New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Woman Affair
Seen as Cause of
Elwell Murder
Widow of Slain Bridge
Authority and Sportsman
Says Another Was In.
volved in the Killing
Police Accept Theory
Believed Slayer Was Ad-
mitted to Home and
Demanded Satisfaction

Demanded Satisfaction
Mrs. Helen: Elwell, widow of Joseph
B. Elwell, the murdered auction bridge
authority and horseracing enthusiast,
declared yesterday at her apartments,
11S7 Lexington Avenue, that she was
positive Elwell did not commit suicide.
She ais, limited broadly that he had
been killed as result of an affair
with woman. Mr.. and Mrs Elwell
had lived apart for four years.
Il know absolutely that he did not
commit suicide" said Mrs. Elwell. "He
was afraid of death in every way. He
would not let one mention death in his
presence. Some years ago he even
consulted physician who said he
could make him live $50 years by tell
ing him what to eat for breakfast.
"He had peculiar idea of women.
He thought that every woman above
thirty ought to be chlroformed. His
was the spirit of the chase. But any
woman above thirty wasn't worth chas-
inc. he thought. He could make him
sell very attractive to strangers, espe-
cially women"
Mrs. Elwell is woman of about
forty. She occupies suite in the Lex
lngton avenue apartment She ap-
peared very much depressed, and de-
clared that beyond the light she could
cast on her husbands character she
could give no inkling that might help
in finding the slayer
Hadn't Seen Him for Four Years
~ haven't seen Mr.. Elwell for four
years" she said. "The last time saw
him was at Delmonico's, when we
agreed to separate. He agreed to pay
me $3.50 month and to pay $500 year
for the education Of our son, Richard
Derby Elwell, who is now sixteen years
old and is student at the Phillips
Andover Academy, in Massachusetts"
the boys summer camp expenses, she
said. He continued to pay her $3.50 a
month until his death. Last month,
she said, she asked him to increase the
amount because of the high cost of
necessities. This he refused to do, she
said.
~ nm the one who suffered" con-
tinued Mrs. Elwell, because of his
peculiar ideas about women We lived
together happily for while, but it
was impossible to continue doing so as
long as he tried to put mis- notion of
women into effect"
Spent $4,000 Year
Mrs. Elwell said that when they
lived together they spent as much as
$4,000 year, that when she married
him he was poor man. that she helped
him to his feet and was really the
author of all the books on auction
bridge attributed to him and because
of which he was regarded as an au-
thnrity on the game.
II should be at his home now" con-
cluded Mrs. Elwell ~ should be TAX
ing care OF his effects. | am his
widow. My lawyers are urging me to
go there. But / intend to have moth
ing at all to do with his house"
The Tribune was regrettably mis-
taken yesterday in saying that Ell
wells widow is Florence irwin, author
and authority on auction bridge. Miss
Irwin was not even acquainted with the
dead man, her friends said last night.
Mrs. Elwell confirmed this. ~.
Theory of the Police
A man killed Elwel because of
woman. Beyond that basic conclusion
police inquiry only darkens his death
at his home, at 244 West Seventieth
Street, Friday morning.
Circumstances established by Deputy
Commissioner William Lahey, Captain
Thomas Walsh, of the Detective Bureau,
and Captain Arthur Carey, of the
Homicide Bureau merely give fancy
chance to frame this theory:
After Elwell left the Lewisohp party,
with whom he dned at the Ritz Carl
roof midnight show, he didn't go home,
but visited some one, and played games
perhaps, and did not reach home until
dawn.
He was in pajamas, ready to retire,
when the doorbell rang. He answered
it, and admitted an acquaintance, or a
man interested in woman friend of
Elwell's. At the same time Elwell
picked up the morning mail, just de-
livered. AS he escorted his caller up
stairs, Elwell kept looking over the
letters, and continued this as he seated
himself, back to the east wall, and fac
ing his visitor.
This visitor was in an angry mood,
and Elwell's apathy increased it. He
announced some ultimatum, in relation
to Elwell's friendship with a woman,
and the shooting followed
The alternative story easy to imagine,
and possible, is that Elwells caller ad-
mitted himself, with key Elwell had
given to him, or the woman involved
Gave keys to Women
This key tn cory is based on asser-
tons py Edward Rhodes, of 1913 West
Sixty-frst Street, Elwell's chauffeur,
and a man who called himself Arthur
Bishop and who, according to himself
and to Rhodes, was Elwelps chauffeur
while Rhodes was soldier in the
World War
"Elwell gave keys to about dozen
women that / know Of" Bishop de-
clarcd. II think that they were all
married women. They called by day
and night, and l used to drive them
out on parties, and / learned that El-
well didn't care about real young girls,
but preferred them in the twenties
think that they were attracted by his
money and the way he spent it"
Rhodes yesterday altered his asser
ton about keys and explained that
these keys we're given out by ElwcIl
before last December, when Elwell had
all the locks of the house changed, tell
ing Barnes, his secretary, that ne would
not risk burglary. A house in the
neighborhood had been robbed. Sew
eral discharged servants had keys to
the Elwcn house.
Wb.Y he L. L.. A.