Evening journal., 1920-01-20
LAY MURDER TO
WOMAN'S Malice
Confessions Bring on New
Crime Angles in Kneip
Case
POLICE BELIEVE
BRIDE TAUNTED
By LEE !. SHIFTS.
]. sIan LOrrespOnleni.


ROCHESTER. N. Y, Jan i6.-The
Jealous mania Of a husband tortured
by his brides revelations, was at frst
held accountable for the killing Of Ed
ward ]. Kneip.
Now Sheriff Andrew Weidenmann,
who obtained confessions from Mr.. and
Mrs. O'Dell, Is convinced that a wOman's
malice Is the real cause behind the
crime.
O'Dell, q former enlisted man in the
navy, Is no more brutal I'm appearance
than the strange, primitive girl he mar
red. He weighs i22 pounds, is pallid
and thin, and was discharged from the
navy for physical disability.
O'Dell IS a Mason, an Elk and an Odd
Fellow. and a member Of social clubs
and drill teams in all these orders. lie
belongs TO the American Legion and
played a saxaphone IN the noted Legion
Band, Of Rochester. He is q member
0f the Y. NJ. C. A.
Wearing shell-rimmed glasses as he
-ead newspaper accounts Of his crime,
his slender youth tried hard to cover
MS nervousness and, at times 10 keep
back the tears.
ped through the ring Of deputies watch
ing his home and ran, as fast as he
could, toward the police headquarters
IN search OF his wife. 10 was he who
broke down and made the admissions
which enabled the authorities TO OBJ
tain a full account Of the case from
Mrs. O'Dell.
It now semes certain that rejected
love. turned TO smoulderlng hatred,
transformed Pearl O'Dell, is years old.
into q demon. Her fury at the loss Of
favored lover impelled hsr 10 feed
the mind Of the youth she had mar
o led with venom until he became her /
PARTNER in the honeymoon murder
That Is the theory upon which the
will work in It's endeavor /
10 compel Pearl O'Dell and her husband 4
20 pay the extreme penalty, which in
this State is death by electrocutlon.
The taunt, You're yellowW Is be- 4
eyed 10 have driven ODell into a kill
rig rage, the rage OF a weakling whose
cowardice IS derlded by the woman he
owes.
For Louie" ODen is passlonately
ievoted 10 the slender blonde girl who
as brought him face TO face with the
lcath chair.
III was unmistakably the womans
~ime," says the sherifi.
Sbarp and clean In the light covering
snow which lay on the ground when
body OF Kneip was found, were two
IS OF footprlnts. One bore the deep
,rF OF a French heel. The two tracks /
.e visible along the trail made by
dragged body. AZ one point the
N and woman had changed hands
their grewsome task.
FOR some OF the distance only one OF
wolnan's shoes showed the French 4,
mark.
her the heel, torn loose from the
.-. was found.
had been broken on as Pearl ODell Z
ked and stamped the PROSTATE Dody I
her former lover. L
f.imping in her damaged footgear' Z
ODell trudged the six miles back
the home Of her husbands foster I
rents. Here she went to the beside (
Mrs. Arnold and said 70 her: g
Well, I slammed him. Don't blame 1
.ouie.." S
She burned the shoes and her hus-
nd's blood-stained trousers, and T
orked until dawn trying 10 wash from 1
new fur coat the dark, tell-tale {
otches In
Kneip became acquainted with Pearl d
,eayer through a bOy-and-girl flirta- il
on. He was square" with her. ac- .
ordlng 10 his code, but never told his
1other that he knew her, and insisted, r
n the last hour OF his life, that he o
ever prnised 20 marry her. r.
One night last summer knelp called :
{ the home Of Pearl Beavers sister to a
ee Pearl. The girl was out, with il
omeone else. Kneip and Torrance G
.osgrove, PEARLS brother-in-law, had v
Jng talk. Cosgrove warned the Z,
ounger man that Pearl was wild" b
EMP went away and never approached 81
earl again. o
On his body was a letter signed &,
Viola" It told Of a romance different
rom the one in which Kneip and Pearl q
'eayer had been involved. d