The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-06
Posed as Foreign Munition
Buyer and Fleeced Many.
Positive Bernard Lewis Was In
sane, Says Acquaintance.
MURDER MOTIVE. A MYSTERY
Slain Model Once Engaged to
Millionaire Lewis.
Private Funeral at PittSburg
Mansion for Suicide.

is. suicide and murderer of Maize Col
bert. pretty Philadelphia model. was
in Chicago less than month ago ana
left behind a well defined trail of bad
checks and borrowed money when he
went to New York in search of pleas
ure. Representing himself to be a
British munition buyer. Lewis, suave,
prosperous looking and debonair,
worked hotels and acquaintances to
the limit Then when his credit failed
he left suddenly, east.
w NJ Stewart, owner of the Blue
Goose Inn, a north side cafe, who mas
known Lewis for twenty years, was
one of the victims.
I'm positive Lewis was insane.
said Stewart today. "A woman otner
In a letter, received from her two
DAYS ago, she told me of many queer
actions of Lewis"
Stewart said he would under no cir
cumstances divulge the "other wom-
ans name.
Body Taken to Pittsburg.
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan. 6.-The body OF
Bernard, Wesley Lewis, Colbert. case
suicide, was brought to Pittsburg to-
day. 1t arrived at the Union station
aboard a fast Pennsylvania train on
which it was secretly shipped at Phila-
delphia last night.
The family had the cooperation of
police and railroad officials in it's eff
forts to keep transportation OF the
body quiet. There was no crowd at the
depot when it arrived.
Upon its arrival it was taken at once
to an undertaker's establishment in
Sixth avenue, from there will be re-
moved some time today or tonight to
the Lewis home for the funeral to-
morrow.
The funeral will be held at the home
of Wenman A. Lewis, the broker s
father, in ANDERSON avenue, east end.
1t will be attended only by the imme-
date family and few intimate
friends.
The elder Lewis was more deter
mined than ever today to push the in
vestigation into his sons death. 1t is
known that he has had his legal rep
resentatives in Philadelphia delve into
the stories of several of those who
were informants of the Philadelphia
police. He is convinced as a result
of their probe that the Philadelphia
police have given too much attention
to their theory that his son was the
murderer of the vivacious model. He
is far from satisfied with the police
conversation in light of the stories of
the Misses Kyle believing it inconceiv-
abe that his son could have spent the
entire Sunday with them in blood
Z
marks Of the crime and his pockets
carrying bloodstained handkerchief
ami have shown no discomfort or ap-
parent nervousness.
Motive Still Lacking.
| Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. "a sub
stantial motive which would prove
why Bernard Lewis. wealthy Pittsburg
youth, murdered Maize Colbert, whose
battered body was found in her up
town apartment a week ago, was still
u mystery today.
lantic City hotel when police went to
arrest him, is taken by detectives not
as a confession of guilt. but a reason
for accusation
The chain of circumstantial evidence
the police have woven about the name
| of Lewis was almost complete today.
| 1t was learned that the day after Miss
! Colbert was beaten and then strangled
to death Lewis engaged rooms at the
| hotel Adelphia under an assumed
name.
Had Engagement With Her That Day.
| Definite information is in the hands
of the police now showing that he had
/ an engagement with Miss Colbert the
day she met her death.
! Lewis and Miss Colbert met nine
years ago-when the model was
seventeen. the police said today. They
expected to be married. Lewis parents;
objected. it is said and the engagement
was broken From the minute social
distinctions separated her from Lewis.
Maize Colbert entered the career that
ended in death.
I Miss Colbert and Lewis did not meet
again until three years ago. The old
lnfatuation once more gripped him
and their acquaintance grew, the DO
lice until the