The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-03
SUSPECT NOTED
Phil ADELPHIAN .
IN GIRL MURDER
Police Claim Prominent Men
Are Connected With
Models Death.

check is good for seven figures is
under close surveillance here. An at
/ tempt on his part to leave the city
would be followed by his arrest The
police believe he is likely to prove the
slayer of Grace Roberts, known wide
1y in Philadelphia as ''the girl with
the form divine"
This suspect has been under. police
observation for the last 48s hours. He
is q resident of Pennsylvania, but not
Of Philadelphia. He is only one OF
the many prominent; men friends OF
the dead model who has been grilled
by the authorities since her death.
Murder Stbry as Police Get 1t.
The detective bureau has been able
to get what lie considered a nearly
complete circumstantial story OF
what happened in Grace Roberts
apartment from time approximately
an hour before the murder until her
assailant knocked her senseless to the
fioor. This story is one Of the most
amazing in the criminal history OF
the city. Tt Involves not only the
wealthy upstate man now believed
to have been Grace Roberts, assail-
ant, but it seriously duplicates in a
lesser degree a prominent Philadel-
pfian who has also been questioned
by the detectives, and who, IL not an
actual eyewitness, escaped being so
by leaping from the girls bathroom
window after the struggle began
which ended in her death.
The amazing nature Of the narra-
tive has been one of the potent rea-
sons for delay in making an arrest.
Up to a late hour last night the case
j,of the police is circumstantial one
and is not conclusive. Detectives, as
sured that neither of the men they
want can ..get away are. now devot-
hng every effort to rounding out their
case completely.
The man suspected Of causing the
death has put his fate in the hands OF
friends here. Under their advice he
has retained able counsel. Today it
appears entirely possible that they will
advise him to take the initiative, tell
the full story Of what happened and
place his life in the hands of ga jury
with q strong plea of self-defense.
Some ten days prior to her murder,
according to the police, Grace Roberts
wrote q letter to her wealthiest adj
mirer. He lives upstate. He had
known her several years. He had
been generous in gifts OF money, jew-
elry and clothing on the many occa-
sions In which he had visited her here.
The letter was aEcarefully worded one,
showing pains in preparation, and it
ended by telling him the grievances
ntherfn related were beyond her power
TO endure, and that he must see her
lawyer.
Letter That Led to Crime.
The inspiration for this letter came
from the prominent Philadelphian i'm
vo1ved. 1t is said that this man sug-
gested it, even insisted that she send
It: that ne showed her how to word it
q man, incidentally, Of high position
and enjoying the respect and confi-
dence which follow success and a good
reputation. He had known Grace
Roberts much longer than had her
rich up State friend. All the time he
had been one of her frequent visitors.
The out of town man received the
letter. He knew that other men sl1ar-
Cd with him his admiration for the
little model Some Of these friends Of
hers we're his own personal friends,
and while he is said not to have been
greatly alarmed by its contents, he de-
acided to gogto Philadelphia, see Grace
Roberts counsel and state his position.
Arrived here.9he changed his plan.
He determined to pay the woman a
visit before he saw her lawyer and see
Il he could straighten out the tangle.
She had the reputation Of being "a
good fellow"
Some time on Friday he went to
the Wilton apartments. where she
lived, to carry out this plan. Grace
Roberts saw him walk up the steps.
With her at that moment was the
hfladelphian who had advised the
letter. Both Of them were amazed.
"A visit from this man was the, last
thing they expected. The Philadel-
phian fled into the bathroom, where
ne hid himself while the woman went
forward to meet theF visitor. As he
fled. the Philadelphian told her in
substance to make the letter good.
Fatal Battle Begins
The conversation began. The let
ter was the subject. The model in
sisted her wrongs must be. atoned
the man, that she had none. A bit
ter quarrel quickly developed. In
the middle Of it Grace Roberts flew
into a rage and picking up the first
thing that came to hand, she struck
the man repeatedly. The blows gave
him several slight scalp wounds
Soon he stopped warding off the
blows and struck back He struck
cut sayagely and the woman fell
Henseless to the floor.
The man in the bathroom was a
witness to all that happened, at least
until the woman fell, according tt
police information. It is believed he
either escaped by jumping from the
bathroom window Immediately after
this blow was struck or else he re-
manned a silent witness to what fol-
lowed. The general theory is that
he jumped as soon as he realized
the peril Of his situation.
What the upstate man did imme-
diately after the telling blow was
struck the story does not pretend to
ray. The theory is that he left by
the front door, both Of the apartment
and the apartment house. The win
dow of the bathroom was found rails
ed and escape from 1t to the street
IS an easy matter, as Miss Roberts
apartment was on the first floor.
The story as related here is the
story the police have been told and
have substantiated by Investigation.
But they also. have information that
goes much further back and involves
this same Philadelphia in a discred-
liable undertaking. which involved
two girls and two cIerpvrnon ware