The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-06
Staying OF
BROKER HID
IN MYSTERY
Pretty Evanston Divorcee
Implicated in Murder
Sensation.


Los Angeles. Calf, Aug. 6.-John
B. Kennedy, &c, Los Angeles insur-
snee broker, was shot and killed
late last night as he entered his
Simmer cottage at Beverly Hills,
an exclusive residential suburb. Mrs.
Madeline Oberchain of Evanston,
I'LL. who was with him, was held as
material witness.
Al his Chicago office today Ralph
Oberchain, the former husband
o, the beauty who is being held,
appeared greatly perturbed when
told Of the affair.
Investigators said the shot which
killed Kennedy was fred from a
distance of about thirty feet. A re-
yolyer. fully loaded, was found be-
side the body. Mrs. Oberchain said
this belonged 10 Kennedy. She
said the latter was not instantly
killed, but said Goodnight, Mabel
before expiring.
Investigators found the bushes
trampled in the place Mrs. Ober-
chain said she saw two men disap-
pear. The surrounding country
!, was being searched today for the
suspects.
Mrs. Oberchain was detained at
the sheriff's office while the fnves-
tigation was proceeding today.
Il am convinced that Madeline
oberchain knows who fired the ia
tai shot," declared c. A. Tatton,
sheriff of Los Angeles county. Sher-
if Tatton is in charge of the coun-
try-wide investigation which was at
once launched when the mysterious
shooting of the insurance man be-
came known.
I'VE shall hold Mrs. Oberchain
as material Witness" the sheriff
added She has made lengthy de-
tailed statement to us, but we are
convinced that she has not as yet
told all she knows about this af-
fair.
According to the story which
Mrs. Oberchain told, she and Ken
nedy spent the day on a motoring
pleasure trip.
Loved Kennedy.
"Our home was really broken ur
from my love for Mr.. Kennedy" the
statement continued. Mr. Oberchain
was willing for me to obtain the
divorce if it would make me happy
but said he would willingly take me
back.
81 would have been married tc
Mr.. Kennedy long ago but he could
not overcome the objections of his
mother, who, he told me, dislikeG
me. ! have known Mr.. Kennedy five
years and was to marry him, bui
for some reason l married MIR. OBJ,
erehain. My relations with Mr.
Kennedy have always been of the
best. Nothing of an improper ma
lure ever occurred.
HE came to my room at the Alex
sndria hotel the other night. HI
Kept pleading with me to MARI!
him and to tell him so he woult
leave California and go east Will
ne 1 finally induced him to 1eav'
the room and he said he would if
would promise to meet him whel
he telephoned. This / did yester
day. | don't know who shot him. o
anything more than l have toll
1 YOU"
Tells of Murder.
Mrs. Oberchain in an informa
statement said she and Kenned,
notored to a beach resort early II
the day, returning late in the eve
hing. They had planned to dine a
a country club, but finding 1t clos
ed went to Kennedy's cottage. The'
stopped. she said, at the entrance
while she looked for lucky pen
ny she had buried there. AS the
were searching for the coin the sno
was fired.
4 Famous for Beauty.
4 Chicago, Ill, Aug. 6.-Mrs. Made
line Connor Oberchain, Evansto'
society girl, who as Madeline Con
aer, was once voted the "prettles
. grl on Northwestern universit
campus" became today the centra
i ngure in a murder mystery on tn
Pacific coast, when J. B. kenned!
wealthy Los Angeles insuranc
man, was shot to death with a shot
gun from ambush late last nlgh
mrs. Obercha.n was with him It tn
pme he was slain.
j Mrs. Oberchain, in a formal state
nent to Deputy Sheriff Gronin, sal
Me was 20 years old, the daughte
Mrs. Emma Z. Smart, Los An
saes. Her fathers name was COZ
aor, she said. Her former HUSBAND
sAe said, had been paying her $50
Month alimony.
rolice records here show tina
Kennedy was attacked and beate
the street about four years ag
80 two men who he said wer
u etl3NPpro 70 \;