New-York tribune., 1920-10-22
VIM. P. Brines, Freshman
at Pennsylvania Univer-
sity, Hunted as Slayer of
Young Dartmouth Man
Blood Upon Auto
And Pistol Clews
WhiskyFlasks inMacl,ine {;
Police Obtained First
Tip i'm Letter on Victim
Special Dispatch to The Tribune


PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 21.-A war.
rant was issued to-day for the arrest
'.of William P. Brines, first year stu
dent at the University of Pennsylvania
on charge of numbering Elmer c.
Drewes, Dartmouth College student
whose body was found Sunday beside
lonely road in Oak Lane, suburb
of Philadelphia.
The warrant for the arrest Of Brines
was the result of a succession OF
clues unearthed by the county dctec-
tivcs, the finding of a letter in Drewes's
rooms which connected Brines with
the case, and the finding Wednesday
night of a automobile belonging ia
Brines
The machine was discovered about
midnight Wednesday in Germantown
Police believe the car was a plant;
that the murderer became frightened
upon reading accounts of police sus-
picons of the machine used and left
the murder car to be found, possibly
to lead the trail astray.
Bloodstains on Car
Examination of the records at Har-
risburg showed that the license number
of the car (513,477) had been issued
to Brines.
On the side of the car when found
was small blood spot and stains on
the floor are believed to be those OF
blood. In the tonneau, it was said
were found two empty whisky bottles
The detectives discovered an automatic
pistol in one of the side pockets. Two
cartridges were missing from the clip
While county detectives headed by
Major Samuel 0. Wynne are sure they
are on the right trail, they refused to
give their reasons for directly connect
ing young Brines with the shooting
or explain what they hold as the mo.
tive. They are Withholding much direct
evidence, Major Wynne said, to con-
meet the movements of both Drewes
and Brines on the night the former lost
his life;
At the present time we have q
large quantity of evidence which di-
1ecty points to Brines as being re-
sponsible for the death of Drewes, u
said Major Wynnc tonight. This evi
dence is Of such a character that we
deem it inadvsable to make it public
at this time.
"The mobile found in German
town. he continued was the property
Of Brines In a side pocket we found
80 caliber Colt automatic pistol, with
which, we have reason to believe, the
murder was committed. The warrant
charges murder.
Served in the Marines
"Brines was in the marines during
the war, we have found, but we do not
as yet know what outfit he was in.
Brnes has as yet not been appre-
hended, but we have every reason to
hope he soon will be under arrest"
The place where the machine was
found, the pciice said, is not an un-
aettled community, and it was limited
that persons in several houses, near
where it was left, saw person or per-
cons leave it there shortly before mid
night Wednesday.
Inquiry at the University of Penn
sylvania disclosed that the name of
BTlneS is on tne rolls lnere as DelnB
a student of the engineering school, in
the freshman year. Instructors are not
sure as to his attendance at classes
during last week, but are positive he
has not been there this week
Major Wynne said tonight that
Brines has not been at the Chestnut
Street house, where he lived with his
mother, since late last week.
Major Wynne tonight was unwilling
to say whether he connected the death
of Drewes with ring of automobile
thieves, but that the theory has been
advanced by detectives working on the
case. 1t is thought that Drewes came
to Philadelphia after receiving the let
ter from Brines, telling of car SELL
ing so cheaply that Drewes could not
afford to miss the chance"
Drewes found, it is believed, that the
car had been stolen, which was why its
price was low; that he demonstrated,
possibly refused to take the machine,
and the sellers, becoming fearful that
he would tell Of it, started the alterca-
tlon which resulted in the shooting.