Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-01
CAR Smiths Capture
Hinted By Warrant
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
, His recital Of the facts that led up to
the murder of Peirce. was 50 rambling
, that the police had little hope Of getting
q sequential story from him until, as he
said himself, he got some Of the booze
out Of his system.
The long train ride from Pittsburgh
gave him Il chance to get some OF his
nerve back. and when hc was brought
out into the train shed at Broad street
3 he faced the huge crowd without finch
ing. Detective BelShaw. t. whom he
was handcuffed, shoudrrCd through the
crowd with the prisoner and then took
him into a private passageway through
the station that enabled them - avoid
the denseSt part Of thc crowd.
Moss Makes Promises
Moss promised tc do two things TO-
day. The first Of these was to write
a clear statement Of ali the circuln-
stances of the crime as he knows them
the second to face Treadway and the
girl who are under arrest for the muir
der. and make them admit the truth OF
~
/, Moss was given paper. pen and ink and
told to write his head off. D."
The detectives are inclined 20 think
Moss was the boob" in the case. Com
ing from Pittsburgh he went over the
facts of the case carefully with Bel
shaw, who mad Calncc ~ talk to him
quietly for several hours r. the train
sped TO Phindclphia. In brief, his
story was that he had gone to Peircc's
apartment very drunk, and for the sole
purpose of getting another drink, al
Peirce'S invitation. He thought "Al'
Smith wnS joking, he said. when Smith,
who is still missing. struck Pcircc after
ordering him to throw up his hands.
Moss asserted time and again that
he had He'd uS soon as he heard the
thud Of the first blow aud Marie's
Screul taking the girl with him. He
says he did not even see the first blow
struck
The police. because OF his previous
yreCord are inclined to believe lie had
no real hand in the crime. They have
Investigated that very carefully, and
find he has always worked for living,
and that his principal fault has been
addiction to drink.
, He did not leave the little farm n
Iowa where he was born until he WAS
1 nineteen years old. Since then he has
been working as a scale mechanic in
! various parts of the country, and Is
considered an unusually good ono. All
! his past employers give hin an cX-
J cellent character.
: Registered Own Name
! Coupled with these facts the police
! consider it significant that Il" went
! direct to his boarding house in Camden
; after the crime, told the woman who
kept il that II man had been killed
and that the car outside was the dead
, mans property, went direct 20 Pitts
{ burgh. where he was well known, and
/ registered under his own name at Il
hotel where previously he had lived for
a year. He went to work Immediately
in Pittsburgh at scale works, where
he had been employed before. When
the pOliCe came for him he admitted
This identity instantly.
For all these reasons the police were
more willing than they might have becH
Z otherwise to give him night free from
, questioning when he was brought to
| City Hall. Detective Belshaw told him
last night he would be given n chance
10 write his confession today in Cap.
| tain 'SOuder's Office, ii he wanted to
| avail himself Of il, but he must stick
! 10 the truth, as all OF his movements
before and after the murder were
known.
"I'Il tell the TRUTH" he told Bal
shaw, "and | only want the chance TO
face Treadway and the girl. -
"Ill jam every lie down Treadway'
living throat. III make him admit LC
lied when he said / struck Peirce.
didn't touch him. wasn't in the roou
where he was murdered more than {
minute or two.
0I'V make Treadway admit he lice
when M said he ran from the room witt