New-York tribune., 1922-03-17
Wonan's Death
New Mystery in
$5O0,O0OT
Feminine Witness in Alleged
Robbery Plot Against Ex-
port House Asphyxiated
in Kitchen Of Her Home
Suicide Theory Doubted
Her Brother-in-Law Held and
Assistant Manager of Alex
ander & Baldwin Arrested

Tho mysterious death by gas of an
important woman witness on the eve
Of her examination in connection with
the theft of $4,000 from the export
firm of Alexander e. Baldwin, 80 Wall
Street, by q band of alleged conspra-
tors, and the arrest of another of the
concerns employees were Developments
yesterday in case which is puzzling
the auth critics.
The dead woman is Mrs. Martha Zapf
1417 East Seventh Street, Brooklyn,
whose brother-in- law. Richard Kretz-
mer, an employee of the victimized
firm, is under arrest. The man arrost-
ed is Harold Spencer Thomas, former
assistant manager of the concern. Al
though he had been taken into custody
last Tuesday, it became known only
yesterday.
Both Kretzmer and Thomas are
charged with grand larceny. and have
been held in $4,000 bail each. The au-
thorities are still looking for r. II.
Thomas, the former manager, brother
of Harold Spencer Thomas. He is be-
lieved to have left the country. r. II.
Thomas is q member of the Crescent
and New York Athletic clubs.
Found Dead in Kitchen
Mrs. Zapf recently had been called
into the case by William Parkin. clerk
of the Federal Court of Appeals here,
who had been made a commissioner to
look into the affairs of the firm. Her
failure Of S. G. Blowers & Co.. brokers
in canned goods at SO Wall Street,
which firm went into bankruptcy short
ly after the theft from Alexander &
Baldwin was made known. Blowers Is
said to be a brother-in-law of the
Thomases.
A few weeks ago Mrs. Zapf, under
examination by Commissioner ParlIin,
testified that she lent $4,000 to Krctz-
mer for the purchase of home. She
was excused, however. before her ex-
animation wns through and she was
asked to return for further question
ing. On the day Set for her reappear-
ance her husband reported to the au-
thorties that she had been found dead
from gas in the kitchen of her home.
According to the statement of Will
liam Iapf, brother of the dead woman's
husband, he and the husband had gone
out early on the evening of March 8,
Before leaving the house, William says,
he smeled gas and went TO the cellar
to turn off the meter. When they re-
turned later in the evening. he says,
the odor Of gas was still strong. The
husband found the kitchen door slight
ly open, When he attempted to open
1t further he met an obstruction. Push
ing hard and looking into the room he
saw his wife stretched on the floor
near a chair.
Suicide Report Doubted
William zapf notified the police
while the husband remained in the
house. One of the gas jets III range
was found open and gas flowing from it
freely. William could not explain to
the police how the meter was turned
on after he had left the house. He
suggested that his sister-in-law might
have done it. In this event. it is rca-
soned by the authorities, the woman
apparently contemplated suicide, and
the police so at first reported.
DIR. NJ. E. Marten, Assistant County
Medical Examiner, however, listed the
death as accidental, because, he ex-
plained yesterday, there was nothing to
indicate a suicide except that the
woman was stretched on the hoor in
stead of sitting on a chair. tI do not
want TO say it is suicide unless it
is absolutely certain that the death was
a suicide" he said. "There was a chair
standing near her head from which she
might easily have fallen. AS a rule
suicides are very deliberate and take
every means to make themselves COM
Portable. There was no such ind;ca-
ton in this case, and the woman had
no previous record OF melancholia or
nervousness"
This view Of the Medical Examiner it
is pointed out, fails to clear up the
question as to who turned the gas on
again.
The subject is being thoroughly in
vestlgated by the police, the matter
o boz,