Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-01-11
SUICIDE CLEARSCASE.
BERNARD w. LEWIS, COAL MAG.
MATES SON, ENDS LIFE AT
ATLANTIC CITY.
POLICE NEAR WITH WARRANT
School Teachers Give Clue That Put
Philadelphia Officers on His Trail
Dead Man Was Married, But Es-
tranged From Wife.

Philadelphia, Jan. 6.-The suicide in
Atlantic City Of Bernard w. Lewis, the
wealthy young Pittsburgher, as he was
the murder of Maize Colbert (Grace
Roberts), the artists model, led the po-
lice to declare that Lewis is the slayer
of the "girl of the form divine" as she
was known here. Although reports
from Atlantic City said that Lewis had
left no written statement, local au-
thorities were hopeful that something
would yet be found among his effects
to clear up the mystery and to clinch
further their conviction that he is the
guilty man.
Traced by Sleuths.
Lewis, traced to the very threshold
of his suite by detectives, delayed their
admittance with conversation. He shot
himself with a .22-caliber rifle just as
the doors were battered down.
The bullet entered the temple and
Geath was instantaneous. That Lewis
anticipated arrest and made prepara-
tons to kill himself is indicated by
the fact that the rifle was new.
James e. Malseed, captain Of Allan
tic City detectives, received commu-
nication from Captain of Detectives
Tate of the Philadelphia department
asking him to aid in the investigation.
Traced Through Taxi Bill.
Lewis killed himself when about to
be arrested. The warrant charged him
With failing to pay $40 taxicab bill.
This he contracted by taking the
Misses Mabel and Ethel Kyle of Ger
mantOWn, Pa, from the Bellevue STRAIT
ford to their home and then riding
back to Fifteen and Poplar streets,
where the Wilton apartments are To-
Gated.
In Atlantic City Detectives Joseph
Farley and Frank Totten succeeded in
ascertaining that Lewis father resid-
ed in a house near the state villa
about four years ago.
A maid Said that Bernard Lewis
had gone to his room on the third
floor. A reserve squad surrounded
the cottage as Farley and lotion ran
upstairs and raped upon the door
Of the Lewis apartment.
While the detectives were hunting
wildly for Lewis this afternoon the
man, evidently mad with excitement.
telephoned thrice to the Kyle home.
"What shall I do? What shall L
dow he asked the first time he tel
ephoned to Miss May Kyle, sister of
the tive public school teachers he
escorted home.
at fWiII Ruin Me-" He Cries.
Il do not know this woman-this
woman Grace Colbert or Roberts or
whoever she was. 1t will ruin me.
It will ruin me-this revolving thing.
My God, they say the police are look-
ing for me.
"What shall do?'
Lewis was thirty-seven years old, "a
Yale graduate of 1901 and member
of the Union, Pittsburgh, Country.
Oakmont and Pittsburgh Automobile
clubs. He was married and lived at
1926 Anderson avenue, in the most
fashionable district Of the coal4and.
steel city.
He was formerly a Pittsburgh bro
ker, but recently has spent much of
his time in New Ycrk and Philadel-
phia. he was we'll known among the
devotees OF the night life in both
cities.
Was Estranged sFrom Wife.
Pittsburgh, Pa, Jan. 5.-Bernard w.
Lewis had been estranged from his
wife since November, 1916, it became
known here. Mrs. Lewis, with her
young son, is staying at the home of
her mother on Beechwood boulevard.
Her only comment when told of the
warrant issued in Philadelphia for her
husbands arrest was:
81 never heard of Maize eColberte."
adding that she had not seen her hus-
band since hast November, and had no
idea of his whereabouts since thai
time.