New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-14
WeepS as Accuser Reads
Her Grim Prophecy of
Rivals Fate.
POLICE CHIEF TELLS
OF CONFESSIONS
Defence Tries to Show Negroes
and Chauffeur Were COerced
$4,000 Their "Price."
by 7. +. VAN DE WATER.

ID i't9'spA 10 ihe luhMt.
Providence, K. l., Jan. 10. For tn
first time since she was placed on tria
for conspiring with three negroes il
the murder OF her husband, DR.. c
Franklin Mohr, the indifferent demean
or Of Mrs. Elizabeth +. Mohr deserted
her for moment to-day. Holding
black bordered handkerchief 70 hel
eyes, she wept. lonely little figure
among her lawyers. who paid no heed
to her tears.
II was her own vengeful prediction
Of the fate which almost claimed her
rival, Miss Emily G. Burger, that
reused emotion in Mrs. Mohr. On last
,ugust 81 Miss Burger was shot down
by the side of DR.. Mohr from ambush
on the Washington Road She lived
and the physician died. A year before
: the tragedy the Jealous wife had writ
/ ten TO the girls brother-in-law, George
". Rocks. of Providence.
! "Will Never Come Out Alive"
This letter, scribbled on CORE
spondence card, was read TO the jury
/ to-day by Abbott Phillips, Assistant
: Attorney General. II follows:
Dear M Rocks: Just a line 70 ask
/ you 10 tell your sister-in-law. Emily
Burger, il she dsres to go to my New
port home again she will never come
out alive. am giving her fair warn
ing: no matter what the outcome viii
be. | will see il through. was told
about her buying linen az Gladdings
for Dr. Mohr.
f 81 do hope you will try and straight
en- matters. and know you can't stop
her from going 20 dinner with him,
but she will have q sad ending II she
keeps aggravating me. Ny home Is be
ing watched. and II | should leave
Newport this summer my home will be
watched just the same, and should
get word ! shall come right or. The
world IL with me IN my sorrow. am
heart broken"
Before the prosecutor had bundered
more than half way through the COM
By the time he had concluded her slim
shoulders we're shaking violently. Lean
/ ing forward on the desk before her. she
cried miserably and silently.
The letter with It's grim prophecy
was listed as exhibit ,, for the state.
Exhibit / is the bullo which was re-
covered from he brain Of Mrs. Mohr's
dead husband.
Wrote II When ''Frenzied."
According 70 Chief Inspector William
T. O'Neil. OF the Providence police,
whose testimony occupied tho entire
session Of the court to-day. Mrs. Nohr
told him, when arrested and confronted
with the card, that she had written
+; in one Of her "frenZied moments.
Miss Burger excited her so. she told
the inspector. that NJ times she did
not know what she was doing
While the state scored q point In the
admission Of the letter in evidence,
il was blocked by the defence in an
effort 20 introduce the alleged con-
fessions OF Heals. the chauffeur. and
Brown, one of The supposed murdcrcrs.
Healis's confession was written by he
/ chief inspector and signed by the
negro Browns was uns igned.
/ All day O'Neil stood in the witness
/ box answering fatty and curtly the
, questions aimed at him. His direct
/ examination By the state was short;
I his DISCRIMINATION by William II.
! Lewis and John g. Edwards, negro
lawyers for Brown and Spellman. and
John J. Fitzgerald. for Ms. Mohr. was
interminable. Court ad burned with
ONeil still on the stand.
In his direct examination O'Neil told
of Browns confession that he shot
Dr. Mohr because Mrs. Mohr wanted
. him to- He said that Spellman and
Brown explained to him that the
woman had promised her three con-
federates, Brown. Spellman and Heals,
$4,000 for the murder.
He then gave this account OF he
conversation he had with Heals when
the chauffeur was confronted with
Spelln... and asked TO identify him:
Heals said: Yes. Spellman shot
Miss Burger once, ard Brown shot the
doctor twice | called Brown in and
told him what Heals had said. lie
said: 1t must be so II ne said So
| said: is this the truth p lie said:
Yes Brown said that he shot the
doctor because Mrs. Mohr had told
him TO do So"
According 70 the chief inspector.
Brown and Spellman agreed with this
statement of their fellow. Several po-
lice officials were with Inspector
O'Neil AZ this examination.
Laid His Hands on Brown.
When the state concluded its ques-
tioning Lewis examined the witness.
trying 70 establish that the negroes had
been coerced into confession. The big,
splendidly built lawyer, onetime cap
tain OF an Amherst football team and
graduate OF Harvard Law School.
Doomed away for an hour and a half
in the hope OF establishing this admls-
sion. O'Neil admitted that he had lad
his hands on Brown firmly, but gent
ly-only enough 10 prevent MIN from
escaping"
Fitzgerald. short Of build and tenn
per, proceeded TO attack the big po-
liceman's testimony in the afternoon
session. lie tried 10 bring out that
O'Neil had been prejudiced from the
time Of the murder IN favor OF the
theory that Mrs. Mohr had brought
about the death Of her husband.
The chief inspector admitted that
her name had first been introduced
into the case by Mr. Rocks. Miss Burg
er's brother-in-law. on the night OF the
crime. lie denied, however, that Rocks
had accused Mrs. Mohr OF completely.
Didn't Rocks say TO Heals tina.
night" Fitzgerald barked. "'fou know
YOU and Mrs Mohr framed up the plan