Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-24

Unsuccessful at every turn IN their
efforts to solve the mystery Of the
deaths Of Louis Wellcnbach and his
wife, Fanny. the aged couple f"nd
slain in their little store and home al
625 South Randolph street. SeDtHmhcr
B, detectives are beginning to believe the
tragedy was a murder and suicide or
possibly that the WellenhaCh murdered
each other.
Since the hour of the discovery Of the
bodies. Detectives Mulgrew and Heanley
have worked tirclessly. together with
County Detective Harry D!ckerson. Yet
the authorities have not been able 70
point the finger Of suspicion certainly
in any direction.
When the detectives first arrived at
the Randolph street house they were
quite certain It was a double murder and
that robbery was the motive. A hnsty
examination revealed that a small dia-
mond earring was missing from the ear
of the dead woman. and flannel wrap
ping found on the bed was C,assed as
a money belt that Mrs. Wcl,cnbaCh had
worn. This wrapping, It was learned.
was not a money belt, but an ordinary
one. and the missing earring wns found,
In the pockets of the dead man was
found SIT. Nothing in the money drawer
was disturbed ia any way. In short, the
robbery motive is not borne out by the
conditions as found by the detectives.
The detectives. however, have not
abandoned the theory that the aged
couple were beaten 70 death by an out
slider.
Still Work OH Murder Theory
Captain of l)ctertives Soudcr said:
Every one within half square
radius of the Wellenbach home was
questioned, and not one heard cry OF
any kind coming from the house that
morning. We found persons who had
seen the old couple as late MS ~ o'clock
that morning We talked 10 men who
were working on the pavement outside
the Wellenbach store and also in the
warehouse less then twelve feet from
where the bodies were found and We
talked to a woman who sat on the ad.
Joining steps al! OF that morning No,
one heard any unusual sounds in the
Wellenbach home. This was unusual
Then ! am tod by my men that
the doors in the Wellenbuch home were
locked from the inside and that the
windows we're barred with wire screens
which were noh disturbed. ! also learn
that the gate In the yard was boltcd
from the insiGe. This all tends to prove
that no one left that room where the
bodies were found.
"A cotton glove, blood stained, was
found on the bed. This looked like good
murder evidence against a third person
until we found another pair in the bacl
room and We learned that Wellenbach
had been in the habit Of wearing gloves
of this kind while carrying coal anu
other articles TO the homes Of customers
near by.
Condition CT Bodies
Then we have the condition OF the
bodies as they were found lying on the
floor of the store. Wcllenbach lay on
his back and in his left hund he had q
poker. Mrs Wellenbach lay on her
stomach, and lying alongside her right
hand was n knife. On Mrs. Wei
lenbach's forehead were several wounds
such as could have been inflicted by the
poker found in the hand OF her husband.
ION Wellenbach's left arm were q
number Of stab wounds such as couli
have been caused by Mrs. Wellenbach
IL they were engaged in desperate fight
but we are not taking it for granted
that such was the case.
The theory that the old couple killed
each other is rtdiculed by their son
Adolph, who lives at 006 Wyoming
avenue.
They were TOO old 10 have made 1
fatal attack on each other" he said
my father was eighty-two years Ole
and his wife was eighty. Besides, :
know they would not have done so
They were too happy together, too
lnviDp Thpy nCVpr qua rrPled -