The evening world., 1922-04-19
: MILLER MAY CLEAR
MYSTERY OF ACTION
IN HORTON MURDER
Lawyers and Police Recall
Lack of Any Prosecution of
Mrs. Brooks.
WHITMAN INVESTIGATED
. Trial Judge Called Convic-
, ton of LareSch for ID De-
gree Murder "Merciful."
WHITMAN INVESTIGATED

the criminal courts are awaiting with
interest the action and comment Of
n Gov. Miller upon the recommendations
'fdof the Grand Jury which, under dlrec-
tion OF ox-Gov. Whitman, engaged in
an investigation of why Mrs. Lucille
Emma Brooks was never tried for her
alleged part in the murder of Police
Lieut. Floyd Horton and turned in IA
report cxoncratinG not only Mrs.
Brooks, the wife of n wealthy Chicago
insurance man and politician, but
Nicholas Laresch, convicted of the
murder in a minor degree and now
serving term of twenty years in Sing
Sing Prison.
The Police Department is also
awaiting with intense interest the
comment of Gov. Miller upon that
portion of the report OF the Grand
Jury which states that there is very
grave doubt whether Nicholas Laresch
was, in fact. guilty of the crime for
which he was convicted or of any
crime in connection with the killing
of Lieut.. Horton
The interest of lawyers is aroused
chiefly by the fact that in this case
the Grand Jury has taken upon itself
the task of reviewing the evidence
taken in a murder trial upon which
petit Jury found a verdict which was
Endorsed by the court
When Attorney General Newton
designated Mr.. Whitman as a Special
Deputy to inquire into tho reason
Why Mrs. Brooks, who owned and
a.J1irnished the revolver with which
Lieut. Horton was killed escaped
prosecution for her part in the muir
der. II was stated that District At
torney Banton had demanded the in
vestigation because he-not then
connected with the District Attorneys
office-had acted as the woman's
counsel at the time of her arrest and
advised her to so before the Grand
Jury. Also, it was hnted that Mr.
Banton had been inspired to action by
complaints which had been made to
him and to Gov. Miller that there
had been a miscarriage of justice in
the Brooks case. The inquiry was
begun early in February. The pre-
sentiment was handed up two days
ago.
1t Is recalled by lawyers and police
men and friends of Lieut.. Horton, who
was a police officer of the highest
class, that these facts were brought
out in connection with his murder.
Mrs. Brooks and Joe Laresch rode to
the apartment house at No. 546 West
, 10th Street in a taxicah driven by
i%icholas Laresch on the night of Dec.
N-f7, 1920. All were drunk. Joe Laresch
had a revolver which Mrs. Brooks had
given him and at her instigation he
was bent upon shooting Tyler Hair.
ston, the Negro elevator man in the
apartment house. Mrs. Brooks had
charged that Hairston had insulted
her.
Joe Laresch entered the lobby of
he apartment house and fired a shot
At the Negro in charge of the telc.
r phone switchboard with murderous
intent. The Penal Code prescribes
that persons in the company of
person who commits a murder while
engaged in the commission of a fell
ony are automatically guilty OF the
same crime as the actual killer-rn ur-
der in the first degree.
After firing the shot Joe I.aresch
ran back to and entered the taxicab
Street subway station. heard the shot
and saw joe Laresch run and enter
the cab. Horton jumped on the run
ming board and somebody in the cab
shot him. He fired a shot that killed
Joe Laresch. Nicholas Jaresch drove
the car away with Mrs. Brooks and
the body of his brother
Horton, mortally wounded and
lying n the street, wrote down on a
slip of paper the license number of
the vanishing car. Through this the
car was traced and Nicholas Laresch
and Mrs. Brooks were arrested.
~ There was no charge made against
Airs. Brooks of violation of the Sulli-
van law, although it is customary to
prosecute such a charge against all
persons found to be in possession of
a revolver and without a permit.
In regard to the ownership of the
revolver used in the killing Of Lieut..
Horton, Joe Laresch said in the
Rpmbs last night TO a World reporter:
4KThe pistol Joe used was Mrs.
f'rooks's. She put it in her stocking" 4"
There rs no way to ascertain if
these facts were disprove6 by the eX.
oneratinG Grand Jury. Those who
are Interested in the outcome OF the
extraordinary proceeding anticipate
that Gov. Miller, in taking action
upon the presentment and recommen.
dations of executive clemency toward
Nicholas LareSch, will clear up the
mystery which still surrounds the in.