Evening journal., 1922-12-16
BRUNEN JURY
At Death HOUSE
Widow of Slain Circus Man
May Go on Stand
Monday
SAY VOICES" MADE
POWELL CONFESS


Omitted Press)-Harry c. Mohr. on
trial with his sister. Mrs. Doris
Brunen charged with the murder OF
the lstter's husband. will take the
stand in his own defense on Monday.
according to his attorney, Walter 5.
/ Keown.
: At the end of yesterdays session
the trial was adjourned until Mon
day. and the jury today was taken TO
the scene OF the crime.
Keown. in a statement issued early
today declared that he would make
a motion for the dismissal OF the in
dictment against Mrs. Brunen be
cause of lack Of evidence. II the
motion is not granted he will place
the murdered circus mans widow on
the stand in her own defense. he
said.
The Jurors today were shown the
kitchen where John Bruen sat the
night. he was shot-the window
shade that. according to Powell. was
raised so the circus man could be
shot and the cellar door beneath the
window. II is beside this cellar door
that witnesses have testified they saw
the imprint OF woman's foot. be-
side the footprints OF the slayer.
The Jurymen also examined the
interior Of the house. No one was
allowed to approach the jury. which
was closely guarded during its tour
OF inspection.
The townspeople here are passing
Nraa..
OF how Charles NJ. Powell, the ac-
tual slayer OF the wealthy Snowman
came 10 confess The tale is as grim
as any from the Chateau an or
from the grim fortress at Brest in
France.
Not twenty-five miles from Phil
adelphla stands the Mount Holly
jail. So dark are its cells for muir
derers. a match Is required in them
in broad daylight before the eyes
become accustomed to their gloom.
High up in the cell walls are tiny
windows. The iron bars that close
these apertures are ancient. The
walls, the floors and the stepsiars
ancient. So old is the place >the
feet OF passing prisoners have worn
deep grooves in the aged granite
steps.
Those bars IN the windows follow
the ancient form. They make a
cross. the ends bsdded in the solid
granite. and az this cross Of iron
the prisoners gaze as Il Is silhouet-
ted against the little daylight that
filters through the massive walls. A
1f -
sorrow.
These walls reek with moistur.
an ths fires IN the Jail stoves go low.
The doors, two hundred years old,
are At to hold Wild beasts, as we'll
as men. Huge locks are turned BY
huge keys and a long bar OF iron
extends far beyond the door itself,
20 enable the keepers 20 open the
doors without danger Of attack from |
the prisoners.
In the center Of each death cell /
is a great iron ring, unused now. 4
Stone walls, stone floors. stone cell !
ings-stpne everywhere.
In lighter cell. for the untried.
Mohr sits In another cell is Mrs.
Brunen. and. in another Charlie
Powell.
In his cell today. Powell wearily
held HIS head in his hands.
I'm not so well today" he said
Not go we'll My heart hurts. No.
I'm not so We'll"
Powell cDims he hears voices--
voices OF an old man. and a lftti.
child. Day by day, before he con-
fessed, his wife visited him, telling
him OF HIS babies and HIS little apart
ment and urging him 10 tell the
truth.
Night after night he heard voices
they say-voices that rang with
mournful regularity in his ears:
never ceasing, never changing-frst
one. then the other.
Charlie Powell did III Charlie
Powell did IT. Charlie Powell did
e" over and over again.
He became frenzied. they say. He
beat his head against the wall of
his cell, he clawed at the big iron
'ars that fornsed the door. he curs-
ID and shrieked and raved. as the
'oices droned in, Charlie Powell
lid 1t! Charlie Powell did it," I
o cease out at dawn.
Exhausted he would fling himself
lpon his pallet at break Of day. sob
ling with relief-and then BEGIN to
Tread the approach Of night, with
Is voices.
Then he confessed. II was a
they say, electrically
riven and with a repeating device
hat was his accuser.
At dawn, they say It was shut off,
My to be turned on again at night.
o Charlie Powell confessed, but he
till hears his voice. 7
Hts confession, as repeated upon :,
ie witness stand, is generally be- n
eyed. The jury seemed visibly i'm q
ressed. II
Powell. for all his voices, retains a .
park of humor. Next to his cell is a p
ungeon filled with confiscated Ii h
Of containers Of
le stuff. "A nice Christmas pres II
ut for someone" he said, and
niled. .,
Next to Mohr's cell is one for con- :
cted murderers. from which pris- q,
lers are taken to The death house ?,
Trenton. Its door stands ajar to- \.
,y-it is empty. Upon its walls y,
e scribbled lines, written by those :,
no have gone before. There is a !,
-awing Of the electric chair that =
aims two occupants of this cell ~
its own NJ
One line reads; THE cheapest h,
ing that you can take is a mans W
e."