New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-09
Has District Attorney
Quiz All Mentioned
in Murder
MODELS SISTER
FINDS NEW CLEW
Charley Kaier Proved
Abb at Inquiry,
He Asserts

A. murderer Of Grace Roberts, the
..sel took a startling turn tonight,
-, Wavor Thomas B. Smith and Dis
,,,t Attorney Samuel P. Rotan took
n. direction Of the hunt out Of the
lands Of the detective bureau
Their action is called without preee-
3.,, in local municipal history. and
.seisl eyebrows are still arched in
surprise.
Furthermore. the hunt has brought
,,,plts Despite an innocuous inter
,.v given out tonight by the Dis
,,,t Attorney, The Tribune CORE
,,oo5ent learns on what ne deems good
,p.hority that the nine-hOur star cham
10, inouisition in Mr.. Rotsn's otlce
,.,ultsd in a brand new clew. and one
,,ieb places another man under sus-
,i,ion. introduced new names and a
motive.
Jobn Colbert, a New York business
man and brother Of the slain artists
model admitted the new clew and de-
,,rbed IT as "the most promising yet.
Sister Does Detective Work
Tn, days upheaval is the direct re-
suit ola girls detective work. She IS
Miss Bessie Colbert, sister Of Grace
B.,,ie visited the Wilton suite, where
t., sister was slain week ago Fri
s,y and made two interesting diseov-
are, which the police had overlooked
Tbn her brother John, going rght
o,,r CAPTAIN James Tate's head t0io
Nsvor Smith he did not believe Ber-
naro Lewis killed Grace and asked tna'
hearing be given Bessie and her md
ings investigated. The Mayors answer
was this public statement;
I am going TO see that justice IS
done. II there is anybody at liberty
now who ought 70 be under arrest IN
connection with the case he should be
,akeD al once. The bigger they are the
more criminal in my judgment were
heir instincts il they killed this
woman"
Bessie Colbert accompanied by De
tective Oscar Brown, had poked around
hooks and corners Of her sisters apart
ment until she had found mans
reektie. which had been wrenehed as IN
struggle, and a strange bunch OF
leys. Given these finds, the District
Attorney ordered Captain Tate's de-
'ectives 10 bring in d score Of men and
women whose names have been men
toned in connection with Grace Rob-
ertS.
Interest Centred on Kaier
The interest centred mainly around
Charles Kaier, a young broker, Of Ma
hanoy City. Penn, whose cafe exploits
nave earned for him the sobriquet Of
Champagne Charley" Kaier left his
suite in the Vcndig Hotel, where he is
leported 10 have been under surveil-
ancs, for the first time since the
crime, when he answered the summons
10 The District Attorneys Office.
When Ksier was overtaken by re
rorlers on his way out of the City Hall
no vas asked II he had proved an alibi.
u have no alibil" be cried. Then he
corrected himself, saying: eyes, GER
ianly ] proved nv slibi. Certainly.
Let me GO
He freed himself from the grasp Of
reporters, dashed down the remaining
4 ghts and across the street into a
saloon, with a dozen writers at his
heels The bartender elected the lot
lomered IN another saloon, Kaler ad-
nitied:
u told them a complete story OF my
activities Friday. But let me alone
Ay lips have been sealed"
Is Ksier's slibi satisfactory" Dis
net Attorney Rotan was asked mo-
nent later.
Well, he is not under arrest, and
you heard what the Mayor said" that
oneal responded.
ls he eliminated, thenP
Nobody is eliminated yet, replieo
o, prosecutor
Magistrate Harry Imber. who admits
Nwss acquainted with the slain giri,
\ - Oscar s. Carter, q young clVl!
egneer and former baseball star OF
Ns University Of Pennsylvania, were
shers. Emery Titman, a wealthy
Nang sportsman and friend of kaier
"a Grace Roberts; Marie Collins, the
vac girls chum. and Richard BenJa-
h' negro ianitor at the Wilton, who
Popularity supposed TO know much
oIe than he has divllged regarding
happenings in Grace Roberts's
"oms on December %, were others
sled and grilled.
ne grllling began at / a. m, and II
70 3 IN the evening when Charlie
,et the last TO go. dsrted from a side
,s'i sno started 10 foe down six fights
s,sirs in futile effort 10 escape
s.shlghts s' and reporters. Mr.. Rotan
see out circumspectly worded inter
,N afterward, in which he intimated
, nv haler had presented satisfactory
lN' the surprise of many, he would
.o' ADMIT that the police had receded
,sp from their claim that Lewis was
We slayer.
ware Collins vas conducted from the
,isIlct Attorneys rooms to the ONCE
Voroner Knight, who put her
rough a second grilling.
What Harry Thaw Thinks
Harry K. Thaw. in town from Pitts
.'gh, passed near the District Attor-
vs. oihce after appearing as a witness
evil case before Judge Gilpin. lie
1 = soon recognized and was followed
aerowd. He told newspaper men that
Continued on page is, cOlumn