New-York tribune., 1920-06-14
Captain Walsh, in Charge
of rs Detectives, Calls
1t the Greatest Mystery
Here i'm Last 25 Years
Duplicate Key
Theory Exploded
Countess and Her Sister
Quizzed; Mrs. Harding
Admits Visiting Man

1t is three days since the body of
Joseph Bovine Elwel was found shot
through the head in his home, 244 West
Seventieth Street. The keenest detec-
tives on the force have been at work on
the case day and night since then. 1t
was admitted yesterday that they had
made not one forward step toward the
solution of the crime.
Captain Thomas Walsh, in charge of
the twenty-five detectives at work on
the case, said last night that he and his
men were completely baff1ed.
"1n my twenty-five years in the De.
tective Bureau" he said, ~ never have
known anything more battling. There
is absolutely nothing to work on. Not
even a fingerprint can be found"
Two Keys to the Home
The one plausible theory as to the
murder in which the police had placed
considerable trust was badly damaged
yesterday, when it was discovered that
there were only two keys to the Elwell
home in existence. Elwell carried one
Miss Marie Larson, his housekeeper,
who found the body, had the other.
Formerly, it is said, several women
also had keys to the house Only a
short time before his death Elwell had
the locks changed. This at least partly
destroys the belief that the man was
shot by an angry woman or a revenge
full man, who gained entrance to the
building with one Of the keys.
The police announced yesterday that
they had found blackjack lying on
the piano in the Eiwell home. This
Elwells father explained, had been
purchased by his son some time ago
after quarrel with another man. He
did not think the murdered man had
ever carried the weapon,>
Detectives said yesterday they were
looking for Mrs. Elwell's first husband
They did not know his name and said
they had been unable to get it from
Mrs. Elwell, who, they insisted, was
out of town.
At her home, 1887 Lexington Ave
nue., last night Mrs. Elwell said she
had been home all day; that her first
husband was William H. Hanford; that
she married him in Brooklyn, divorce d
him twenty years ago. and that he died
iiNC SCdIS ldlSl, d1lcI Sno ndQ marie q
Elwell.
charge of the case under Mr.. Swami
yesterday had long conference with
Countess S. De Szinawaska, of III West
Fifty second Street, a Pole, and her
sister, Mrs. L. Harding, of 22 West
Fifty second Street. They said that
they had met Elwell in Carlsbad, Ger
many, in 1914, but that they had not
seen him in year or more.
Mr.. Joyce said after the conference
that Mrs. Harding admitted that she
had visited the Elwell home, but in
sisted that she had no key.
Taxi Drivers Canvassed
Detectives have canvassed taxi
drivers of the city to see if they could
find any one who had driven Elwell
home after he left the Walter
Lewisohns ana their party in Forty
second Street shortly after l O'Clock
Friday morning. Rumors that he mad
been seen late that night dancing at
the Biltmore Hotel were denied by
Biltmore authorities yesterday, who
insisted that dancing had stopped at
l a., m. and that Elwell had not been
in the hotel that evening.
SO driven to desperation have de-
tectives been by their failure to find
any clew whatever that they yester-
day sifted all the coal in the Elwell
cellar in the vain hope of finding the
automatic pistol with which the man
was slain.
James l.. Elwell, brother of the muir
dered man, and A. H. Caspary, broker
of 1l5 Broadway, VINO are executors of
the Elwell will, will ask the Surrogate
to-day for permission to examine the
safe deposit box, now in charge of the
Columbia Trust Company This prob
ably will settle permanently the cur
rent rumors of the dead mans poor
financial condition.
William Barnes, secretary to Elwcll
insisted yesterday that his employers
estate would amount to a million dol
lars or more. A study of Elwells cor
respondencc by detectives has afforded d
no clue. 1T was devoted almost en-
tirely to questions concerning bridge
whist.
VILLAIN H. Pendlcton, Elwell's clos
est friend, will be questioned to-day.
SO will Mrs. Viola Won Schlagel, sister
of Mrs. Walter Lewisohn and a mem
Der Of the party with which Elwell
spent the last evening Of his life.