The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-18
inquiry TO-DAY in
HEMMING TRAGEDY
Prosecutor Will Decide
Whether Widow Shall
Be Detained.
SHERIFF is INSISTENT
Not Satisfied There Was No.
Fermentation in DOu-
bic Killing.
NOT AT HIS FUNERAL
She Says Her StepsOn Purpose
ly Withheld the Hour OF
Services.
NOT AT HIS FUNERAL

The question of whether any ar
rest or detention shall be made in con-
nection with the murder last Thurs
day night of Henry G. Hemming
broker by Frank Eberhardt. caretaker
at Duck Island, the country estate C;
his wife Mrs. Helen Hemming, will be
put up this morning to District Attor-
ney LIE Roy Young, of Suffolk county
Deputy Sheriff John j. Kelly, Of
Northport. l.. l., is steadfast in his
insistence that Mrs. Hemming, who
was in the automobile that bore her
husband to his death and in whose
presence the caretaker shot him down.
should be held as a material witness
until he is satisfied the crime was
without reconciliation
Charles D. Partridge. Assistant Dis
.rict Attorney in charge of the case,
declared there is nothing to show Mrs
Hemming was in any way implicated
In the murder and that, Eberhardt
having committed suicide Immediately
unless he finds further evidence or
gets a request from the District At
torney or John Gerdu Hemming, son
of the dead man and stepson Of Mrs.
Hemming. to reopen the matter. Mr..
Young will hear Mr.. Partridge and
the Deputy Sheriff in conference in
the office of the deputy this morning
at 10 o'clock. 1t was stated last night
that witnesses may be called before
Mr.. Young
Meanwhile Mrs Hemming, after hav-
Ing failed to attend the funeral of her
husband yesterday afternoon in her
stepson's home $40 West Eighty-sxth
street. is preparing to leave to-day for
a vacation in an effort to recuperate
from her experiences OF the last several
days While experimenting the packing
of her trunks in her Duck Island house
yesterday afternoon she Issued a state
ment accusing her stepson of withhold
ing from her the hour of her husband S
funeral until too late purposely to pre-
vent her from being present. She said
the reason for that was that she had
refused demand of young Hemming to
sign denial of published statements
rejecting upon his father.
May Leave Jurisdiction.
Sheriff Kelly said he knew nothing
officially Of Mrs Hemming's plans to
leave his jurisdiction, but admitted a
report to that effect had come to him.
He would not say whether he would at
tempt to prevent her departure.
1t was understood that Mr. Partridge
also was planning to leave to-day for
a vacation.
ar .Lt~.,. ,ho-o 40 ,,anx, .birys tbie
woman should be called on to explain" "
Sheriff Kelly said "Mr. Young may
agree with me and he may not. That's
why have asked for the conference to-
morrow morning"
Sheriff Young declared in his home
he was anxious to determine whether
Mrs. Hemming was connected with the
murder of her husband. II will be glad
TO cooperate with Sheriff Kelly" he
said. IF anything tends to show Mrs.
Hemming had any criminal connection
with the affair we will take action. /
will hear all the Sheriff has to say. 1t
may be. as he says, that Mrs Hemming
has not explained fully all we wish to
know"
Mrs. Hemming's accusation against
her stepson was her first public utter
ance since her husband was killed. Sat
urday, with visible emotion she laid a
slayer. She explained the absence OF a
personal tribute to her dead husband as
follows:
II tried hard to attend the funeral OF
my husband. / went to New York Satur-
day on the noon train for the purpose OF
making arrangements to attend the fu.
neral In the afternoon / telephoneC
our times to my husbands home and
tsked his son what hour the funeral wac
20 take place.
widow Refused to Sign.
HE said he would not tell me unless
] signed a sworn statement saying that
the newspaper reports concerning his
father were untrue. told him had no,
read the newspapers, and, therefore
would not sign statement such as he
requested He told me he would not In
form me of the hour of the funeral un-
less / did sign. As there seemed TO be
nothing else could do returned home
at night and telegraphed him as follows
"'You have no right to bury the body
OF a husband without the wife's consent
have tried hard to learn the hour oil
my husbands funeral. but so far without
success
To-day. between ~ and o'clock.
received the following telegram:
Funeral In New York at 1 o'clock
THE telegram was signed by John @
Hemming. How could / possibly ge
there in time? 1t takes over an hour
and quarter to reach Manhattan from
Northport. was never so upset by any
thing in all my life. ! am OF the opinion
they sent me the notification OF the hour
at the last minute TO clear their skirts
] thought then, and 7 still think, they
violated my legal rights. must confess
do not understand Jacks (John @
Hemming) attitude"
Mr.. HemminG explained last night h,
had not meant to prevent Mrs. Hemmnt
attending the funeral. and said HI
had sent the telegram giving her tn,
hour just as soon as he received her tee
graphic request He admitted Mrs. Hem
ming had asked the hour over the tee
phone and that he had refused and alsc
that he had asked Mrs. HemmnR TO deny
published statements regarding hi
father. it was understood last night the
Mr.. Hemmng. who earlier desired tn,
detention Of Mrs. HemminE. was willing
TO call the incident closed.