The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-05
Kills Self In Bathtub

hnIS Self In batNluD
Atlantic City. Jan. 5.-With his feet
braced against the head of the bath
tub, Bernard Wesley Lewis pulled the
trigger of a 22-calibre rifle In the
bathroom adjoining his bedroom in
the States Villa, on States avenue, at
1925 o'clock last evening, as Detectives
Farley and Totten of the local force
raped for admittance on the door of
his ROOM The shot entered the tenn
pie and death is believed to have been
instantaneous The rifle was new.
Wednesday Detective Capt. Malseed
received a communication from De-
tective Capt Tate of Philadelphia ask
ing him to locte Lewis. Farley and
Totten succeeded in learning that Lew
is father had lived in a house near the
States Villa about four years ago. They
also learned that Bernard Lewis was
known at the hotel, but UP to O'Clock
Wednesday night he had not arrived
there. About O'Clock last evening
word came over the telephone to Capt.
Malseed that a man answering the de-
scription OF Lewis was dining at states
Villa Farley and Totten Immediately
rushed to the house. Upon inquiry
from a maid at the door they learned
that Lewis had gone to his room on
the third floor. They went up and
raped ON the door.
WHO is there?" Lewis called out.
1--WE have a message for you, Far
ley answered. LET us in"
"All right was the reply.
A moment later the detectives
heard a door bang inside the room.
They thought Lewis was attempting
to escape through a window, ana
ran to an adjoining room from which
there was a communicating door to
the bathroom Of Lewis apartment.
AS they tried the door the rifle shot
rang out. They tried to insert
kew but found the keyhole had been
plugged. They then hurried around
to the door leading to Lewis bed
room and got in.
They found ,the door 10 the bath
room locked, and resisted their Ell
forts to break it open. 1t had 10 De
taken from the hinges.
Lewis was found half reclining In
the bathtub, with his feet braced
against the head. The trigger Of the
rife was still clasped i'll his hand,
and the end of the barrel rested
against his temple.
On the fingers were severai
scratches as though he had recently
been in a struggle with isomeone.
There were blood marks on nearly
all the fingers Of one hand. Blood
stains were also on a handkerchief on
the table in the mans bedroom. On
the bureau were several copies OF
yesterdays Philadelphia. Atlantic
City and New York newspapers. One
contained the flaring headline across
the front page:
Girl may solve model mystery"
Underneath this was two-column
cut of Grace Roberts.
Lewis was sought by the police on
the technical charge of failing to pay
a taxicab bill in Philadelphia. He
was suspected Of being the man in a
taxi who early on Friday morning
was driven to the Wilton Apartments
in Philadelphia, where Grace Roberts
was found. murdered.
Lewis was identified by the own
ers Of the hotel. He had little lug
gage and only Sc and some change.
According to the people at the hotel,
he arrived there at 10 o'clock on
Wednesday night. He appeared mo-
rose and uncommunicative. He had
been absent from the house much of
the day, but his movements between
the time he arrived and the suicide
have not been definitely traced.
Lewis had pinned a towel over the
transom of his bedroom door On
the bureau was box Of .22 calibre
cartridges and an extra cartridge Law
on a ledge within his reach iii the
bathroom.
Estranged From Wife,