Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-20
PLOT TO MURDER
MOHR DESCRIBED
BY NEGRO HEALS
Staying of Doctor Was Sched-
uIed Three Days Before
Actual Shooting.

| PROVIDENCE, r. l., Jan. 20.-rhe
manner in which Or {. Franklin
| Mohr was shot To death and the al
/ legged insistcnce of his wife that ne
| be killed, were described in detail
| today by George w. Healis, negro
chauffeur for DIR. Mohr ut the trial
| of Mrs. Elizabeth T.. Mohr, Cecil
| Brown and Henry Spcllman, charged
with the murder.
Healis said it was at the bidding Of
Mrs. Mohr that he stopped the ear
at lonely spot agreed upon with
Brown and Spelman, whom the\ State
| charges with having shot the Ihysi-
clan as he sat with Miss Emily Bur
| ger, of whom Mrs. Mohr was jealous.
"All YOU will have to do is stop
! the car. George" the witness de-
clared Mrs. Mohr told him. He said
that when he had failed to stop the
automobile, as agreed. three nights
before the murder, Mrs Mohr bade
him hurry up with the killing, say
ing This is my last chance. My
suit for divorce comes UP the first
of the month"
Heals retained his composure dur
| ing the cross examination conducted
by William II. Lewis, for the defense
aud frankly admitted that he had
| stopped the car in order that his
employer might be shot.
Judge Stearns discarded his colored
necktie and appeared today wearing
| a white four-in-hand.
Heals was called to the stand
shortly before 10 o'clock. lie fal-
tered a moment at the door, looked
a bout him with a startled expression
and then strobe to the witness box
Assistant Attorney-Gcneral Phillips
resumed the direct examination.
ION Friday night, August y, /
went TO Mrs, Mohr's home with
Brown. Mrs. Mohr asked Brown,
! How is everything and he said %.
Il. He said we knew the roads. Mrs.
Mohr said Brown would get $4,000
Spellman $1,000 and | $1,000. She told
inc not to be afraid; just 10 stop the
car and then go to the nearest farm
house and phone the police that the
doctor had been held up and shot.
The job was planned for the next
night, Saturday, and Brown told Mrs.
Mohr he had his motorcycle lamp
ready.
Heals told of driving Dr. Mohr to
Bristol ferry on the night of August
2S, and how he lost his nerve and
continued faster" when he reached
the spot where Brown and Spellman
were waiting in ambush. lie eX-
planned that another reason why he
did not stop was because Miss
Florence Ormsby and Miss Martha
Wilson were with the doctor and Miss
Burger.
/ Miss Wilson, who was DR.. Mohr's
housekeeper. and regarded as a lead
ing witness for the State is said TO
be Ill in Chicago.
+ Promised 10 stop Tuesday.
I II met Brown in Newport the next
day." continued Heals, "and he asked
me why I did not stop. promised to
stop on the following Tuesday night"
"On the evening of the shooting,
the witness said. ~ saw Mrs. Mohr
and she asked me why | didn't stop
Friday night. She said she thought
| had gone back on her, and told me
to he sure to stop that night. / didn't
want to- She said, Don't be afraid
You can say it is "a hold-up.' This
was the last chance, she said, as she
had n divorce suit coming up the first
of the month. | told her I'd stop.
She told me If ] got into trouble to
stick to it that II was a fold-up and
not to mention her name, and that
she would spend her last dollar for
me"
Heals then told OF driving DIR,
Mohr and Miss Burger to Bristol, on
August 81. the night of the murder.
Purposely Stops Car.
when / got TO a bush in the road
about half way between two lights"
he testified, 81 stopped my car and
CONTINUED on Page Q. Column g.