New-York tribune., 1921-01-28
Negro Believes
He Slew, Hoxie
Girl, Police Say
Prisoner Said to Confess At
tackis1g Girl When He
Broke Into Her Home {;
His Story Is Doubted
Admits Another Assault
Woman Identifies Him as
Man Who Fractured Her
Skull Trying to Get Cash

James Brown, a negro, twenty-four
years old, Of $50 West Sixty-second
Street, confessed last night, according
to the police, that he entered the home
Of Mrs. Loretta Smith, at 26 Jane
Street, November last, and fractured
her skull with an iron bar.
Brown was arrested by Detectives
Corcoran, Clark. Devine and Mcnamara,
Of the West Twentieth Street station,
late yesterday afternoon. He was iden-
titled several hours later by Mrs. Smith
as the man who smashed in the door
of her apartment and knocked her un-
conscious. She picked him from line
of dozen negroes.
Following the negro's alleged confes-
sion of the attack upon Mrs. Smith he
was questioned by Captain Arthur
Carey in charge Of the Homicide Squad
regarding the murder Of Ream Con-
stance Hoxie, seventeen years old, in
her home at 70 West Eighty-ninth
Street on February 2, 1920.
Tells of Attack on Girl
The negro told the detectives, ac-
tackled a girl with his fists when he
broke into her home last August. but
that he did not kill her. He said he
saw an article in newspaper several
days later about the Hoxie girl and was
under the impression that she had been
the girl he attacked.
Captain Carey, after griliing the
negro for more than an hour, said he
was convinced the prisoner knew moth
ing of the murder of Miss Hoxie. He
was inclined to believe the negro was
mentally unbalanced. The negro, he
declared, was unable to give a descrip-
tion of the Hoxie apartment and was
ignorant of the circumstances under
which the Hoxic girl was slain.
The four detectives who arrested
Brown were passing 252 West Twen-
tieth Street yesterday afternoon when
they heard cries of "Help!" from a
second floor. They rushed into hall
way and colided with Brown, who was
on his way out of the building. They
took him to the second floor, where
they found James Taylor, who told
them that the negro had entered his
apartment by forcing a door.
In the negro's possession were found
an iron bar, screwdriver and bunch
of skeleton keys. The sight of the
iron bar recalled the attack on Mrs.
Smith. The detectives sent for her
When she arrived at the West Twen-
teth Street station she was placed
before row of negro prisoners
and asked if she had ever seen any of
them before
Woman Picks Out Assailant
She Immediately pointed toward
Brown and said that he was the man
who had struck her
care you sure?" asked a detective.
absolutely positive" she said.
Brown at first steadfastly denied
that he had ever seen Mrs Smith be-
fore, but persistent grilling, the police
say, caused him to break down and
confess. His second confession was
Mrs. Smith was putting her six
weeks-old baby to sleep when the
negro rang the bell of her apartment
and demanded money. When she told
him that she had none he smashed in
the door, struck her several times
over the head. and dragged her
through the apartment. She remained
ct Bellevue for several weeks ard her
recovery was in doubt for days
The Hoxie girl was murdered by Q
man who called at her home at O'Clock
in the afternoon. She was playing the
piano when the doorbell rang, and she
left the instrument to answer it. Hell
body was found two hours later by q
woman roomer in the Hoxie home
The top of the girls head had beer
crushed by q tremendous blow. She
was found kneeling beside her bed, hel
a rms fO1And aa If in provor