New-York tribune., 1920-07-21
Elwell 5000 Check
Only Wedding Gift,
Says Mrs. Washburn
Wife of Wealthy Sportsman
Asserts Husband Still Has
AS Caliber Automatic He
Used While in the Army

Assistant District Attorney John T.
Dooling, still hopeful of unraveling the
Elwell murder mystery, continued yes
terday his examination of persons who
might be able to give some helpful
clew. He announced that he had ques-
toned Mrs. Elizabeth Clarkson Wash
burn, wife of William Mayhcw Wash
burn. wealthy sportsman and former
lieutenant in the A, E. F., whom he
had interviewed several days before
Mrs. Washburn is a member of the
Clarkson family, of Tivoli, N. Y. Mr.
Dooling said she told him that her ac-
quaintance with Elwell was only of a
casual nature, and that in other re-
spects her story practically corrobor-
ates all that her husband had told the
Assistant District Attorney. She cx-
planned the 5000 check which Ewell
had sent her last October by saying
that it was wedding gift.
In connection with letter addressed
TO her which had been found among
Elwell's effects, she said, according to
Mr.. Dooling, that it had been written
to her by a girl friend in her set at
Palm Beach. The letter was written
after Elwell had left the resort and
some time after she had come North.
There were some things in it, she said,
which she thought Elwell would be in
terested in and therefore sent it to
him. She had considered it so unim-
portant that she had not tried to get
1t it, back. s, ! have read that letter." add
ed Mr.. Dooling ut is absolutely
meaningless and harmless. Eweil
must have had it year and a half at
the time of his DEATH"
Mrs. Washburn was questioned at
the home of a lawyer friend of hers
IN the latter's presence, Mr.. Doolng
said. She told him, said Mr.. Doolng,
that she had met Elwel about five or
six years ago at the home Of her uncle
IN West Fiftieth Street, whom he had
been teaching to play bridge. Subse-
quently she took lessons in the game
from the expert. She said she had
been his guest at his Palm Beach bun
galow and on his yacnt with relatives
or other acqualntances, but that she
had never visited his West Seventeen
Street house or his places at Long
Beach or Saratoga. She had not spok-
en- to Elwell, she said, since about Feb
ruary, 1919, and had never been in his
company except in the presence of reIa-
tives or friends.
Mr.. Dooling said that the only COM
munication Mrs. Washburn had re-
celved from Elwell within the last wear
was IN October, 1919, when she re-
ceived his check for 5000, and that she
had received no other checks or letters
from him.
She said, according to the Assistant
District Attorney, that she saw Elwell
with the Lewisohn party on the New
Amsterdam Roof on the morning of
the murder, but did not speak to him.
She was then with her brother-in-
law, Frank B. Washburn, and his wife
and another man, a college friend of
her husband. No one in her party, she
said, had spoken to Elweu.
She further told Mr.. Dooling that
her husband still had his as calibrc
automatic pistol which he used while
in the army. Mr.. Dooling said he ex-
pected Mr.. Washburn to turn the pistol
over to him. He also intimated that
he would question Mrs. Washburn
again.