New-York tribune., 1920-06-22

= 3 S DAY, JUNE p,
ration of John Isdale, of 236 West
SEVENTEEN Street, that an automobile
was seen driving up to the Elwell resi-.
dence at 3:45 that morning. This
would indicate that either Elwell had
gone out after 230 and was then re.
turning, or that stranger was calling
Tor some purpose that ended in the
! turfman'S DEATH
Thouht of Auto Thieves
Isdale is first officer of the British
! steamer Oriano, now stationed at
Philadelphia, where he made the fol
lowing statement yesterday:
Il was awakened that morning by
the loud snorting Of an automobile
running past the house I was staying
in, at 236 West Sevcntieth Street.
had heard much of American motor
bandits and jumped quickly out of bed
with the thought that l might see
some action. The automobile was a
low, dark one and skdded to a sudden
stop in front Of the Elwell house
II could get but meager view of it,
but | thought the whole affair was
suspicious. l heard a door slam, but
cannot say whether some person ran
from the house to the machine or from
seconds later the automobile started
off at a high rate of speed, the cut-out
still open. All the curtains were down
and l was unable to see how many
persons were in the machine, but from
the way it was handled l am certain
that man was driving. The occur
renee impressed me as being SO strange
that l looked at my wrist watch and
saw it was 3:45 o'clock. The next
morning | commented on what I had
seen and was told of the murder.
II don't remember whether the lights
were lighted on the machine, but
don't think they were, or l would have
had distinct recollection of them"
Among other witnesses examined
yesterday were Mr.. and Mrs. F. L.
Barker, the superintendent of the
Knicke rbocker Chambers, where Victor
Won Schlegell lives. Won Schlegell is
the divorced husband of Miss Viola
Kraus, who was member of the
Lewisohn dinner party at the Ritz
Roof, which Elwell attended on the
night before the murder. Won Schlegell
was on the roof with a woman from
Minneapolis gowned in black, with
whom he said he left the roof at II
p. m.
Mr.. Barker said that he served
luncheon for two in Won Schlegell's
apartments the morning Of the murder
about $40 o'clock, and that the meals
were eaten, thus answering the report
that the meals were untouched.
Elwell Never Carried Gun
The suicide theory was further dis
credited by Mr.. Swami yesterday, when
he said that Elwell had never carried
a gun nor had he obtained a permit
for one.
When the District Attorney was
asked about the identity of various
women, such as "Miss Wilson" and the
woman in gray" he said their real
names we're not material in solving
the murder. He added, however, that
nobody had been eliminated from the
case, but that, on the other hand, he (
was not pointing finger at or making
charges against any one.
Regarding the cirgarette butt de-
clared at first to have been found on
the mantelpiece, it was said yesterday !
that the butt was found on the floor,
and that it had been lighted at the
wrong end, indicating, say detectives,
that the murderer, if it was the mur-
dercr's cirgarette, knew what he was
about and went there with criminal
intentions.
The authorities. at a late hour last
night, put Mrs. Amalia Hardy, of 200
West Fifty yseventh, through a lengthy
examination. Mrs. Hardy is sister
If the Countess Sonia Szaniawska, is
l divorcee and was formerly Mrs
Kcfcr 1t is known that she was on
friendly terms with Elwell for years,
md is understood to have explained
% the District Attorney why she did
lot go to see Elwell after she had
'een informed he was shot.
Another WOman's Story
1t was also learned that the police
ire checking up the story of another
woman who knew Elwell we'll. This
had friends and relatives in
he United States Army, who would
De in a position to get hold of As
,alber Colt automatic, if she so de-
sired. 1t could not be determined if
his woman was the woman in gray
he expected bridc,' with whom Ell
veil is known to have had ardent
affairs. In this connection it was
again pointed out that the authorities
lavc not discarded the theory that a
woman fired the shot
1t was announced that George N.
Brothers, who prosecutes nearly all of
he murder cases tried in the courts
II this country, has been called into
consultation on the case by Mr.. Swami.
'enniman Pennsylvania U. Head
PHILADELPHIA, June 21.-Dr Jo-
'iah II. Pennman was appointed acting
provost of the University of Pennsvl |
nr L