The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-16
Witnesses to DiIwOrth Murder
Found by Police.
Man and Woman Riding Thru
Park i'm Automobile.
MANY ARE BEING WATCHED
Suspect Existence of Jekyn and
Hyde Parsonage.
Lawyers Many Love Affairs
May Have Brought Death.

New York, Sept. 16.-The identity
of two mysterious witnesses in the Dii-
worth murder case which now threat
ems to develop along new and sensa-
tional lines, has been discovered.
They are Miss E. c. Ballard OF NO
5O7 west One Hundred and Th1rtleth
street, and Hymen Mendelsohn, whose
home is in the Bronx.
Miss Ballard has told the police that
she was one of the passengers in a
touring car that was close to that OF
Dwight Dilworth in Lovers Lane, van
Cortlandt park, when the lawyer was
shot in the presence of his companion
Miss Mary MacNiff.
1t was not willingly that she gave
this information. When first ques-
toned on the subject by the ponce; sn
refused to admit that she hao peeh
near the place. Under pressure, now
ever, she went as far as to reveal tne
fact, if it was a fact that she mad act
ually witnessed the shooting.
Another eye witness, according TO
her narrative was Hymen Mendeishon'
who she said had been her eompan-
ion in the touring car.
Mendelshon vehemently denied hav-
ing witnessed the murder or naNlIis
ridden in the park that night with
Miss Ballard. Nevertheless, the ponce
regard them both as important wit
nesses and are confident of uncovering
II
give the case an entirely new complex
ion.
Police Commissioner Arthur Woods
has taken personal charge OF the IN
vestigation and assigned to 1t Twelve
capable detectives who are WORKING
night and day to uncover all the work
ings of what they now believe to nave
been ar elaborate murder plot promot-
ed by jealousy.
-Four Under Observation.
Four persons, it was learned furth-
err. are now being kept under constant
surveillance by the police. Two are
women and two men,
Another mysterious person, the son
of wealthy and well known family
NAV be called as witness The pre-
else nature of his connection with the
case is being kept secret by the ponce:
There are. indications, however, that
he is believed to have been leading
Jeky1l and Hyde existence.
While his associates by day nave
been above suspicion, he is said to
have had unexplainable relations by
night with lawless characters of the
type commonly known as gunner.
In fact, there are many reasons for
believing that the Dilworth murder
was another crime traceable to hired
gangsters provided with an automo-
bile and commissioned to take hu-
man life for a price provided by 9TH
ers of much higher position in the
social scale.
Not Wisely But Too Well"
Lawyer Dilworth's activities in the
pursuit of the fair sex furnished the
basis of the motive that the police are
seeking to establish for the plot to fol-
low and kill him. He had been atten-
tive to more than one young woman,
and in one or more of his sentimental
affairs had crossed the path of a man
sufficiently infatuated with a woman
to go to the last extreme in the pur-
suit of vengeance
Only in a fragmentary way can it
be indicated at this time what success
the police have had in their complex
labor of building up a sound theory of
the crime and finding evidence to sup
port It. 1t is known that they are pre-
pared to confirm part of the testimony
of Miss Ballard with that of at least
one other witness.
Steps are being taken to trace her
movements Immediately after leaving,
as she says, the scene of the murder.
Besides Miss Ballard and Mendel-
sohn. there will be witnesses well
known in the dancing studios and res
taurants of the city. One playwright
is said to be included in the police
roster, also a woman well known in
the motion picture world.