Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-21
MYSTERY CAR BIC CLUE
IN ELWELL MURDER CASE
Police Have Discovered Man Who
Saw Machine Stop at Slain
Sportman's Door.
OCCUPANT ENTERED HOUSE
Ono OF Two Persons in Automobile
Went Into Home, Declares Latest
Witness, John lsdalc, Ships
Officer, Whist Exports Ncighbor.
Try Universal Service

NEW YORK, June 20.-JoSeph T.,
Elwcn, murdered turtman. was in
his home at gao o'clock on the morn
ing he was found dying in chair
in the reception room of his home,
bullet wound in the center OF his
forehead.
In announcing tina; they have con-
elusive Information TO this effect. the
authorities tonight said they were
attempting to reach John fsdale. =
neiEhbor who said he saw man
leap from n black roadster and enter
the Elweil home at 3:i5 on the Fri
day morning Elwcll was found slain.
"A citizen has come forward and
informed us that he talked TO Eiwcil
morning. and that he was NJ home
and did not appear IN the least cN-
cited or nervous" John u. poolinE.
assistant district attorney. said to-
night.
The assistant district attorney said
the authorities were now anxious TO
question lsdale as 10 the man he is
said to have seen enter the murder
later than this. Isdalc. who is first
officer of the steamship Ariano, OF
the Furness- Witty Line, was in
Philadelphia tonight, but the authori-
ties expected to reach him by tcie-
phone tomorrow.
Rondstcr Now Bir Clue.
Tho police want n description Of
the roadster and Will make every
effort to learn the other occupants
identity. 1sdalr being quoted as say
ing there was another man in the
machine. who drove away immedi-
ately. II this mans Identity can be
learned great step Will have been
made II was said. toward the solu
tion OF tho crime which. at present.
remains completely battling.
Meanwhile. the authorities have not
abandoned other theories and clues
they have uncovered. They have not
discarded the belief that n woman
may have committed the crime. al
though they denied reports given cir
culation that the arrest was immi-
nent Of a woman whom they were
said to know AS the murderer.
The only new development along
this line, however, was said TO he
that the identity of the woman in
gray" has been definitely fixed. The
woman in gray was the companion
of Elwell at luncheon ut his house
on the Tuesday before his murder.
She was described by Mrs. Larsen.
Elwclrs housckecper. as having worn
gray Jersey suit. trimmed with
squirrel. The investigators said to-
night they had no reason 10 connect
her directly with the murder in any
way.
Construct Tentative Schedule.
Members of the district attorneys
staff conducting the probe of the FL
well case today constructed sched-
ule OF events. as nearly as they have
been able 10 learn them, prior to and
Immediately following Elwell's as
sassiration.
The new information they have oh
tanned. they said. Indicated that FL
we'll had reached homo some time
before c:30 ~ NJ. after his dinner at
the Ritz-Cariton, and later party at
the New Amsterdam roof.
He took on his clothing, his toupee.
he had been called on the telephone
by "a friend" whose sex could not
he learned.
Between the hours of 1925 and Sis
Elwell got M and went downstairs,
perhaps for the mail. or for any num-
her Of other reasons advanced
among them the theory that he may
even have admitted his murderer.
He was murdered, the physicians
who examined the body. and the po-
lice agree, between sis and s:25.
Mary Larsen, the housckccpcr, came
few minutes after s;25, and the
doctors are sure Eiwell could not
have lived more than few minutes
with Il bullet through his brain. II.
was alive when She arrived. At s:35.
according 10 the records at Flower
Hospital the ambulance call TO the
Mystery Deep III, Ever.
The mystery o: VIVA, occurred n
the sIl@ut house on S-Vert!eth Street
between -.3o o'cloct. and th,. time
Elwel! sat down in his reception
room TO read MS ea.Sly mo=ninG mail.
shortly after 500. <. u remains as