The Washington times., 1920-01-18

some WOmAn Whose
place she had taken In
her sweetheart's affec.
tiOns?
Did she brood over
this threat against her
happiness and finally
kill herself In fit OF
remorse over some real
or fancied misdeed?
This theory would n
have much to recon-
mend 1t but for one IA
thing-the fact that the
nature Of the wound
which killed Miss Grit
fifth leads the police to ~
believe that it never Ri 4
could have been self. ~
inflicted.
One reason for this E M
belief Is that no pow
der burns we're found "
on the body, as there
would have been had
she fired the revolver.
Another is that the bull MIMH
let took a downward NV
course through the sA,
!: :; !: : !: /: !: !: ; !: ; !
heart - exactly as 1t N9.
would have done had IN g2
the girl been on her H.
knees and the person
who fired the fatal shot
standing over her.
There are those who AsI
think that DR.. Schott, zsS
the dead girls en-
ployer and former fan
Gee, could throw much
light upon the poison M
pen" clipping as we'll aN
as upon the reason
for Elizabeth Griffth's
death. Others stoutly
maintain that he is ut
terly innocent of any
knowledge Of the trag.
edy other than what
he found when he re- Little Thirteen
turned to his Office ON Year.Old Laurent
Christmas eve and saw Gardner the
the girls silent, blood. Chief Ahbi Tor
stained bodv living on Doctor Schott,
the floor. Who Has Bee,
Soon after the trag. Arrested Charges
edv Dr scbo+t wo. with the Murder
arrested p,t tbo fo.t of Miss Griffith
that he was quickly re-
leased on bail indicates how weak the case
against him must be. The only things to
connect him with the girls death would
seem to be the fact that he was at one
time engaged to her, his ownership Of the
automatic revolver with which the shoot.
ing was done, the fact that the shooting
occurred in his Office and some conflicting
testimony as to exactly when the girl was
killed and where the doctor was at that
time.
Although DR.. Schotts engagement with
Elizabeth Griffith had been broken they
remained friends, as Is proved by the fact
that she continued to work for him and
was planning to do so until the very day
of her marriage.
And even II DR.. Schott had had some
good reason for wanting his former sweet.
heart out Of the way why did he choose
shooting instead OF one of the far more
ingenious methods Of murder which are
within such easy reach of every physician
LII. oCDOtL anu MS attorneys Claim
complete alibi for him. At the time that
the tragedy is believed to have occurred
he declares that he was delivering Christ.
mas gifts In company with a thirteen-year.
old neighbor OF his, Laurine Gardner. The
little girl corroborates his statements.
The police, however, claim to have al
least one or two witnesses who will swear
to having seen DR.. Schott leaving his of
fee at time perilously near to the. min
ute when the fatal shot was fired. Whether
this evidence Is strong enough to upse,
the doctors alibi is a question which II
will probably take a jury to decide.
How the tragedy in the doctors office
was finally revealed is dramatically told
by one Of DR.. Schott's patients as follows:
"On the afternoon before Christmas !
arrived at DR.. Schott's office about 2:3O
o'clock. l knocked on the door and there
was no response. I then sat down a
while on the bench in front of the office.
After sitting there a few minutes, went
to a grocery across the street.
1T was not long until I saw DR.. Schott
coming in his automobile. He and the
little girl were together. They evidently
did not see me, and followed as they went
up the steps into the office came in, be-
hind them. demonstrated with him be-
cause there was no one at the Office when
I called. DR.. Schott said:
Didn't the girl let you imp