Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-23
CRIME WAVE
RECALLS TWO
OLD MURDERS
No CIew Found to Staying of
Wealthy Bachelors in
Like Cases.
BOTH MEN RECLUSES

t1ce at dead walls OF mystery must DIihs
70 mind the Philhower- Robee murders of
a little more than a year ago. They were
committed within five weeks of each
other, the scenes within a few blocks of
each other in the Murray Hill section Of
Manhattan, and were altogether curiously
alike.
In both extraordinary interest was
stirred by the maniacal savagery I'M
leashed in their commission. The set
ungs Of the crimes were alike bizarre.
The characters of both victims were most
peculiar vet alike as to themselves. And
he men had been friends.
The first to die a victim of violence
was Winfield Scott Philhower. bachelor,
Sc years old. He was an electrical ex-
pert Of ability, an art connoisseur and
collector of jewels and weapons ancient
and modern.
AS thus indicated he was in more than
comfortable financial circumstances. Yet
he resided entirely alone and without
servants in a six-room fat on the ground
door of the Smithsonian apartments, No.
i4S East Th:rtieth street. He had made
1t his home for ten years. The artistic
luxury of its furnishings was striking
The walls were galleries of fine old
prints, original oils and copies of mas
ton of swords, sabres and barbarian
spears.
In this handsome, lonely abode of the
bachelor the detectives made a discovery
of significance in view of what lad hap
pened there. This was that Philhower
had evidently lived in extraordinary fear
of the lawless invasion of his rooms.
For he had used his experiences with
delicate electrical devices Che had spe-
cialiZed in his business caleer in the ar
rangement and construction of electrical
clock and time lock mechanisms) to set
his rooms with a maze of traps for any
person who might try to enter it by force
or stealth. Doors, chairs, tables. win
dows, even the rugs, pictures and wea-
poDs were invisibly strung with delicate
wires. With the controlling alarm de-
vice set, scarcely an article in any OF
the rooms might be touched without the
ringing Of high, sharp bells of warning.
But that thieves were those of whom
he lived in dread was contradlcted by
other discoverable facts. These were that
Philhower, far from being recluse, fire.
quented many hotels. restaurants and
cafes, and was prone to make chance
acquaintance, especially of young men,
the' while going about extravagantly be-
jeweled and habituaHy carrying g large
roll of money which it was a pet vanity
with him 30 display.
YOUNG MEN
KEEP HIM YOUNG"
Judging from the callers who came
to his apartment, his social hours were
spent almost entirely with young men,
regarding which he himself had been
known to comment. saying: u keep
young because associate with the
4
servants said these young men callers
never behaved .boisterously in the Phil
hover apartment. All were decorous,
we'll dressed. 1t was further said of him
that he frequently started alone on
strolls, usually along Fifth avenue. many
times, however, returning with a youth
full companion, who would spend an hour
or two with the elderly host
OF women visitors to the apartment
there could be recalled but one-a white
haired woman not more than few years
older in appearance than PhilhOwer, but
who, he said, was his aunt. Philhower,
it became further known, had four years
prior to his own death fallen heir to
money and possessions of art from his
only sister, who had enjoyed a high
salary for many years as buyer for a
large fur importing house.
Not only did Philhower act as his own
bousekeeper, but the investigators were
astOnished by the nicely the fond care
with which it was evidently done. Floors.
rugs and every article Of the crowded fur
nishings were fawless of dust. In spick
and span appearance, thoughtful and or
derby arrangement of utensils, neatness
of china closets, refrigerator and the
provision storeroOm, a feature of which
were shelves lined with jam of home
made preserves labeled in handwriting,
the bachelors kitchen was fit to excite
home woman's envy.
DISCOVERED MANY
HOURS LATER.
The murder of the eccentric was not
discovered until many hours after its
commission. At 80 o'clock of the aft
ernoon of Jan. IS. 1919. George HerZog,
lanitor of the Smithsonian, saw a light
thinning through the transom over a
1Oor' on the ground floor 10 the right of
he entrance to Philhower's fat. Herzog
vas Immediately convinced that no such
nethodical man as Philhower would have
zone away leaving the light turned on.
he tried the knob of the entrance door
nd found the door unlocked. He en-
cred the apartment and went to the
Dom where the light was burning.
This was a small apartment between
library and a bedroom, and was fash
loned I'm the character of a den or
smoking room. Tapestries. pictures
Jugs and a large divan constituted IT'S
furnishings.
Stretched on the floor beside the divan
with one knee doubled under the other
and a couch pillow resting lightly on
he face, was Philhower's body few
'eet away was a sword bayonet with
this weapon he had been murdered.
At
off where the falling man had clutched
them as he was repeatedly felled-re-
peatedly, for II was evident Philhower
had fought hard for his life. Near his
right hand was small leather billy"
weapon used by the police in many
cities. 1t had swung from its strap
On a nail on the wall Philhower had
snatched it down as a means Of defense
against his sabre-armed assassin. A
blow of the sabre had gashed the handle
of the club
POSSIBLY SUDDEN
IMPULSE, BELIEF.
1t was found that the sabre-b laded
bayonet had not been taken from the
walls of the den, but had been ripped
off the wall of the hallway of the apart
ment, where il had been strung on wires
In company with four other swords. The
snapped wires dangling on the wall gave
evidence. The wires were strong and
the hand must have been strong that
snapped them.
From this the deduction was made
that the assassin had not entered Phil
hower's home with the intent to murder.
He was pictured as having in all prob
ability left his host in the den and
started down the hallway to make his
exit from the fat when the resolution