New-York tribune., 1920-11-05
w Waters Acted
As Samaritan
To His Slayer
Prosecutor Believes Young
CIubn1an Was Acinated by
Pity in Taking Sisabbily
Dressed Stranger 10 Hotel
Murder Victim Robbed
Initials w. II. A. Oh Suit Of
Underwear Left in Room
Gives Police Chief Caew.

Robbery was the motive which led
to the killing OF Leeds Vaughn Waters,
society man and son of the late Horace
Waters, piano manufacturcr in an OBJ
scurc hotel in the Tenderlon on
Wednesday morning, according to As
sistant District Attorney John r. den
mis-, who has been Investigating the
case
MIR. Iicunis said that Watcrs's move
mcnts between midnight, when lie is
known to have left the Delta Kappa
Epsilon Club, 80 West Forty-fourth
Street, and 6 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing, when he registered with another
man as -. Talbot, of Milwaukee" are
shrouded in the deepest mystery.
Waters left the club in a taxicab
which has not been traced Whether
he picked the cab up outside the club
house or telephonod for it has not been
ascGrtaincd Somewhere and at some
time during the interval Of sis hours
before he entered Tie Hotel Plymouth
with his shabby companion, Mr.. !icnnis
believes, the two met.
Took Room Without Bath
The Assistant District Attorney is Of
the opinion that the stranger. who reg
istered with Waters as James Dunn,
of Milwaukee," told hard luck story
that appealed to the society man and
caused hir' to find place for Dunn"
to sleep.
at seems probable to me-" said Mr..
Rennis, that Dunn thought that
Waters was wealthy. He could easily
have arrived at this conclusion from
the way the man was dressed. When
they arrived at the Plymouth Waters
rented the room on the eighth floor and
paid $3.50 Tor il, giving john Carney,
tAc night clerk a $40 bin. The two
were offered room with a bath at
higher price, but Waters. according to
the clerk, said that the cheaper room
without the bath would do
Carney says that Waters did not
take the $40 bill from roll. but drew
II from his pocket as though it was the
only one he had. Then the two men
went to their room and nothing more
was heard Of them until guest in an
adjoining room informed Carney over
the house telephone that terrific
fight was going on When The clerk
went to the room occupied by Waters
and Dunn he had to knock scvcra!
times before getting any response.
Then the door was ononed BY Dunn.
who demanded what the clerk wanted.
Carney insisted on being permitted
to enter the room, and when Dunn re-
fused TO let him in he turned to the
elevator boy and told him to go down
TO the desk and get the pass key. Be
lore the boy returned Damn came out
of the room with something in his hand
that gllttored like a revolver. Carney
fhongnt It was a gun and backed up
against the wall aud permitted Dunn
TO escape down the stairs.
ne elevator was on its way un at
the time and before it could be run
back to the first floor again Dunn had
disappeared into the street.
Shoe or Cane Used
The thing that the night clerk
thought was a revolver was orlv one
Of the patent leather shoes Norn bv
" aters and which the fugitive dropned
IN the corridor as soon as he found
tnat his way to the street was clear
me severe bruises found on tho body
OF Waters whom the police entered 4hg
room may have been inflicted BIZ ,he
shaFp heel of this shoe. or thcv mav
nave been made with the cane which
waters Is known to have carried when
ne registered, and which appears to
be missing.
We arc pretty sure. that Dunn did
not have the cane with him Whom ba
tlcd from the hotcl The stick nav
have been thrown out OF the window
which Was IN, and picked M pv so-,,s
one WHO realized chat it's heavy ,,old
head WAS of value
My opinion is that Dunn's motive
was robbery and that the fioht vas
prccipltated by his belief that Waters
n&u money AS matter Of fact DO
.i not believe that Waters had more
~ 'n"H tne change from the $40 bin
"nlch ne gave 10 the n ght clerk in
payment 1or the room. The pawn tick
cts Whlch we have found among the
dead mans effects seem to imdica+o
that he was short Of funds. The bills
Wnich Waters received from the nlcht
clerk were missing and it is Drobablo
lllaV they were the only things THAI
Dunn had q chance to take be ore hn-
ing interrupted
W aters's clothes were neatly piled
on table, and a diamond studded lvrist
watch and other jcwelry worth between
S2OV and $1,000 were found with them.
waters was uAdresSod when his BODY
was round and 1t IS probable that his
HSSaliah1 had been also, as suit of
cheap underwear was found in the
his - nave peeA
The cheap underwear is the chief
clew on which the police base their
hopes Of arresting Dunn. Mr. Hcnnie
sald. 1t bears the initials IVY. II. A."
and has been traced to a laund.v in
last tifty-ninth Street
The police have discovered that Wat
ers recently pawned number of pieces
oI Je,we.ry on which he realized ap-
Inc dead mans mother is said to be
Mrs. Horace Waters, widow cf tha
piano manufacturers She he's be~n
stopping at the Gramatan Hotel in
B5ron.ville and came to New Yor,,
Wednesday 10 Identify the body. She
declared that Waters was her son. The
dead man had been registered at the
Gramatan for month. He Was a
member Of many exclusive clubs In this
country and abroad