The sun., 1919-01-09

CnainOlb case ana lew OtHer OuuS hhu
ends such as old men and small boys
sometimes cherish.
The police could assume no other
theory than that o; murder for the pur-
pose OF robbery, and yet there had been
no looting OF the body except possibly
the stealing OF scarfpin They could
only guess that the murderer was some
one of tho ncighborhood, "a foreigner
they senerallzed. who was aware that
Mr. Knapp was daily In the neighbor-
hood. that he was apt to carry consid-
cradle sum OF money and that he was
accustomed to go alone into the dark
barroon.
Only One Clue Obtained.
The thought, too, that some sudden
alarm. perhaps n wagon stopping out
side. or the sound OF voices through the
door and broken window in the front, or
even the murderers nervous cowardice.
might have snatched him away before
he dared take time for thorough
search such as would have revealed Mr..
Knapp's valuables. They thought II pos
sible, indeed, that the murderer may
have been hidden in the barroom when
Mr.. Knapp entered and that he merely
waited until the old gentleman had gone
into the cabinet and was standing with
II was all guesswork, for the only clue
the police h d Was the necktle cut away
clearly below the knot with "A sharp
knife or raZur. This was the most eN-
traordinary feature of the whole crime.
.or 1t might signify nothing or every
thing
The news that Charles VI. Knapp had
been murdered in a vacant saloon at so
Bedford street stirred tenants OF the
ninth floor OF the building at s5 William
street. building very largely given up
10 insurance brokers and adjusters. Mr.
Knapp had had his Office in room el2
for thirteen years and was accustomed
to visit the office every afternoon to read
his mail and attend to his insurance
business.
The mornings he spent in inspecting
house , he owned on the lower West SIDE
and in collecting rents or verifying the
complaints o. tenants. Although persons
on the same floor OF the william street
office building knew Mr.. Knapp to speak
to. they knew little about his Affairs
except that he and his wife were well to
do. They said lie transacted business In
old fashioned ways and trusted few peo-
pie with the details OF his affairs. They
rec. led his pleasant manners, his habit
of bowling in the style of half a century
ago and his invariably pleasant smile.
Everybody liked him.
Rented Part of Knapp's once.
Recently Walter II. Stearns an in
surance adtuster. who knew Mr.. Knapp
only slightly, rented half of Mr.. knapps
office. though he has not yet moved in
his own belongings. He said that Nv
Knapp had not been in the office since
Monday afternoon. and an unopened
Mt, = 4. a
bearing the local date stamp OF January
j confirmed the statement He believed
that Mr.. Knapp was we'll 20 do. If not
wealthy. and that he owned constd
cradle real estate.
The bankbooks found upon the body
bore out this view. Deposits in both
the Guaranty Trust Company and In
the National Park Bank had been con-
stan; and szable, both in his wife =
name ana his own. and apparently he
had thousaur < OF dollars in ash in these
banks. on December 90. 1918, he de-
posted Sl09s to his wife's account In
the Guaranty Trust Company, and on
January 3. 1919, $3.50 to hts own ac-
count In the National Park Bank
Mr.. Stearns went first to so Bedford
street. where he at once identified the
body. and then to the Charles street
police station. where he gave such in
formation as he had Subsequently he
went TO the Knapp home in Montclair
where he talked TO Mrs. Knapp. herself
more than 20 years of age.
The knapps were not especially well
known in Montclair. They were re-
gardel as wealthy and as a simple old
couple who had lived quietly and t.
themselves for years IN good neigh
bDrhood. There was son. il was said
who left home ten years ago and has
not been heard from. There IL one
daughter also.
The body was taken to the Morgue
from which Il will be removed to the
Knapp home to-day.