Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-29

Brines and Drewes. on the saturday
night Drewcs was killed.
AS matter of fact" he said. 1--WE
had two witnesses we did not dare put
on the stand. One was employed at L
downtown hotel the other worked in a
garage. Both these witnesses said when
we first talked TO them that they had
seen Brncs and Drcwcs together.
Though they hnd first talked about
postively identifying BrincS, later
when they were confronted with him
tho hotel employc said he conduit be
certain about the Identification ard the
other man said he had been entirely
mistaken"
Major Wynnc was asked why he had
not admitted in direct examination that
he had known the al" mentioned by
Mr.. Gray during the trial.
II did not know him By the name Of
Al. explained Major Wynnp. Il
heard some talk Of him. and some talk
case. but | don't believe there was
anything to it.
Says Case Is Closed
1T would not have done us bit of
good to haze locked Brincs UP at Cen.
! tral police station, he said in reply
! 70 another question. "It wouldn't havo
/ done us any good IL he had employed
/ good lawyers Counsel can always seal
tho mouth of his client If he is called In
cnrly enough. Mr.. Gray did 50 in this
| case
I So far as this Office is concerned,
1 the case Is closed,
/ 1t became known today that Brines
did not GO home in his unCle's waiting
| automobile. as was reported. He went
| quietly with his mother, aunt and uncle
! TO a department store restaurant. had
! lunch. and then went to Germantown
on a Thirteenth street trolley car.
Gordon Denies Friction
Assistant District Attorney Gordon
| said today that there had been thorough
| harmony and accord between the city
| detectives and those of the county office
in the investigation of Drewes' death.
! I'VE CO-operated with the city de-
/ tectives to the fullest extent" said Mr..
/ Gordon. I'VE did not make a move
without first consulting Detective Bel.
! shaw, hpnd OF the murder squad This
! impression that the county detectives
were handling the case.
AS TO the Magec letter and where
the credit should 60 for turning il up,
| | will say that i was brought to this
| city by DrcWcS' roommate Harold
Heath. and was delivered by him when
/ Bplshaw and County Detective Henry
were at the DrewpS home. Balshaw
took the letter and later turned it over
to Us. 1t was Major WynnP WHO first
suspected that it might have been writ
ten by BrineS and suggested hat hand.
writing experts be employed to study the
letters and compare them with known
samples OF Brinrs' Handwriting
10 Il, l., ~ Al
orders were issued BY Director Cortcl.
you that all murder cases were to be-
reported 20 Detective Kelly, of the
county detective office, or If he was
not thcrc 10 some other member II the
Office Staff. To Major Wynnc directly
failing on" Of the subordinatcs. This
rule was made, it is said. at the re-
quest OF Major Wynnc.
The county detective Office has
chief At $1,000 a year. an assistant chief
at $1,000. fourteen detectives at S115
month. one detective at $1,000 a year
and two detectives at $500 year
Reports at Variance
Despite Mr.. Gordon'S : statement. gos.
sip was rife about City Hall at the time
II Brines' arrest that the city and
county detective forces were at logger.
heads.
It also was gossiped that Director
Cortelyou "callcd down" Major Wyune
and told him that the actions Of his
men and his own "diCkering with
Rrines' attorney had messed up the
case"
If you continue along this line"
the director Is reported to have said 70
Wynne. the police will withdraw from
III" case.
One Of the theories of the Drcwcs
murder, freely discussed b. the police
today, though no one Is willing to stand
aponsor for it, is that RrinoS shot and
killed prewcs. but by accident.
According to this theory. Drcwps was
anxious TO come to Philadelphia. and
arranged with Brines 10 have the latter
write the Samuel Magee" letter. of,
f"ring n car for sale cheap at Reading.
The letter was 10 afford Drpwes the
prpteXt needed for his absence from
college.
Accidental Shot Is Theory
Here the boys went out together. 1t
Las been found that the nut0ma'ic with
which Drowns vas killed has hair
trigger. and will 60 off almost AT a
touch.
The theory j. that primes was show
NIX l'l'N'N Il''N 10 bpl'l ana operate lllP
gun. ard that il exploded in his hands
the bullet striking his chum in the fore.
head and killing him instantly.
J. g believed. according % this
rlo"ry that Brues fed when he found
his chum was dead, II is believed he
may have been assisted by two others,
- man and a woman. in disposing the
body in the careful posture in which it
was found.
An interesting fact, not hitherto 70.
v"aled, il that the Monday morning
u'r"r Drcwcs death two mon and
woman. strangers ~ Dartmouth Col.
'oCr. wore seen standing outside the
hoG-c where Drcwcs had his apartment
\ iittl" later a JRntor passing Dr"wcs'
"ou'l saw through the open door that
two men and woman werc standing
by 'ho open fireplace
Later it was found that the door Of
Dr"wcs' room hat beou "jimmiPd. and
me locked drawer Of his desk aS we'll.
and all his private papers removed
1t developed during I'll" trial that
Brines' private papers, in his homo, at
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