Mexico weekly ledger., 1920-08-19
Crime Wave
Sweeps U. S.
In 60 Days

NEW IOhh, Aug, 0.-lS the
United States passing through a
crime wave Of unprecedented proper
tions, and is that crime wave due to a
rapidly falling standard of the value
of human life; is it a reflect action
of the great war; or is it the usual
summer madness which psychologists
attribute to overheated brains and
distorted twisted mentality?
Whatever the cause, there have
been committed in the last two
months nine sensational capital crimes
or suicides-which in their phases
of brutality, sangfroid, or sheer mys-
terry have developed front page sem
sations for newspapers the country
over.
Nine Sensational Cases.
Here are the nine:
Joseph Bovine Elwell, whist expert,
wealthy, favorite with women. Muir
dered in his New York home. Motive
unknown, or rather a multiplicity Of
motives, any one Of which might have
accounted for the deed. Contains all
the elements of wine, women and
gambling for high stakes.
Fritz Rueckert, wealthy German
manufacturer, murdered in his home
in Hoboken. No motive discovered,
although two women claimed him as
fancee.
"The trunk murder, Eugene Leroy,
alias 0. J. Fernandez, alias o. J..
Woods, sought by police as slayer Of
his common law wife, Florence Jack
son. Motive jealousy.
S. 7. "A. LOTUS, wealthy Chicago
merchant, died in his apartment after
a struggle with Ruth Woods and her
fance, Roy M. Shayne. Deed thought
tn have been caused by excessive in
diligence in liquor.
Mrs. Carl Wanderer, Chicago, shot
by her husband in murder plot be
cause he wanted to 60 back into the
army" Motive selfshness, coupled
with mental deficiency.
/ Pauline Meglige, Chicago "a suicide,
after shooting and binding Julius
Jonas, her lover. Motive, jealousy
and love.
! DR.. Jose Arenas, New York, sui
eide after shooting and wounding
Ruth Jackson and Ignacio Marti in
his New York apartment. Motive,
love and jealousy.
Frank Saholowski, labor leader Of
New Haven, Conn, killed by his wife,
Alexandra, by carbolic acid, ito pre-
vent his going out with other women" 7"
Motive, love and jealousy.
Mrs. Lizzie Brooks, inmate of asy-
lum in the South, innocent victim Of
poisoned candy sent by George Lift
rual and intended for his insane wife.
Motive, love of another woman.
The Result of Eternal Triangle.
Of these nine affairs, FIVE of them
ere the result Of the eternal triangle
problem in which murder or suicide
SOLVED" the question. In only one
was the rure trait of selfshness the
paramount interest. That was the
case of weak-minded Carl Wanderer,
the "little boy who wanted to go away
and play being a soldier again." and
so plotted the murder of his wife to
fulfill his desire.
In tow of the cases, those of Elwell
and Ruerkert, the police has discover
ed no clews sufficient to hold a sus-
pect. The Elwell trial is now cold,
and the case probably will go down
into history as one Of those unsolv-
able murder mysteries that become in
tine criminal classics.
f. But all Of the others in the long list
are the direct result Of the triangle,
illicit love, and jealousy. In the six
cases thus attributed to love and
jealousy, the situations were equally
divided into triangles consisting of
two men and one woman, and two
women and one man-three Of each.
Not the Result of War.
/ Psychologists have said that the
war is MT responsible for this wave
IF midsummer madress. The trend,
they assert. is away from bloodshed-
the reflex action from long years Of
murder on magniied scale. People
long for peace and quiet.
The answer to it all. they say 10
more strict application Of the law, and
a more determined punishment Of the
blood guilty after they are caught.