The New York herald., 1922-04-30
Powell Says Circus Mans
BrOther-in-law, H. C. MOhr,
Had Hired Him.
TRIES TO END HIS LIFE
Ill Treatment by Victim of
Wife and Mother Is Given
as Motive.

PHILADELPHIA, April 29.-Charles M.
Powell Of Camden to-day confessed he
murdered Honest John" Brunen, cir
Gus owner who was shot in his home
in Riverside March 10. He said Harry
c. Mohr, brother-in-law of the slain
man, hired him to do the actual kill
ing. Mohr was arrested and taken to
the county Jail in Mount Holly, where
he withstood several hours grueling
by County Detective Ellis Parker. He
refused to make any statement except
that he was innocent.
Powell, according to Jail authori-
ties, attempted to commit suicide by
butting his head against the walls Of
his cell last night. To-day he is in the
hands of the prison physician and is
said to be in an extremely bad condi-
ton nervously. Both men were for
mally charged to-day with tie murder.
Powells statement says Mohr offered
him 81 900 to murder the Snowman.
Powell, 1t was learned to-day. was
arrested in Camden three weeks ago
and has since been in the Mount Holly
jail. constantly under the questioning
of Detective Parker.
According to Prosecutor Kelsey IL was
Powell who showed the detectives where
he had thrown the shotgun with which
the murder was committed into the
Pensauken Creek, between Riverside
and Delanco, as he was driven over the
bridge by Mohr In the latter's automo-
bile. The gun was found about two
weeks ago.
According to Powelrs confession, the
motive for the crime as stated to him
by Mohr was that "Brunen's Ill treat
ment was slowly killing his wife and
mother" 1t is known, however, that
Mohrs wife, who was a snake charmer
in Brunen's circus, was a "favorite" of
the Snowman.
1t is also known that Brunen had an
nounced his intention to his wife to sue
her for divorce because of her relations
with physician in Hoboken. Further,
1t was suggested by the police that had
Brunen secured divorce on grounds of
infidelity his wife would have been cut
off from the estate.
Powell says Mohr had told him he
would kill Brunen himself only he
feared suspicion would be directed
against him because Brunen and his
wife. who Is Mohr's sister, had shot at
each other in a quarrel In their home
In Riverside last Christmas.
In his confession Powell accused
Mohr of having "dogged'' him for sew
erai months, trying to get him to COM
NIT the murder. Powell, out Of work
and In great need of money to sup
port his wife and baby girl, was vir-
tually supported, he said, by loans"
from Mohr For weeks Powell refused
to listen to the offers OF a thousand dol
lars to kill Brunen.
And then one night he agreed. and
was driven TO the Brunen home by
Mohr, but he lost his nerve More
than twenty times, Powell said In his
confession. he and Mohr had driven in
the latters car to the showman's home.
and each time. on one pretext or an
other, Powell had refused to shoot
"He lies, Parker, he lies" Mohr said
after County Detective Parker had fin
ished reading Powell's long confession.
The accused man did not interrupt the
reading of the lengthy document attrib-
uted to Powell.
When confronted with circumstantial
evidence which the authorities said
tended to confirm the confession Mohr
reiterated his denial he had anything to
do with the death Of his brother-in
I'VE do not know yet the full extent
OF this case" declared ]. -. Kelsey, Bur-
lington county Prosecutor. "Mohr above
all persons was the Aeast suspected In
the beginning Of the investigation. He
was trusted by Brunen. who In one of
his letters referred to hin as one Of the
few persons who did not want 10 take
his life The motive for the crime Is
not entirely clear to us yet"
Authorities refused to make any COM
ment on reports other arrests would fol-
low,