New-York tribune., 1922-03-17
Ballyhoo Man
Is Quizzed in
Brllnen Murder
Doc Ward, known 10 Have
Been Friendly With Mrs.
Brunen, Appears for
Questioning by Parker
0uarreled With Victim
Accounts for Time on Day
of killing: Long Delay in
Report of Death Probed

MUM dOLb1, n D., March 10
Joseph X. Ward, known to circus folk
"a "Doc," came here tonight from his
home in Jersey City with Police Cap
tain Larkins, of that city, and sub
tectives concerning his knowledge OF
the affairs of Honest John" Brunen,
the circus proprietor who was shot and
killed last Friday night at his home in
Riverside.
Ward is not under arrest" said
Ellis Parker, county detective. Tile has
merely been brought down here for
questioning. We want to know # he
can aid us in running down the mur
derer He has been associated with
Brunen and the Brunen family for
several years and may be able to give
Us some interesting information"
"Doc" Ward used to be lot man and
ballyhoo man FOR Honest Johns"
Mighty Doris and Colonel Francis
Ferrarj Tent Shows. He and Brunen
euarreled last November when Mrs.
Brunen and her daughter, Hazel, left
their home and were found in Hoboken
on information given the police by
Ward.
Ward Accounts for Time
The quarrel was not as serious as it
might have been, but when the police
were investigating the movements of
those they knew to have had disputes
"Doc" Ward They found that he could
account for his time all day Friday and
an investigation of his statements in
ciined Captain Larkins to the belief
that they were accurate.
His friendship with Mrs. Brunen.
however. is said not to have lapsed
when Honest John" broke with him.
and the auth orities think that he may
he able TO throw some light on condi-
tions in the Brunen household which
NAV aid them in their inquiry. The
Postmaster at Palmyra. town near
Riverside. has identified Mrs. Brunen
as woman who called for mail there
under tho name OF "Mrs. Dolan." The
police have been informed that Mrs.
Brunen's continued friendship for
Ward was source Of Irritation to
~Honest john"
The row between Brunen and his
wife over the ballyhoo man was but
one of series of subjects upon which
they differed to the point of violence.
One Of their serious quarrels was about
a robbery that occurred in the Brunen
home in Riverside. Mrs. Brunen said
that two armed men had entered the
house, leveled pistols at her head and
forced her to surrender jewelry belong
Ing to her husband that was valued at
$4,000. Brunen was dissatisfied with
this explanation and told the author
tiles So He said he would keep on in
vestigating the robbery with the assist
ance Of private detectives until he had
brought to Justice the persons who took
his property.
No EXPLANATION has been found OF
the fact that Snookie, Brunen's trick
bulldog, was locked up in the cellar
on the night of the murder, instead
Of being allowed to sleep in her ken
mel. This is placed beside the cellar
doors and within few feet of where
the assassin stood as he fred q charge
of buckshot through the kitchen win
dow and into the head of Brunen, who
sat reading a newspaper.
Delay in Report of Murder
One other point is to be cleared up
by County Detective Parker. He con-
tends that there was q delay of more
than half an hour before the authori
ties were notified that the Snowman
had been killed.
William Purchase, cockney lion
tanner, in charge of the eight lions,
nine pumas and one leopard that be-
long to the Brunen carnival show, ex-
planned to-day to state troopers who
visited the winter quarters of the show
why the Snowman was SO angered by
the marriage of his daughter Hazel
TO William Parkstrom. Purchase was
ehopping up & feed of horse meat for
his charges, the boy who succeeded
Parkstrom and who is supposed to do
this having been slightly clawed by
one of the lions.
"Parkstrom wasn't any lion tanner"
declared Purchase. "a cage cleaner,
that's what e was. | broke i'm in.
Last summer e got to going into the
!. cages to do is work and nothing 'ap-
Ben and bought i'm some scarlet and
, gold uniforms and 'e began to work
the pumas. Quite sight of difference
between pumas and lions. Parkstrom
was with the show about FIVE years.
'The girl. 'azel, sold tickets for the
cat show and Parkstron. e appeared
out there beside her during the bally-
hoo all dressed up in is uniforms.
That Is 'ow it came about. Then they
were married, and Brunen--and there
never was finer man-was fair wild
about it. The daughter of the boss of
the show marrying a cage cleaner! A
real lion tanner, now, and maybe the
girl bit older, and e wouldn't ave
cared"
Princess Alice Kept Aloof
The Princess Alice, who in winter
quarters and private life is Mrs. Pur-
chase. is the other lion tanner with the
shows. She kept aloof from the trou-
bic that was brewing all last summer
beneath the big top, according to her
husband, and knows very little about it,