The Washington times., 1920-07-12
E[WE[[
IN NB|GFRAUDS
One Scheme Termed the Most
Stupendous" Confidence
Game in America.

NEW YORK. July I2.-The ElwslI
murder mystery has entered its sec
ond month apparently as far from So
lustion as at the time the turfman and
bon yiysnte was found slain in hts
home early in the morning OF June II.
Although Federal, State, and munie-
ipal authorities, scores OF private de-
tectives. aud numerous Independent
investigators have been constantly at
work ON the case. a tangled and con-
fBcting mass OF clues has been the
only result OF their lsbors. No arrest
has been made and authorities frank
ly admit that no arrests are imml-
nent. Those directing the various i'm
Yestigations, however, assert that
they are following lines OF inquiry
that they are hopeful will produce
positive results.
The pendulum in the mystery swung
back today to the theory that IT was
a woman who shot Elwell, and tnat
Jealousy was the motive. IL became
known that investigators have been
engaged for several days in expert
ments with a revolver like the one
used TO kill ElwelH
TEST WOMEN WITH GUNS.
All sizes and types OF women have
been called In to use the revolver in
an effort to demonstrate that II would
have been possible for any woman 10
have fired the gun with which the
turfman was slain. 1t is said to have
been demonstrated that q woman
weighing eighty-five pounds can ham
die the revolver easily.
One woman, IL is said, is so strong
ly under suspicion that after repeated
questioning by the District Attorney
she has been forbidden to leave the
city and is under constant surYeil-
ance. The authorities admit, how
ever, that this womsn's story of her
connection with Elwell has been
| sufficiently strsight-forward to maks
any positive action against her un-
| warranted.
SCENT "sHADY" DEALS.
The investigation turned to re-
ports that Elwell had several times
| been involved in stock transactions
in Wall Street that were of such
nature as TO attract the attention Of
the authorities. Investigators are
said to have uncovered evidence that
Elwell was connected with several
| schemes to mulct the unwary.
| The discovery of this angle OF the
| case has given rise TO the theory that
| ElweIrs former associates in shady"
business transactions may have
knowledge of the manner OF his
death.
Federal authorities are still at
work on a probe of Elwelis alleged
connections with ring" OF illicit
| liquor dealers,
| A fake mining scheme by which
he and certain associates planned to
relieve" the public of millions was
lexposed less than two years ago when
a warning letter was written to post
Office inspectors.
AS a result. Elwell and his asso-
ciates closed their luxurious suite OF
| offices in a downtown office building
and left word with the superintendent
that Western mine" in which they
were interested had turned out to be
.'non-paying," and they intended TO
stop the sale of stock to the public.
Ten Years before, in 1905, Elwell
had been closely connected with whst
| was described at the time as 'thc
most stupendous mining fraud ever
| operated in America"
Concrete evidence of these episodes
| in the yariegated career of the mur-
derd turfman, as they have come
from official sources, will be made
available to District Attorney Ed
ward Swami and his assistant John
T. Dooling. field director" of the in
ternational search for the man or
woman who killed Elwell