New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-21
Stopped His Car to Let
Doctor and Emily
Burger Be Shot.
WIFE PROMISED
$1,000 FOR MURDER
Crime Planned for Two Nights
Earlier, but Heals Says He
Lost His Nerve.
{ Nv Telegraph 20 The Tribune :

Providence. X. l.. Jan. 20.-liow DR..
{. Franklin Mohr was shot to death at
| night on lonely road WAS told to-day
by George W. Heals. the doctors negro
chauffeur, who asserted that Mrs. Eliz-
sbcth +. Mohr, on trial for the murder
of her husband, had hired him and the
negro defendants. Cecil Victor Brown
/ and Henry II. Spellman, to kill DR.. Mohr
and his companion. Miss Emily Burger
for $4,000.
Heals said that at meeting with
Mrs. Mohr at her house, Brown was
promised $4,000 for shooting DR.. Mohr
and Spellmsn $1,000 for shooting Miss
Burger. He was TO get $4,000 himself
for stopping the automobile. lie
sketched the motorcycle trip which he
and Brown made on the night when
they picked out the spot where the
murder was to be committed and told
of the trip of the car on the night the
doctor was slain.
Heals then calmly told of driving DR..
Mohr and Miss Burger 20 Bristol on
August 81, the night of the murder.
when | got TO a bush in tho road
about half way between two lights he
testified, IL stopped my car and got out
turned out my headlights and put my
sidelights on so could see the engine.
Then | heard two shots and ! saw DR..
Mohr leaning toward Miss Burger. with
his head covered with blood. said,
oh, my Cod Then saw Miss Bur
ger start 10 get out snd she fell INTO
the roadway. picked her up.
Recognized Spellmsn, He Says.
"A bullet whizzed over my left
shoulder and struck her She fell
again and picked her up and carried
her 70 the side Of the road. | recog-
nized Spellman behind the car to the
left side. stopped the first machine
that came along and told the people
there had been hod-up.'
Heals said he purposely stalled his
engine on the spot where the shoot
ing took place, and that il was Mrs.
NIVnr "nV nGu .V.u nih 80 .-. ..iae
the car had been held up. She prom
Used ito stick by him TO her last dollar"
if he got into trouble, he asserted.
"All you will have to do Is stop the
car, George" the witness declared Mrs.
Mohr told him. He said that when he
had failed TO stop the automobile, as
agreed, two nights before the murder
Mrs. Mohr bade him hurry with the
killing, saying This is my last chance;
my SUIT for divorce comes up the first
of the month
Heals was cross-examined for almost
four hours and was still undergoing
the ordeal at the hands of John j.
Fitzgerald, OF counsel for Mrs. Mohr,
when court adjourned for the day. All
the afternoon Mr.. Fitzgerald fired ques-
lions rapidly at the witness, but Heals
remained cool.
To many questions the witness re-
Piled: IL don't remember Once, after
saying that he would not tell lie
70 get out Of murder, he admitted that
he would tell lie If some one asked
him 70.
Mr.. Fitzgerald attempted 20 compare
the situation with that of the Becker
case in New York, asking Heals If he
did not know that certain persons got
out of the Becker case by putting the
blame onto some one else. he court,
however, halted this line Of inquiry.
Told His Story Six Times.
Heals admitted he told his story TO
the Attorney General six times. He
denied that ne was told he was to get
off with two years If Mrs. Mohr was
convicted, and also denied that the At
torney General had told him he wanted
TO convict the woman.
The chauffeur asserted that he was
doing all that he could TO help himself
by telling the truth now" while adj
hitting that he told several newspaper
men who interviewed him st Warren
that Mrs. Mohr had nothing to do with
the murder.
Cross-exsmined by william II. Lewis,
Of counsel for Brown. Heslis admitted
that he had made two confessions, the
first duplicating only Brown.
Asked what he was TO get for turn
ing states evidence. Heals replied;
Nothing" He then added, in reply to