The Washington herald., 1920-07-06
New York City
BY o. %. Mcintyre

New York. July 5.-rhe greatest
mystery in the Joseph Elweii mur-
der mystery 10 EIwen himssif. 1t
so happens that used to see the
whist wizard frequently. 1t wss
about four years ago and he iived
on my street and on Sunday morn
ings he generally stood In front OF
q hotel on an upper Broadway cor
ner. He seemed then to be hunting
adventure with the ladies' HIS
clothes and general makeup were
as spotless a. the ever present white
carnation In his lapel.
This little island is ful OF types
and characters. There is the round
er. the bachelor with his mysteri-
GUS apartment. the sporty gambler
and the social butterfly that con-
tinuaily breaks into Town Topics
for squirting some married woman
about
EiIeiI was all of these--plus
something more. He had character.
He was Intelligent. He was suave'
He knew the meaning OF savoir
faire. Everybody knew him. he
apparently had no enemies. HIS
characteristics on the surface were
as clean cut as q cameo. And yet
he lived an odd and mysterious
life.
Beyond the race track. the stock
market, the whist table and the
cabaret, the touring car Elweli
there was another Eiwell-an Ell
well who left his wife and son to
shift for themselves and chose to
live alone in O big house In Seven
tieth street.
The house 10 Just one OF a row of
brown stone fronts. with small
stone porch out front. II was just
far enough away from the bright
lights to be handy. II Is an emil
nently respectable neighborhood but
now the house Is in disrepute ana
the owners complain they cannot
rent ii.
Elwell was q man of many masks.
Men who are invariably suave and
polite are usually masked. The
type of man Of which Elwell Is an
example is the type that invites
crime. Charm. money, solitude.
While there is no all night life now
-ostensibly-there is still a sub
terranean al night town that goes
on just the same. It Is not for the
masses. 1t Is for the rich. II
bubbles with scandal and intrigue.
II was In this world that Elwell
was At his best. Several intrigantes
had keys to his home and walked
in and out at all hours OF the night.
They even had their own powders
and perfumes In private lockers.
Some menage!
The early afternoon crowds on
Fifth avenue the other day were
halted by that peculiar psychology
cal ripple that precedes something
unusual. Policemen and trafic gods
diverted the swirl up side streets.
A chugging puppity-pup of a motor
cycle was heard far away. Then
the street like a sudden going out
of the tide was empty
There came a body of mounted
policemen with measured tread.
Then a Scotch kiltie band ten
abreast three rows deep playing
bagpipes softly and slowly. Back
OF that five horses dragging a gun
mount upon which was a lightly
vanished CONN.
Aside the comm as guards were
eight young men In various UNI
forms. One swung unevenly on
crutches. There were limp sleeves
in three coats and one-God help
nim-stared out irto abysmal dark
ness. A boy scout led him. Of an
officer at the curb ] asked who II
was. II dunno" he said respect
fully. "a Scotch aviator dead ]
think"
And just then there was a whirr
overhead-two aeroplanes swept
down and dropped bouquets of roses
and then shot upward-like larks
flying up to the gates Of Dawn.