New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-10
New Witness Writes Letter
to Philadelphia Prosecu-
tor i'm Roberts Case
CORONER DECLARES
BATTLE WAS SEEN
Also Asserts Gas Was
Forced Into Woman'S
Lungs After Throttling
From . st.r corr,.pond,n. ., m. Tribun.. ]

From a stan Correspofl dent N Inc i1DNHe
Philadelphia, Jan. 9.-Another wit
ness has come forward who insists that
Grace Roberts was alive more than
twelve hours after the time when Ber-
nard W. Lewis is said to have MUIR
dered her. If his statements can be
verified the solution" of the case,
which the police have proclaimed was
brought about by the suicide of Lewis,
will turn out to DC no solution at all
and detectives will be obliged to pick
I'D the other cold trails where they
dropped them several days ago.
A newspaper here received a letter
to-day from a lawyer, well known in
Philadelphia, which asserted that its
writer had reliable information that
Grace Roberts was alive at b:3O O'CLOCK
Friday afternoon, December 20. Lewis
was supposed TO have killed her early
Friday morning.
When the communication was re-
ferred to District Attorney Samuel L.
Rotan he held a long conference with
Captain OF Detectives Tate. At its
conclusion he admitted that If the law
yer were correct in his assertions the
case against Lewis was completely de-
stroyed.
The police know that the man who
later Killed himself at Atlantic City
was at the Adelphia Hotel from 4
o'clock on Friday until Saturday AFTER
noon.
Previous Reports
The report that Grace Roberts mad
been seen alive after 4 p. m, when she
ceased answering telephone calls IN her
apartment, has been spread many times.
The police are still looking for a DO,
nestle named Edith Wells, who is said
TO have told a woman she had worked
for Of passing the Wilton at p. m. on
Friday and seeing Grace Inside her
apartment. The body was not found
until late Saturday night
A second questioning to-day OF Ed-
ward Bass, the haberdasher's clerk VINO
sold Lewis the shirt he wore when ne
ended his life, and the suitcase wnich
he left at the Adelphis, favored the sus-
pected suicide Bass stuck to the storJ
he told last night, which was that Lewis
had made his purchases before IL
o'clock Friday morning. City Magls-
trate Harry Imber. who has repeatedly
asserted that he talked over the tele-
phone TO the girl at 1880 o'clock, cor
rected his statement, however, and says
i. might have been 10 o'clock that he
conversed with Grace over the phone
Seek Witness of Murder
I The police and the District Attor-
ney believe there was witness TO the
murder. He is the new hgure when
( The Tribune yesterday intimated MAD
entered the case as result OF the DIS
! trict Attorneys investigation. Ii Is
understood that Richard Benjamin.
/ the negro janitor at the wilton cor
/ roc,ed his former stories and gave In
formation which may prove OF value
Grace Roberts's name has been asso-
/ ciated with blackmail cabals before
/ She is said to have figured in con-
/ spiracy against two clergymen last
( summer which fell through because
/ the pastors put up finish night. All
/ who assert that Grace knew Lewis add
/ that she entertained high regard Tor
the Pittsburgher's financial standings
Lewis seldom underrated hlmseIl III
that regard.
The supposition is that Lewis was
invited to Grace's apartment ana went
there when he left Ethel and Mabel
KYLE. the Germantown school teachers
shortly afterward the third person en-
tered and the demand for hush money
was made Lewis. it is thought. at
tackled the two. The man fed, and, IN
his rage. Lewis killed the girl.
While CAPTAIN Tates men were run
ming down this and other leads when
suggested themselves during the ques-
tiCning of City Magistrate Harry lmoer,
Charles Kaier. Mahonoy City brewer s eII!i
re1uted millionaire; Oscar carter, cNl,
engineer and heir 70 a fortune, ana
others. the District Attorney was pre-
paring a new list of witnesses ior
second induisition. These may De calIeu
to-day.
Coroner Thinks Lewis Was Innocent
Coroner william knight to-day
cLarged the police with bungling, and
'-"satfod thar he has launched an inves-
,.ootion which he hopes will produce
sonetbine very soon" The Coroner
does not believe Lewis committed the
crime He scotia at the blackmail
theory. but his version does include the
presence Of third person at the MUIR
der lie said: .Lo
81 don't believe that Lewis was the
SLAYER. And I think there were more
than two in the apartment when the
crime occurred. The actual murderer
was a strong-willed, powerful brute.
There was a quarrel. Grace Rob
erts hit a man. He bit her back. There
was lighting in both bedroom and liv-
inc room. After a silk stocking was
tied about the girl's throat an effort
was made to asphyxiate her. There
was gas in her body. 1t had flowed
through the rubber hose which dsngled
over the bed where the body lay, the
other end fastened to the gas Jet. But
the flow of gas into the woman's lungs
was feeble, because of the stocking
,..,,rI Lar pack