Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-24
Motor Thugs SlelU
Youth, Belief NOu

hunt for botanical and other nature
protect his face from gnats and mos
Guitocs while s'ecpng in the woods.
Lawrence. who was twenty one years
old. carried black leather valise. n
blue slip-ovcr sweater, n hashlight. n
book on botany and II fishing rod dur
ing his periodical trips into the woods
Outfit Missing
This outfit has not been found and
Is believed It may have been carried
off by the slayer or slayers. All the
articles bore a peculiar seal invented
by Lawrence, which he stamped on
all his possessions.
A description of the missing arti.
cles and Of the seal has been furnished
to all pawnshops. together with tho
descriptions of two trappers. ono n
Negro with whom Lawrence fought
some months ago when he caught them
poaching on his muskrat traps.
Joseph liansel. 12S East Tiosa street
rhum Of Lawrence. told Of n fist fight
Lawrence had with a Negro last win.
ter whom he caught stealing muskrats
from his traps.
And according TO Mildred Lawrence,
his fifteen year old sister, while >he
was out walking with her brother Jan.
uary II along Pennypack Creek. he
n fs. fight he had had several DAYS be.
fore with white man who threatened
his life unless he gave up trnpping
along Prnnypack Creek.
My brother said that the white man
was q tough customer and threatened
his lifc.' said Mildred.
Lawrrnce's mother asked the police
to search for shack in the woods
built by her son which she thought
might contain some things that would
give clue to the mystery.
The chrltcnham police are searching
the woods In Huntington Valley where
Lawrence had Il camp. and is believed
TO have been living recently in pup
tent.
When the body was found Taconv
police reported Lawrence death as n
suicide. At the Morguc, however. two
abrasions were found in the back and
an examination disclosed they were bul.
let wounds.
The cal!ber of the bullets which end.
cd Lawrnnce's life was different from
that Of TIE bullets in the revolver
found beside his body
MRS. Lawrence. the slain youths
mother, was distressed today by n no
lice theory that her boy might have been
killed by some one who believed him
n robber.
lice even to intimate that my son might
have tried to commit robbery" She
said. lie was n good. clean living
boy and had no enemies"
Captain of Detectives SCudcr talked
ever the crime with Lieutenant of de-
tacriveS Belshaw. of the murder squad.
this morning before Bclshaw and De-
tcctive Mulgrcw started again for the
pennypack Creek section.
Lieutenant Bclshaw tells mo tho
rilling Of tn" boy was surrounded with
many suspicious circumstances said
I'VE have number of theories we
are working on. and We have not fully
accounted for the mask and gun found
near the body.
There were marks Of blows on the
boys face and neck. and ho apparently
was given a heating before he was shot
II is possible that trnmps were re.
sponsible. Tramps and gypsy bands
have used the woods there. The re-
the body. Nothing yet has developed
TO warrant an arrest.
As though following out one theory
ho has formed, Captain Souder con-
'inucd;
Perhaps the person who shot this
boy could give a satisfactory e1plana-
ton of the shooting. but doesn't care
to bo brought into the matter. Never
thcleSS, II that Is 90, We would like
such person 70 com" forward and clear
Up the case
This contingent appeal by captain
Soudcr brings 10 mind one ISSUED in
May. 1917. shortly after Edward Bo-
and was found shot to death in Hair
,in turn, on the Neill drive, in Fair
mount Park.
That killing remained a battling mys.
cry for week, until. needing the ap-
zeal, Ellis -. Fr!gar, civil engineer,
'smc forward and confessed he shot and
lilled Roland. He said he was motor
nG through the Park with his fancce
md that holland and other youths at
acked them.
Frigar was tried and acquitted in
Nay, 1917.