Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-20

hCr reply was Nny, Mr. Nc'ses, ~"
could you ask me such question.
''She knew that question was COM
Ing. but she did not fool you. Her
years on the circus lot were OF great
benefit to her on the witness stnnd.'
' Outlines Death Plot
Mr.. Peacock then outlined the various
trips of Powell and AfOhr between
wilkes Barre and Philadelphia and
ridiculetl the contention that these we're
purely business trips. lie referred to
Il witness who overheard Mohr soy to
Powell In Wilkes Barre. Il cnnnot d'
It alone. and then heard Powell eau.
tion Mohr not to talk too loud. .
"Niobr was, poisoning tho mind Of
Powell day after day and hence we find
Mrs. Bruner playing the sympathy game
on Powell"
Mr.. Peacock then asserted the alleged
conspirators had found Wilkes Barre
too far away for the accomplishment Of
the Job, 80 Mohr sent for Powell to
come to Philadelphia. He described the
visits Mohr made TO the Powell home In
Camden day after day, saying they were
plotting tho murder then. told OF the
numerous trips made by Powell and
Mohr to Riverside. charging Mohr was
giving Powell the layout of the Bruncn
place.
He then outlined the testimony con.
ccrning the purchasing Of the gun, and
told of the target, practice that fol-
lowed.
It was charged by Prosecutor Pea
cock that Mohr had burned the stock
Of one of the guns 80 as to make 1t I'M
possible for hin to take part In the
shooting us originally planned, thus
| placing nll the blame OH Powell.
Calls Mohr, Arch Ficnd
"NIohr's brains concoc'ed the entire
scheme"
| The Prosecutor rviewed the testimony
step by step. leading up to the killing.
! He referred to the testimony of Mrs.
| Marie Powell ns "thnt loyal figure
"1f Marie Powell had known OF the
pla nof that master fend and arch
criminal there would have been no
murder. What was Mohr doing Mt
the Powell house Mt @ o'clock in the
morning after the murder. Il 1t was
not to get an idea Of Powell's condi-
tion. lie even asked Mrs. Marie
Powell 1t Powell was nervous at thnt
! time"
Concerning Hazel Brunen's sensa.
/ tional switch from the defense to the
done this after Powell's confession be-
cause she wanted the real murderer
convicted.
Another point made by Mr.. Peacock
| was the warning Mrs. Brunen gave to
her daughter Hazel, when Hazel wanted
to accompany her father to the winter
quarters of the circus. Mrs. Brunen
told Hazel not to go, he snid, warning
her that her father might be killed.
FIX. Husband Visits Cell
An unexpected visitor to Mount
Holly yesterday was Herbert Ashley, n
vaudeville actor, former husband of
Mrs. Druncn. He occupied seat in
the courtroom during the afternoon scs-
sion but left the courthouse about
twenty minutes before adjournment.
Unknown to the grent majority of
to the jnil yesterday afternoon at 3
o. clock and saw both Mrs. Brunen and
her brother, Mohr. Mrs. Brunen mar.
ricd Ashley in New York in 1900. de-
serting him nine years later to marry
Brunen. A. she was not divorced from
Ashley until 1900, however, her mar
riage to Bruncn was not legal.
Told Her to Cheer Up
Speaking of his meeting with his
former wife. Mr.. Ashley said:
II hadn't seen Dot for long time,
and I was shocked when got a close
look at her and saw the deep lines In
her face, plainly showing the great
strain she Is under. She gripped my
arm like a wise and broke into tears,
sobbing. oh. Herbert. I don't know
how I can thank you for coming to see
me- That pathetic sight was enough
to make me forget our troubles of the
past. nearly broke down myself
II said to her: Cheer up. Dot. You II
will spend the happiest Christmas OF
your lifc.'
| "She commenced to weep again. and
between her sob said. oh, hope so. I
hope so.' That's the way 1t was all the
time ! was in the cell with her. We d
tnlk n little and then she would cry
until she recovered her self -composuyc.
and we'd start In again. This Is the
Christmas season. when every one Is ex.
pected to spread little joy, and that 8
what tried to do.
~ told Dot I believed she was limo.
cent and do with all my heart. lived
with her for nine years, and in that
time / learned more of the inside of her
nature than detectives and you newspa-
permen can ever learn. When we used
to walk along the street together she
| would stop and take to task some driver
who insistcd on beating his horse. She
also made habit of picking up crippled
animals. taking them into the house and
treating them. No woman who had a
kindly disposition like that could ever
change. enough to plot to kill her hus-
band.
Wife Suggested Trip
"Of course, these things are all past
now. / am happily married again, and
just as n friend. hope that the Jury will
believe as I do and will acquit her"
Don't YOU think you're rather n
and wish Mrs. Brunen we'll aftcr she
deserted you for another MANI" he was
asked.
If you think I'm broad. minded
what do yon think Of my wife," was
the rerly. "She suggested that I make
the trip. As to the other question, I
came here and asked Mr.. Keown, Mrs.
Bruncn's attorney, II there was any
thing l could do. l was perfectly will.
ing to go on the stand for her. Mr..
Kcown told me there was nothing I
could do because testimony referring TO
Mrs. Brunen's deserting me and mnrry-
ing Brunen had been ordered stricken
out by the Judge.
"After I was through visiting Dot
went to see Harry Mohr. That's surely
an awful prison they have In Mount
Holly. never saw such a place. It's
crime to keep persons like Mrs.
Brunen in such a cell. Harry wcpt
some, too. when he saw me. I talked
only n little while with him. lie also
expressed hope that he would be nc.
Quilted. He told me he had wished he
could find aoInr imnnrfant ,,,I4nannan