The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-16
NET IS WOVEN
ABOUT SLAYERS
OFCIRCUS MAN
Lion Tanner Admits
Firing Shot That
Killed Brune57.
BY JANE COMPTON.
Consolidated Press Correspondent
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.)


Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.)
Mount Holly, N. J., June 16.-
The tawdry tinsel of the circus, the
glamor of life under the big top
and the faithlessness which some
times follows the "show business"
are all entwined in the search to
solve the sordid murder of Honest
John" Brunen, circus owner who
was slain at his home in Riverside
a wintry night in March last. Bru-
nen was shot as he sat by win
dow reading the details of the muir
der OF his old friend. William Des-
mond Taylor at Hollywood.
Slowly but surely the light is
breaking in upon what promised at
first to be one of the most battling
murder mysteries of decade. Thus
far there is a missing link in the
chain of direct and circumstantial
evidence which the authorities are
building up. The link is a circus
girl, 1.-The girl with the auburn
hair" she was known to the circus
employees and few knew aught else
of her.
Three in Jail
in the Mount Holly Jail charged
with the murder. One is a non
tanner, Charles Powell, who mas
confessed that he fired the shotgun
which killed Honest John" POW
ell has been on the verge OF com
plete nervous and physical break
down and it has required delicate
handling on the part of Ellis Par
ker. Burlington county detective, to
keep the man together and to gam
from him the details of his story.
II is small wonder that Powell does
not collapse. On the walls or the
cell which he occupies in murder
ers' row" are scribbled many fare
we'll messages from condemned
men who have gone to their deaths
81 have gone to the electric chair
good bye. ALL" reads one OF the
most legible of the messages, and
even the iron nerves of lion tam
er il is seen, can break under such
strain.
Wife is Calm.
Upon the confession of Powell,
tfie authorities arrested Mrs. DORIS
Rrunen. wife of Honest John" and
after whom he named the mighty
Doris-Colonel Ferrari Circus which
travelled the smaller cities and made
a comfortable fortune for the own
er 1t is claimed that the murder
was committed in part by those
who would have gained possession
of the show.
Mrs Brunen has taken her ar
rest and incarceration calmly. She
saws she expected something or the
sort would be done. 1t seems II
was 25 minutes after the murdel
was committed before Mrs. Brunen
gave the alarm. She says she faint
ed Furthermore, when Brunen was
about to be buried the widow threw
herself PROSTATE upon the coffin.
The prosecutor says that a shorl
time before this Honest John anc
his wife had a quarrel in WhlcI
shots were exchanged on DotL
sides. They further say that Hon
est" John had forgiven his VIE
several marital indiscretlons' pu
their life was far from happy
one. Some of their Quarreling was
due to the fact that daughter
had been permitted to marry an
other lion tanner in the show.
Seek Mystery Girl.
The third prisoner is Harry c
Mohr. Powell in his confession
saws he was hired by Mohr to shoo
Rrunen and was taken from cam
den to the Brunen home in Mohr
automobile. The girl with the au'