New-York tribune., 1921-01-27
Testify Brines
Threatened to
Get Drewes
Woman Witness at Murder
Trial Says ''Shivers Ran
Up and Down My Spine
at Look in His Eyes,
Crudge Over SIS Loss
Blood Analysis Barred;
Prosecutor Threatens to
Bring Auto Into Court
Special Dispatch to Tn. Tribune

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 26.- Both
commonwealth and defense scored to-
day in the trial of William P. Brincs
for the murder of his former chum,
Elmer c. Drewes, student at Dart
mouth College, last October. The com
monwealth's victories were in matters
Of evidence. The defense scored in
placing technicalities that barred from
the records testimony that Assistant
District Attorney Gordon had at
tempted to gain from the witnesses.
Like thunderbolt there fell upon
the defense the testimony of Peter j. S.
Malloy, of Curwensville, Pa, that
Brines, while delivering maps in Cur
wensvile, had told him of difficulties
with Drewes. At that time, according
to~Malloy, Brines eclared that he
thing ! ever do Mallcy also testified
that Brines had Offered to sell re-
volver like the one exh ibited' in court
as found in Briness automobile.
Mrs. Rebecca Malloy followed her son
on the stand, and also testified that
Brines had made such threats and that
the shlvers ran up and down my SHINE
from the look in his eyes as he said it,"
Both Mrs. Malloy and her son testified
that Brines said in their presence that
Drewes was the only man in the world
against whom he held a grudge, and
that he intended to challenge Drewes to
fight for a $500 purse Brincs's attor
ney. Mr.. Gray, put up strong resistance
against the Evidence, but it was ad-
mitted by Judge Ferguson.
ClaSc DorArs Cho,,
Another victory for the common
wealth was the admission as evidence
OF examination papers from Brines's
class at the University of Pennsylvania
to establish a standard of handwriting
OF the defendant. Mr.. Gordon had
called all the members Of Brines's class
and by process of elimination 4stab-
llshed certain of the papers to be those
written by Brines.
The commonwealth failed. however.
when it tried to have two checks, said
to have been signed by Brines, ad-
mltted for the same purpose of
handwriting standard. The District
Attorney failed also to get before the
jury evidence by DR.. William C. Robin
son. city chemist, as to the analysis
OF the alleged blood splotches on
Brines's automobile which the com
monwealth has been trying to prove
was used in connection with the
Dre~es murder.
DR.. Robinson. reading from a book,
began to give his testimony He was
matted by questions intended to idcn-
thy the machine as that of Brines's.
He was unable to tell the license num-
ber or any other distinguishing marks
about the car. All that he knew was
its make. He was not, in fact, certain
as to the color of the automobile, say
ing that he thought it was maroon.
after several seconds of ponde ring
Other witnesses had described it
varyingly.
Through James Fl. Kelly, county,
detective, Mr.. Gordon attempted to
prove that the car, the smudce on
which DR.. Robinson analyzed as blood
was the same found in Chew Street,
Germantown. and later identified as be-
longing to Brines.
Judge Ferguson sustained all of the
objections made by Mr. Gray to
series of questions the Assistant Dis
trlct Attorney attempted to put TO the
witness.
Then Mr.. Gordon declared he would
pring the car into court tomorrow"
as the only practical way remainng'
There the matter rested when court
""Jo" iicd az 4 cioCh uHtii tomorrow
morning.
The Malloy testimony was considered
by far the most important produced so
far in the trial, as it is upon this part
of It's case That the commonwealth
hopes to establish a motive for the
crime. Malloy told the jury that
Brlnes had said to him:
What do you think of a college
chum you had gone to school with for
years who would beat you out of SIS
or sl0O?"
1t was that question that led ac
cordlng to the witnesses, to Brnes's
threat to get" Drewes.
Mr.. Gray tried Intellectually to break
down Malloy's testimony.
Major Samuel O. Wynne. county de-
tectlve. testified that he took up the
investigation Of the case an hour after
the body Of Drewes was found. He
told of going to Brines's apartment in
" est Philadelphia and of searching the
place. He said that he found copy
Of a newspaper on table with the
page containing the story of the Drewes
murder torn out
The detective chief told also of~ro~
ing to the home of the boys uncle,
Thomas H. Virgins. in Germantown. il
search Of the defendant
Willis W. Hann and Charles Jones.
employed at the garage where Brnes
kept his car. testified to having seen it
at the garage about o'clock on the
morning Drewes's body was found.
|. +. Kiker, policeman, told Of finding
the car, in which he said we're the
automatic revolver and two empty mint