shells and was ut
terly at loss to understand the cause
of his apprehension!
The man was Immediately released
as II was recalled that foreigner
had come here not long ago for this
purpose, that he could scarcely speak
the English language and that his
prior residence had been in Ceve-
land The chefs coat was explained
later when II became known that It
was OF foreign design and was not
used in culinary circles, but in the
foundry itself and while the owner
was engaged in looking over the
shells turned out for his govern,
ment
The whole story is an illustration
of the questionable value Of circum.
stantial evidence, no matter how con.
yincing It may be, Even the most
skeptical OF those who heard The an.
ray Of facts Saturday were OF the
opinion that the city would be given
the honor aud excitement of landing
the criminal who incidentally was ap.
pretended Saturday in New Yor,
city