The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-01-05
Rich Man KILLS
SELF; WANTED
AS GIRLS SLAYER
B. W. Lewis, Pittsburg Mil
li0naire, Shoots SelfOyer
Models Murder.
HIS COLLAR FOUND
IN WOMAN'S ROOM
Had Been in Grace Roberts
Apartment on Night She
Was Found Slain.
Special Dispatch to The Tribune.

4
Special Dispatch to The Tribune.
Atlantic City, n. j.. Jan. 4.-Ber-
nard w. Lewis, a millionaire of Pitts
burg, for whom a warrant had been
issued because he failed to pay a taxi
CAB hliI after aIighting near the
apartment of Grace Roberts, the ar
lists model, who was found mysteri-
ousiy murdered, committed suicide to-
night.
Lewis killed himself when he dis
covered that he was about to be placed
under arrest. While he was accused
Of refusing to pay the taxicab bill, ne
was wanted as a witness in the in
vestigation of the murder case.
Detectives say Lewis was present
when the artists model was murder
ed Although he was not accused of
the girls murder, collar found in
the room occupied by Miss Roberts at
the time she was slain, has been iden-
titled as belonging to Lewis.
Lewis. who shot himself in hotel
in this city, was married man. In
formation obtained by the police indi-
Gates that Lewis was a former lover
of Miss Roberts. He went to her
apartment on the night Of the murder,
and while there, it is believed, her
more recent sweetheart returned to
the apartment. Finding Lewis there,
the adnlirer killed the young woman
in the presence of Lewis, or while the
latter was making his escape. In his
fight, it is presumed Lewis forgot his
collar.
The police have obtained the name
of the man suspected Of having killed
Miss Roberts. and his arrest is ex-
pected to be made within the next "a
hours.
Lewis name was supplied to the
police by two public school teachers,
who are sisters. The sisters, Misses
Ethel and Mabel Kyle. are said to have
known Lewis for year.
They spent part of Thursday aft
ernoOn and evening with him at sew
eral hotel cafes, where they danced.
They had dinner at one of the most
prominent hotels in the city and later
they were taken to their home in Ger
mantown by him. The sisters said
they were greatly surprised to hear
that their friend had been near the
apartment house. They could not I'M
derstand, they said. why he failed to
pay his taxicab bill, because he had
plenty of money with him. Lewis, ac-
cording to the police, is the son Of
Wenman Lewis, coal operator of
Pittsburg. He is said to have been in
this city as late as yesterday after
noon.
According to the police, one of the
school teachers said that Lewis had
remarked to them that he had lost
some baggage in New York. The po-
lice recall the fact that among the
things found in tie apartment were
blood-stained shirt and collar, both
of which appeared to be new and
neither of which bore a laundry mark
Lewis, according to the police, told
the Kyle sisters that he had been COM
missioned to buy munitions for for
eign Governments.
Miss Ethel Kyle is quoted as saying
that Lewis called on her Sunday and
accompanied her to church.
"He seemed the same as usual" con-
tinued Miss Kyle. Il saw him again
on Monday. On Tuesday | had tele-
phonic communication with him. ! had
seen the statement of the taxicab dri-
yer in the newspapers and asked him
TO read it. He said he would buy a
paper and read it. A little later he
called me up again on the telephone
and said he had seen what | referred
to and that ! should not worry about
that"
The detectives arranged with the