Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-06
SUPPOSED SLAYER
OF GIRL KILLS SELF
Police Say Evidence Indicates
Rich Pittsburgh Man Killed
Beautiful Model. .
BULLET THROUGH HEAD


stantiai evidence which the police sa,
convinces them that Bernard w
Lewis, son OF wealthy retired Pitts
burgh coal operator, who ended his
life in an Atlantic City hotel last
night, was the slayer OF Maize Col
bert. the artists model, was revealed
today by an examination of the
Young mans body,
Lewis was identified by Elwood
Powell, the chauffeur who drove him
and the Misses Ethel and Mabel Kyle
to their home in Germantown last
Thursday night, as the man he later
took to Miss Colbert's apartment.
Philadelphia detectives who went to
Atlantic City last night say that
Lewis hair matches that found
clutched in the dead girls hand and
that Lewis was found to be wearing
woman's undershirt which corre-
spends to garments worn by Miss
Colbert. A blood stained handker-
chief was found in his pockctbook.
Lewis left no written statement, how
ever, as far as could be learned.
Mystery Virtually Solved.
In view OF these developments the
authorities say they feel that the
mystery virtually has been solved. At
the same time is was declared several
men who were friends OF Miss Col
bert and were suspected OF having
knowledge of the crime will be kept
under surveillance until there is no
doubt regarding their connection
with the case. In their efforts TO
solve the mystery the police had ques-
toned many young men prominent in
the. social and business life of Pitts
burgh. Several OF them admitted they
had known the girl and some said
they had been among her admirers.
Except two or three the explanations
were satisfactory to the detectives
and their names were not made pub
lie.
{ Friends Say He is Innocent.
The Misses Kyle, school teachers,
through whom the police learned Of
Lewis identity, maintain that he is
innocent of the murder and that he
committed suicide because he believed
his reputation had been ruined. "Mr.
Lewis was the victim of CHASTITY
blunder,' one OF the teachers said.
Il still believe he was innocent. /
know he was an honorable man. He
read that he had been drawn into a
myRtery and ended his life because
he had lost hope Of extricating him
SELF and because he thought his rep
utafion has been ruined. He had
teldbhoned us every day since the
murder occurred, but it was not until
late yesterday that he showed any
signs OF being worried about the af-
faif
'sde called US three times yesterday
and at 4 o'clock, the hour of his last
cali he seemed excited, but protested
Hist innocence. Isn't this horrible,
he Said. I don't know what to do to
STOP this notoriety.' He said that
he placed the matter in the hands Of
fwyer and that everything would
be all right"
Suicide Prevents Arrest.
Kess than FIVE hours after this con-
velSation Lewis had shot himself IS
He Twas about to be arrested. That
he had anticipated arrest and had
matie preparations to end his life was
indicated BY the fact that the a cali
BET rife that he used for the deed
was new. He had pinned Z towel
ov6r the transom Of his bed room
door and on the bureau was box Of
cafridges and an extra cartridge lay
onithe window ledge within his reach
in Sthe bath room. Several newspa-
pes containing accounts Of the Col
beft murder were found in his room. |
H4 had little luggage and only about
So jim cash was found in his pockets.
According to the owners Of the hotel
he arrived there at 10 o'clock Wednes-
day pnight and had appeared rather
morosc and uncommunicative.
Evidence Apparently Conclusive.
The police declared today that they
iiaq built up remarkable circum-
stsntial case against Lewis. They
had issued a warrant against him
charging him with defrauding Pow
elf the taxicab chauffeur who waited
eight hours outside OF the Colbert
apartments, out Of $40 fare and had
planned when they located him to &C.
cuse him Of being the owner of the
wilted and lood-stained collar found
in the girls room. They believed
they had identified this collar as one
worn by Lewis the night before the
murder was discovered.
With the dramatic announcement
that Lewis had committed suicide the
iebsion which has existed at the de-
Ateetive bureau seemed to relax and
Captain Tate announced today that
hesfeit his work on the case virtually
was at an end.