New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-20
Washburn Says He
Deposited Elwell
Check i'm His Bank
Tells Dooling He Knew of
Turfman's Wedding Gift
to Bride; Admits That He
Owns .45-Caliber Pistol

Assistant District Attorney Dooling
made public last night the details OF
his examination of William Mayhem
washburn in connection with the muir
der Of Joseph Bovine EIwell.
Mr.. Washburn is the husband Of
Mrs. Elizabeth Clarkson Washburn, to
whom Elwel1 had given check for
5000 as a wedding present on the &C.
casion Of her marriage last October.
She had been in the company of Elwell
a good deal at Palm Beach. according
to her mother, Mrs. Robert l.. Clark
son, and had attended many OF his
parties there. His interest in her, the
mother said, was merely friendly. He
was old enough, Mrs. Clarkson said. to
be her daughters father.
Mr.. Washburn is a Harvard graduate.
BE served with the A. E. F. in France
as lieutenant and was wounded. he
lives at 81 East Seventy-rinth Street.
he is a brother of Watson Washburn,
q tennis player OF international note
Lawyer Brother Is Present
Mr.. Dooling said that the Washburn
house had been closed for the summer
and that Mr.. Washburn had been out
of town. but had come to New York
voluntarily to tell the District Attor-
ney all he knew about the matter. He
was questioned in the presence OF his
brother. frank B. Washburn, q mem
Der of the law firm Of Glover e. Wash
burn, of 70 Fifth Avenue, and another
attorney, whose name is withheld.
According to Mr.. Dooling, Mr.. Wash
burn denied knowing Elwell, but said
his brother, Frank, had met him. He
knew about his wife's having received
the 5000 check from the turfman at the
time of their marriage. He said he de-
posted this check to his own account
in bank.
He said also that he was not present
at the midnight Frolic" on the night
preceding the murder, but that his wife
was there as a member of party com
posed of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank B. Wash
and college friend of the latter's hus-
band Mr. Washburn admitted that his
wife's party had seen the Elwell party
there and that the two had recognized
each other. He didn't know whether
they spoke to each other or not
Mr.. Dooling said Mr.. Washburn has
told him of various places he had Wis
tied that night and that his account is
being checked up. Washburn. added
Mr.. Dooling, also declared he had a
as caliber pistol and ammunition for it.
Dooling Silent on Letters
Asked if he had questioned Mr. Wash
burn in connection with certain
packet Of letters said to have been
found in the Elwcll house, Mr.. Dooling
declined to answer
During the afternoon Philip Bender,
the chauffeur who drove the Lewisohn
party, of which Elwell was a member,
from the New Amsterdam Theater at
1:45 o'clock on the morning of the
murder, was again questioned by the
Assistant District Attorney. Bender
still insists, says Mr.. Dooling, that he
carried only three people instead of
four as is the contention of members
of the Lewisohn party. The party was
comprised of Mr.. and Mrs. Walter
Lewisohn, Viola Kraus, sister of Mrs
Walter Lewisohn; Octavio Figueroa, q
South American journalist, and Elwell
The turfman, it is known, did not
leave with the party.
Bender reiterated yesterday that he
dropped man and woman off at an
East Sixty-third Street address, and a
man at the Ritz Carlton, where FL
gueron was staying. Walter Lewiston
lives at 154 East Sixty-thrd Street.