The Washington times., 1919-11-18
USE NICOTINE TEST
ON HATCHET SLAYER

fondness for cigarettes and the quick
wit of rural detective combined yes
terday to clear up the mystery OF the
Staying OF Mrs. Clara Branch in
Valley Stream last Friday.
Mrs. Marie Berlin Warren, actress,
criminal investigator and friend OF
the slain woman, confessed to the
killing. after maintaining an attitude
of defiance for two days. A fight
over money, she said, was the cause
of the tragedy. A broken-headed
hammer was the instrument Of death.
Sobbing, the woman repeated the
substance OF her confession. Assistant
District Attorney Elwin Edwards eX-
planned that the law would not allow
her to plead guilty to the charge.
She murmured a plea OF not guilty
and was driven back to the Mineola
jail to await the grand jury's action.
Fisherman Released.
Capt. Henry Wright, a fisherman, in
whose home the two women lived,
was released as a material witness
after Mrs. Warren's confession, but
was warned not to leave the county
until the trial was over.
Since Mrs. Warren surrendered her
self on Saturday she has been an
enigma to the county authorities.
When she appeared before Justice
Neu. she said she knew nothing about
the death of her friend and had moth
ing to fear. When confronted by the
grastly evidence of the crime, she
only murmured:
How awful Who could have done
this? I'm sure I don't know"
Carman Plant, county detective,
was assigned by the prosecutor to
work out the case. He Is tall, broad
shouldered, with tremendous hitting
power, and a fund of native shrewd-
ness.
He suggested that Mrs. Warren
permit her finger prints to be taken.
She hesitated a moment then nodded
and made the desired Impressions.
Plant led her to a cell and tried
to talk with her about the crime. He
could get no statement from her.
Finally she asked for cigarettes.
Plant was smoking but he explained
that he had no more.
Casually he asked what brand she
perferred and she named a popular
Turkish variety. For two days, men
passed her cell smoking the brand
for which her nerves craved most,
but they were always smoking the
last one.
Yesterday morning, Plant referred
casually to the finger prints, saying
the photographs were finished, which
they were not. Mrs. Warn dis
played quickened interest. Through
the corridor OF the Jail a cloud of
cigarette smoke was waited. The
woman uneasily inquired why they
took the finger prints and Plant re-
sponded:
"Oh, we got a lot of very clear
impressions of finger tips on the
hammer with which you killed Mrs.
Branch, and we're matching them
up"
1t was false, for the hammer handle
was so rough that no prints were
clearly defined. but the woman fell
into the trap. For a moment she
hesitated on the edge. saying:
do you think IL / had done II
would have given myself up? i guess
mot" r -
The sraw-boned countryman drew a
cigarette from his pocket, eyed IL
casually. lighted it slowly and tanta-
lizingly. and answered:
II guess so. It's just what you
would do"
Mrs. Warren, aufvering at the sight
Of the cigarette, turned pale, and
asked IL the detective had another,
but he hadn't one left. He rose to
leave the cell. remarking that he
wanted to look at her finger prints
on the hammer handle again, and the
woman, all unnerved. cried:
"Oh, I may as we'll tell the truth
and have it over with! Will you give
me a cigarette, please"
Quixzed For Hours
For three hours Plant. with Other
county detectives. questioned me
prisoner. Then he called Assistant
District Attorney Edwards, who was
told by the woman that she wanted
to make a statement. She was led 20
District Attorney Weeks office, in
the courthouse. fronting the Jail. Her
first request was for 2 cigarette.
Assistant District Attorney Charles
Wood smilingly handed her a pack
age Of her favorite brand. Mrs. War
rem lighted one and smoked them CON-
tinuously, even when she was in the
automobile on the Lynbrook road.
The prosecutor afterward empha-
sized that the woman's confession
was complete and wholly voluntary.
With suppressed sobs, she read il
over. then signed IL in vertical PEN
manship, saying:
I'm sorry, but I'm glad It's over
with"
with the memory of DR.. wilkins
suicide still vivid. Under Sheriff
Phineas Seaman took extraordinary
precautions to prevent Mrs. Warren
killing herself. A parallel between
the two cases was pointed out. Mrs.
wilkins was slain by a hammer bat
tering in her skull just as Mrs.
Branch died.
The slayers OF the two women had
Manhattan homes, although the
crimes were committed in Nassau
County. Both slayers gave them
selves up after the crimes. Money
was the motive in both cases
The prosecutor declined to make
public the text OF the confession, but
said in substance that IL read:
II alone killed Mrs. Branch. No
one else is implicated. We had an
argument Friday morning. went
to her room. She was in bed. ! ask
ed her how she felt and she said,
Not so we'll She wanted me to buy
some medicine for her and took a
roll OF bills out of her petticoat poc-
ket.
Il said: That's a good-sized roll.
lend me some OF it But she wouldn't