The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-10
FAT DRIVER
KILLED, OR
IN HIDING?
Inside Story Of Long Hunt
for Man in Ealy-Bryan
Death Case

when retiring Prosecutor Fred G.
Brown turned over the reins OF OF
fa today To incoming Prosecutor
Malcolm Douglas. Il was revealed for
tho first time that a secret search
has been going on for months for
A. J. Driver. man of mystery In the
trial here last February OF William
Fay E:aiy and his mother. Mrs. Anna
ScrnitE. for the murder Of Airs. Eliza
beth Bryan.
Driver was either iured into trap
and murdered. according 20 Brown.
or ls In hiding from the law. haunted
by n groundl~sw fear of being arrest
ed and charged with Mira Bryan's
deathy
TALENTS or SPECIAL
DETECTIVES EXHAUSTED
Brown said today he has sprnt
50 900 and exhausted the talents Of
several special detectives in futile
effort to find tho missing man or
some trace OF him
During the trial OF Eaiy and his
mother. Driver was conspicuous BY
his abscnce. Defense witncnssd piled
/ up dsn1riing testimony. casting uncus
tho Obscure Driver the suspicion that
he was the one who had really done
Mira Bryan to death.
Mrs. Nemitz was exoncrntcd BY
tho Judge. her son Fay was acquitted
by the jury. and the public. stili hor'
rified by the brutal murder OF Mrs.
Bryan. was left with the impression
that tho real slayer was an elusive
fellow called ''ril." who had slipped
thru the fingers Of the prosecuting
attorney and had gut clear away un-
observed 'Fat" was Identified a.
Driver.
BROWNS SMILE CHANGED
TO GRAVE CONCERN
up to the closing hours OF the
trial. Prosecutor Brown wore Gym
lcal smile and sooffed at tho de
fcnser insinuations that Driver was
tho man Jusa before the case
went 10 the jury. however. his smile
gave way TO look OF grave concern,
When the verdict was returned and
the states case defeated. Brown said
haif.heartediy. that be was looking
for Fat"
SO far as WAS generally known,
| Fat" Driver had not been within
thousands OF miles of the courtroom
during the trial Brown made the
sensational statement today that he
not only knew Drivers whereabouts
while the trial was in progress, but
that Driver was to have been used
IA the states star Witness
Driver. he said. was TO have walk.
ed dramatically into court at the last
moment before the case OF Ealy was
given TO the jury and 10 have In
dignantly demanded to be heard. that
his name might he cleared OF every
vcstige of suspicion. In this way
Brown planned, tho defense would
be thrown into confusion and its
testimony. 80 far as II concerned
Driver, set at naught. But Driver
did not appear at the psychological
appointed time because he had van
ished. utterly and mysteriously. two
hours before the intended sensation
al dcnouement.
MURDERED. OR HIDING.
SAYS BROWN TODAY
In a statment of the case given
exclusively to The Star today, Brown
said:
"Fat' "a. u Driver. painter
who was member OF the local
union here. q man OF rowing dispo
sition, who had worked in cities al
over the United States. has beer
murdered or In in hiding. II in hid
ing, he In probably keeping out OF
sight thru a misapprehension that
he would. II found, be charged with
the murder OF Mrs. Elizabeth Bryan
He viii not be charged with this
crime. The prosecuting attorneys
office Is eager TO locate him. tina,
the mystery OF his disappearance
may be cleared up. If anybody
caused him to leave Seattle that per
son will be prosecuted His Is a
greater crime than the murder OF
Mrs. Bryan. because. in tamperine
with a witness, he was striking at
the very foundation OF Justice.
Mrs. Bryans body was discovered
cnrly on the morning OF October 20,
1919. But the body was unidenti.
fled at that time. II was found
strangled and still warm In a BRAN.
Bile patch In the Mount Baker Park
district. overlooking Lake Washing
ton. IL was taken TO the county
morgue.
'FAT" LEFT SEATTLE
DAY OF THE MURDER
1
"Still unidentified. Il lay In the
morgue until that night. Before II
had been identified. Driver left Sc.
attic for California with the mten.
ton OF going to Honolulu. He had
sciatic rheumatism. and thought he
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