Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-01-11
MRS. MOHR PUT 0N TRAIL ON CHARGE
 KILLING HUSBAND
Rhode Island Woman Ac- cused of Hiring Three Me-
 groes to Slay Doctor.

Providence, R. l., Jan. 10.--A jury
 was completed late this afternoon for the trial of Mrs. ElizabGlh Blair Mohr
 and two negroes. charged with the
 murder of the womans husband, Dr. Franklin Mohr, and his secretary, last summer.
 All thr2e defendants pleaded not guilty when placed on trial today. Tomorrow morning Mrs. Mohr and the two negroes will be taken to the
 scene of the murder. on the Wyatt
 road, that the jury may see exactly
 how the whole tragedy is supposed to
 have taken place. It is thought the entire day will be spent in this way.
 Providence, R. l., Jan. 1G.-Mrs.
 Elizabeth Blair Mohr was placed on trial for her life here today, charged with hiring three negroes to murder her husband, Dr. c. Franklin Mohr. As the physician, according to the wife's detailed stories, had accumulat-
 ed fortune of $500,000 to $1,000,0O0
 by criminal practice for women of the highest social sets of Newport and Providence, astounding revela tions involving we'll known names are expected. It is believed the proceed ings today are being watched with trepidation in many a drawing room of Fifth avenue.
 Mrs. Mohr, who has been at liberty under bail, entered the. room dreAsed in mourning. She was pale but ap- psared in good spirits She pleaded not guilty, and the selection of a jury was started immediately.
 The negroes are directly charged with murder. Mrs. Mohr was indict- ed as an accessory before the fact. Aiohr's negro chauffeur, George w. Healis, was quashed last week when Hsalis was brought into court and did not contest charge of man. slaughter. As disclosed in the pre- liminary hearings, the state will seek to show that Mrs. Mohr instigated Brown and Spellnan to shoot her husband and induced Healis to stop the automobile in which Dr. Mohr was riding at the sEIt on country road in West Harrington, where the murder was committed.
 Arthur Cushing. of counsel for Mrs. Mohr, asked for d separate trial for his client, claiming that as alleged confessions by the negroes were to be introduced by the prosecution, his clint could not obtain fair trial, but the court denied the motion.
 Dr. Mohr was motoring near Hyatt. R. l., the evening of August 31 last with his pretty young housekeeper, Miss Emily Burger, when he was shot from Ambush. He died almost imme- deiately and Miss Burger was mutilat- ed for life.
 Regarded at first as hold-up for the purpose of robbery, thret negro boys, two of whom had been in the employ of Dr. Mohr, were soon arrest ed, and confessed that they murdered the doctor at the instigation of his wife, from whom he was separated. Later they recanted their confessions and said they did not wish to involve Mrs. Mohr.
 According to the negroes confess sions they were to receive from her for the crime $5,0OO as soon as she had secured control of her husbands estate. Mrs. Mohr was arrested and released in $1O.O00 bail. She denied the crime.
 According, to the first stories of the three men it was arranged between them that on Tuesday night two of them, Cecil Brown and Henry Spell- man, were to follow the Mohr auto- mobile in motorcycle which Mrs. Mohr is alleged to have procured.
 At given signal, George Hea1is, the physicians chauffeur, and the third negro involved, was to stall the car in a lonely spot about twelve miles from this city and while he was apparently at work on the engine the other two conspirators were to shoot and kill the physician. They were also to shoot Miss Burger, to mar her beauty, but. not to kill her. This plan was carried out to the letter.