Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-29
THINK ELWELL SHOT
IN BOOzE-DEAL ROW
Police Evolve New Theory in At
tempt to Solve Murder
Mystery
ELIMINATE W. H. PENDLET0N

New York, June 20.-The investiga
ton into the mysterious murder of
Joheph Bovine Elwell took a startlingly
new twist yesterday with fresh informa
tion placed before the district attorney.
IL the facts as presented to the au-
thorities are confirmed, the gallery Of
lovely ladies who have stopped to
folly" fades completely out of the drama
and reveals Elwell asa participatnt
in big bootegging scheme. His fail
,ire to carry out his end of the bargain
is declared to have ended in his murder.
The story, according to some sauthori-
ties, for the first time gives q rational
explanation of Elwells doings and trans
actions on the days Immediately pre-.
ceding the murder on the morning of
Friday, June II.
The tale has IL that when Elwell re-
turned from Kentucky last May he was
In financial straits and badly in need
of ready cash. In an effort to recoup
his fortunes he decided upon a gigantic
bootlegging deal. the finishing touches
of which were to be put on at Sara
! t0ga during the present racing season
- He is said to have taken several per
sons into his confidence as partners
and after connecting with those in n
position to supply the liquor purchased
S12,IO0 worth of the stuff. He hadn't
/ the money to pay for IL at the time,
but advanced check for the S12.70O,
with the stipulation that those from
whom he purchased the liquor hold off
cashing it for while until he was able
to meet it.
The transaction is declared to have
taken place during the week Of his
death, and the liquor is said to have
been duly delivered to a place not dis
closed. The extreme nervousness Of Ell
well noticed by Mrs. Marie Larsen,
his housekeeper, at this time is be-
lieved to have been due to his worri-
ment over the question of how he was
going to cover his obligation. In an
effort to make good, he had hastily
sold one of his best racers. Pastoral
Swain. to Lloyd Gentry, his racing
trainer, for $500, of which $400 was
deducted for money owing to Gentry.
lie had sold his yacht to Jack Ruther-
ford. of the Vanderbilt family, for
$4,000, a check for which he obtained on
the day before his death.
This, however, brought the totaI
amount of ready money to only $4,000
He appears then to have called upon
several of his friends for loans and it Is
believed that the two uncompleted phone
calls between 40 and 2 o'clock sait
to have issued from the Elwell home
for Far Rockaway 1S41, the home o.
William II. Pendleton, at Cedarhurst
l.. l., on the morning of the murder
were due to the desire of Elwell to Dor
row money from his former racing part
ner.
The police theory at present is thai
man involved in thes illicit liquor dea
came to the house on the morning o
the murder. A dispute about the none.
is thought to have followed, with tn
visitor insisting that the check be mad
good at once. Elwell attempted to hol,
him off for time, pointing out tina
there might be something in the mai
for him, and opened first the lette
from his trainer. Lloyd Gentry, whicl
> was found in his left hand at tn
; time of his death, and which told o
the good condition of several of hi
horses.
The visitor apparently was not sat
g, isfied. He felt he was being double
crossed and that he might yet land be