New-York tribune., 1919-11-18
Breaks Down Under Oucs-
tioning and Describes
Quarrel Leading to the
Murder of Mrs. Branch
.
Refusal of Loan Cause
Slayer, Former Detective. To
Be Tried i'm january;
Ruses Solve the Mystery

Mrs. Marie Warren confessed vcster
day that she killed Mrs. Clara Branch
housekeeper in the home of CAPTAIN
Henry Wright near Lynbrook. L. I.
last Friday District Attorney Charles
II. Weeks, of Nassau County. said sb,
admitted crushing Mrs. Branchs head
with a hammer in quarrel over
money
Mrs Warren made her confession in
the Mineola Court House at noon in
the presence of the District Attorney
several assistants and detectives. She
vas subsequently arraigned before
magistrate Edward 7. Neu at Lynbrook
on formal charge of murder in the
first decree.
She pleaded not guilty in accordance
with instructions of the county author
''ies but again declared she com
mlteed the crime. She probably will
DC lndicted by the grand jury in De
cember and tried early in January.
Woman Pale and Worn
Dlstrlct Attorney Weeks. in an
nouncing the confession, said the MUIR
der WAS one of the most brutal he
had ever been called upon to consider
lhe woman recounted its details with
o"9iesS. one seemed pale
and worn, having lost entirely the col
iected manner at first DISPLAYED.
According to the confession. she
went to the room Of Mrs. Tranch at 9
o'clock Friday morning to ask her how
sac teit. Mrs. Branch said she felt
rotten and the Warren woman said
she would go out and get some medi-
cine.
Wait Mrs. Branch said. "I'll give
YOU the money for it, Mrs. Warren
said the Branch woman took big roll
Of bills from ner petticoat and the
arren woman askel. for a loan of $50.
" hen 1t was refused quarrel ensued.
Mrs. Branch, according to the confes-
sion. said:
You get out of the house. l think
you are crook, any way"
Mrs. Branch pointed to a revolver
on the floor under the bed, Mrs. War
rem said, and warned that if Mrs. War
rem didn't get out she would shoot.
Mrs. Warren then went downstairs.
she says, and got hammer in the
dining room, the hook end of which had
been broken off. She returned to Mrs.
Branch's bedroom and, going over to
where she was lying on the bed, said.
Now do Your shooting" at which she
declares she struck Mrs Branch on
the head
Intrusted Money to Friend
She didn't remember how many times
she hit her. She then took Sl35 from
the petticoat of the dead woman and
went to Manhattan, where she visite.!
lawyer by the name OF Jerome Will
zen. She next went TO Reisenweber's
Hotel, where her trunk had been held
Tor year, upon which she paid S25 to
be permitted to remove some papers.
now believed to be insurance policies.
AT about l P. NJ. she Went to the home
of Frederick Holman at Ala Riverside
Drive. where she met chum, Catha-
rlne Hayes, an actress, to whom she
says she intrusted the money.
In going over the details Of the story
a the arraignment she broke down
and cried, and asked the magistrate TO
please go ahead and let me get it
over WITH On the way to Lynbrook
and back she begged for and was
given cigarettes, which she smoked IN
large numbers.
Ruses Get Confession
District Attorney Weeks declared
that her confession was largely
brought about by two ruses adopted
b. Detectives Carman Plant and Felix
Di Martini. During a four-hour grill
ing at the MiAeola Jail in the morn.
ing, Detective Plant told her that the
finger prints found on the handle of
the hammer were similar to hers anc