Evening star., 1917-09-20
BLAME OF MURDER
IS PUT ON MAYOR
Philadelphia Executive to Be
Arrested as Result of
Election Outrages.
WAS WARNED, is ALLEGED
By the Associated Press.

F., By the Associated Press
| PHILADELPHIA, September 2o.-tiVe
separate Investigations were begun today
T! into the killing of a city policeman yes
terday by Gunmen who. the authorities
allege. confessed to having been brought
her from Jersey City for the primary
election by one of the rival factions IN
the contest for leadership in the fifth
ward. known as the bloody fifth and
announcement was made that a warrant
for the arrest of Mayor Smith would be
sworn out as a result of charges made by
1sadore Stern, a member of the state leg
sature, to the effect that he had fore
warned the mayor of the importation OF
the gunner.
Stern charged that Mayor Smith ig-
nored his appeal for protection in the
ward in the face of proof that the gun
men were responsible for the attack on
the Finetter Republican Club few hours
before Policeman Eppley was slain and
two other men badly beaten.
Denies Advance knowledge.
The mayor denied that he had any
knowledge that the men were to be
brought here and declared he was ready
for any warrant of arrest. "All the pow.
er of my administration" he added. will
be used to assist the district attorneys
office in ferreting out the crime and fix
its responsibility upon the real criminals. -
The affair has aroused the city as
in its history and in addition to the
investigation by District Attorney Ro-
tan, inquiries were under way today by
the coroner. the detective bureau, the
police department and the citizens COM
mittee. After an examination of wit
nesses to the shooting, which continued
virtually all night. Mr.. Rotan declared
that several other men besides the two
under arrest were directly implicated
and that the killing of Eppley was
without provocation.
Il found" he said, Outrageous condi-
tions in the fifth ward. 1t seems that six
or eight men committed this assault
absolutely without provocation and only
two have been arrested There is no
question but that these gunmen were
brought here by somebody for definite
purpose"
Admit They Were Imported.
The district attorney said the two
prisoners. Jacob Mascia. twenty-three
years old, and John Costello, twenty
two, had confessed they were brought
here to vote for Isaac Deutsch, rival
candidate of James A. Carey. whose life
was also attempted, but that they had
denied doing the shooting. Mascia is
tello an accessory.
Harry McNicol. son of State Senator
James P. McNichol, a republican leader
in this city, was among the witnesses
who testified before the district attor-
ney in connection with the shooting. He
said, according to Mr.. Rotan, that the
gunmen first attacked Carey and as
sisant district attorney John H. Mauer.
jr, and that Carey fell after being
struck with a blackjack, and a bullet
intended for him fatally wounded Po
liceman Eppley. Other witnesses tes-
tilted that uniformed policemen made
no attempt to quen the disturbance.
Deutsch, who apparently was defeated
by carey in his candidacy for select
council, disclaimed responsibility for
bringing the out-of-town men here and
declared he had no knowledge of their
presence.