The New York herald., 1922-03-18
WILD BRUNEN COOK
PROVES CLEAR ALIBI.
Detective Thinks Widows
Brother Put Him on False
Scent With Werner.
TRA1LED TO BERwIN, PA.
Found to Be Tame and Fails to
Add Anything to Solution
of Circus Mans Murder.

gpecinl Dispatch to THE NEW YoRK HERALD.
MOUNT HOLLY, N. j.. March 1.-THE
one man in close view in the search for
the slayer Of John Brunen. the circus
man, at his Riverdale home a week ago
failed to make good to-day as q material
witness. in the mind Of County Detec-
tive Ellis Parker. who had long talk
with George l.. Werner. He found Wer-
ner at Berwin. Pa, and he said on his
return here tonight that Werner did
not have the least knowledge OF the MUIR
der. Werner esta blished a clear alibi.
The elimination OF Werner was pre-
ceded earlier In the day by the clearing
Of DOC Ward. onetime Snowman and
now a blacksmith in Jersey City. of any
knowledge Of the murder. With these
two out OF the case the county detective
told District Attorney Kelsey tonight he
was no nearer the solution than at the
beginning. v3t
Never saw a Quarrel.
Numerous rurnors were set afloat
which were stopped by Parker's positive
statements that they were sheer imagi-
nation. Directing attention to his talk
with Werner to-day he said:
II was led to- believe Werner was q
wild eyed Dutchman. When I talked
with him to-day he frankly told me all
about his relations with Brunen. He
speaks English with a very broad Ger
man brogue and his native language
when English fails him. He told me he
Joined the Brunen shows last summer
near Baltimore. When they were going
into winter quarters at. Williamsport,
Pa, Brunen told him he could make
money cooking for the. thirty-five men
who would look after the show property
during the winter; instead of thirty-five
men only two remained there, and he
closed the place UP after telling Brunen
1t wouldn't pay him. He went from
there to Berwin and obtained a job al
his trade. He is baker. He said he
had no gun and never owned one. lie
told about borrowing q gun to shoot
rabbits last fall. He nearly, shot himself
and quit rabbit hunting. He gave Mrs.
Brunen the direct lie on her story that
he had once thrown a boy overheard
from ship in an angry fit.
Werner told me he never had seen a
quarrel between Brunen and his wife.
l1e. said Harry Mohr was q prince OF a
fellow and the Brunens treated MIN
fiue.r
ToaTalk to Widow Again.
The story that Werner was a "wild
Dutchman' was told to Parker by Harry
MQhr, the brother of Mrs. Brunen. Ac-
cording to the county detective. Mohr
said Werner was "a roughneck,," When
Werner was told this. he said he wanted
no more of Mohr or the show business
or the people who work In them. They
were roughnecks. and many of them
owed him money. They did not like him
because he would not allow gambling in
his lunch car. BruneR would not permit
gambling either, he said.
Referring to Mrs. Brunen tonight,
Parker said he expected to have another
talk with her Tomorrow. ( He would not
Indicate any special purpose Of the in
terview, but admitted there were several
things he wished to discuss with her.
To show them she ds aiding him where
she can. Parker said that he asked her
for certain information to-day over the
telephone. and that she hunted it UP and
gave II to him within q reasonable time.
He said he wants another talk with
Harry Mohr and his sister, Matte, who
lives in s21 North Sixteenth street, Phil
cdelphia. This may be due to the fact
that Walter II. 'Keown. the Camden
lawyer, who vs. counsel for the Mohrs
and their sister. Mrs. Br,inen. admitted
the murdered showman's widow re-
ceived mail at the Palmyra General De-
livery This, Keown said, was done
because ,Brunen tore UP all letters sent
to the Riverside house for his wife or
his daughter Hazel. 1t was at the sug-
gestion of her sister. Miss Mohr. the
lawyer said. that Mrs. Brunen re-
sorted to the Palmyra post office to re-
ceive her mail. He denied she had
used a fictitious name.