The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-01
.STRAAetEO TO DEATH
WITH SILK STOCKING
Pretty Philadelphia Manicurist and
Art Model Found Murdered In
Her Apartment.

Philadelphia, Pa. Dec. 31.--Twen-
ty-four hours after Mrs. Grace Col
bert Roberts. the comely manicurist
and advertising art model. tknown to
craftsmen as the Onyx Girl" had
been found strangled to death by a
silk stocking in her apartments in
the Wilton" Fifteenth and Poplar
Streets. the detectives assigned to the
murder mystery were working on the
lead that the woman was killed by
a sutton she was about to discard.
Although TIE police cling tenacious
ly to this theory. the girls family,
who came here three months ago
from Kane. Pa, declare that the mo-
tive was robbery. Vincent Colbert,
the girls brother. advanced the rob-
berry theory today. The police. how
ever. argue that robbery cannot be
tenable as a motive
Mrs. Roberts was the widow of
Henry Roberts. wealthy man of this
city. who died three years ago. They
were married Ave years ago.
Left Bloody Finger Prints.
For several hours today detectives
questioned Miss Bessie Colbert. a sis
ter of the slain woman. and from her
received the names of number of
men who were friends OF her sister.
In addition. bloody finger prints, evil
IDENTIFY those Of man, were found in
the apartment. In his haste. too. the
murderer had abandoned a blood
stained shirt and collar.
Miss Marie Collins. occupant Of the
apartment above that occupied by the
Roberts woman. told the police today
that there was a man in Mrs. Roberts
apartments at IL O'Clock Friday morn
ing. Miss Collins phoned at II o'clock
Friday to Mrs. Roberts. There was
hesttancy between responses, as IL
she was talking TO another person in
the room.
Richard Benjamin. the janitor, told
the police that about o'clock Friday
morning he heard taxicab drive up
to the building. There was a sharp
ring at the bell, and when he an
swered man In a chaufreur's uniform
stood on the steps.
Where Is the man who came In
here some time ago." asked the call
er.
Benjamin did not know OF any visit
or and the chauffeur went away NUT
tering. At IL o'clock that morning,
about tho time Miss Collins says she
was talking with Mrs. Roberts,
Benjamin declares that he raw the
chauffeur drive away. He was un-
certain whether there was a passenger
in the machine. Tonight the detec-
tives were questioning every taxicab
chauffeur in the city.
1t was through Miss Colbert that the
NrfrrA pn Lat Go aa
night She had called at her sisters
apartment ana receiving no answer to
her ring. was about to leave
Then she appealed to the janitor to
unlock the door, but he had no key
Finally he brought a ladder and going
to the rear Of the house pushed up
window and entered. He found Mrs
Roberts on the bed. She was dressed
in her paJamas and over her face had
been flung a blood stained sheet
Tried to Indicate Suicide.
The murderer had attempted to make
his victims death appear a suicide. He
had unearthed a piece OF rubber tub
ing, and attached this ia gas Jet
that stood near the bed. The pipe was
allowed to drop until It wa. on a
parallel with Mrs. Roberts mouth.
However the murderer did not turn
on the gas.
DR.. Bricker. the police surgeon,
found that the silk stocking. a mate
to the one found at the bedside. had
been tightly wound about the woman's
neck and then knotted There was a
bruise over the eye and a lump on
the back of her head The murder
squad found a fat iron covered with
blood on the room floor The nrst blow
had evidently been struck in that
room A trail OF blood led to the bed.
showing that the murderer had car
ried his unconscious victim to the bed
where she was strangled