Evening star., 1924-12-07
GEM PLOT LOOMS
IN M'COy'S TRIAL
Killing of Mrs. Mors Linked
Nth That of DeaIer-Case
l. on Tomorrow.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
LOS ANGELES, December with
the trial set for tomorrow OF kid
Mccoy" Norman Selby), much
married pugilist, on the charge of
having murdered Mrs. Theresa Mors
In her apartment here last August,
speculation busies itself increasingly
with the possibility of a connection
between the murder of Mrs. Mors and
that of Harry !. Katz, diamond dealer,
who was killed in front of his apart
suent November 10. Involved in this
theory is the hypothesis of a ring of
gem smugglers carrying on their
operations on an enormous scale,
with international ramitications
which may include at least part of
the famous and elusive Russian
crown jewels; of feuds and suspicious
among the smugglers and their
agents, and of a vengeance that twice
found a victim and escaped unseen.
XSrs theory apparently would leave
Kid Mccoy in the role of hulking and
hapless innocent bystander,' whose
weakness for women and drink led
him into S0ider's web of intrigue
and left him entangled and founder
ing. On the other hand, it would let
he light in upon a perfect Arabian
Nights vista of jewels and precious
stones passing from hand 10 hand
across our borders without benefit of
customs and with a shadowy back
ground OF the fall of monarchies and
he rise of proletariats, who value
Jewels chiefly for the cash they will
bring.
"Mystcry Killer Blamed.
"A person as yet unmentioned-a
mystery person, if you wish to de-
scribe him so--killed Mrs. Theresa
Mors." said George Shreve. attorney
for Kid Mccoy, last week. And one
of the theories which have actually
been discussed in police circles here
is that the mystery person" might
have been an emissary of the Soviet
government; that Katz might have
been intrusted with some of the Rus
sian crown jewels to sell and that
real or supposed upfaithfulness to his
trust might have cost him his life.
Flatly contradictory of such a
theory. so far as the Mors case is
concerned, is the alleged confession
of the Kid to his sister, Mrs. Jennie
Thomas, that he Just had to kill that
woman"
In favor of the smuggling theory
are the number and magnifcence of
the jewels actually found by the
police among the effects of both Katz
and Mrs. Mors, the persistent rum ors
kept secret service men searching
bank vaults in many States, and,
above all, a striking series of coinci-
denCcS between the two deaths.
Many and COLLECTING stories have
been told concerning the actual cir
oumstances of the Mors shooting.
Mccoy, who was divorced in 1921
from his seventh, or eighth, wife.
Dagmar Dahlgren, an actress, had
faA tn Mro 10
A few days before the shooting a
row in Mrs. Mors' apartment brought
the police, who found Mccoy there.
Mrs. Mors was quoted as saying she
had called Mccoy "to protect her
when trouble arose because she had
found her husband giving a dinner
to other women. Police reported her
as saying she loved Mccoy and in
tended to marry him when Mors got
his divorce.
Mccoy Runs Amuck.
On August 13 Mccoy was arrested
as he ran from the Mors art shop on
West Seventh street after having,
it was said, shot and wounded w. G..
Ross of Beverley Hills and Mr.. and
Mrs. Sam Schapp, who kept a mil
linery store adjoining the Mors store.
While Mccoy was being placed under
arrest detectives were called to the
apartment of Mrs. Mors by the
janitor, who had found her body
lying on the floor, with a picture of
Kid Mccoy cIasped to her breast.
AS the story was at first pieced
together, Mccoy had been with Mrs.
Mors, and after her death, whether
by suicide or murder, had rushed out
to the art store in search of Mors,
and, not finding him there, had shot
Ross and Schapps. Two other men
and woman who were in the art
shop at the time declared he had held
them up and robbed them.
Mccoy talked incoherently, but de-
MED he had killed Mrs. Mors. At
first he said: He killed the only
woman l ever loved" A little later
he said: She committed suicide last
night. First l put her on the daven-
port, then l moved her to the floor"
Schapp, whose wife was close
friend of Mrs. Mors, said that, few
hours before her death, Mrs. Mors
had told his wife she was going to
break off her relations with Mccoy
that she would never marry him, and
that she intended to tell him so.
Mrs. Jennie Thomas, sister of the
Kid" told the grand jury her broth
er came to her house at Eagle Rock
in the early hours and told her he
had killed "Tessie." She asked: Did
YOU Kill the man, too?" and he re-
piled, "Yes. got him. and I am going
to get some of the others" She as
sumed he meant he had killed Mors
Had Valuable Jewels.
The kid" emptied his pockets at
her home, turning over to her several
Jewels of great value, which she said
had been given him at various times
by Mrs. Mors.
She also said Mrs. Mors and her
husband had some kind of a secret
which Mrs. Mors had refused to re-
veal to the Kid even after Mors had
begun divorce proceedings.
Mrs Iva Martin, living in the apart
ment directly under Mrs. Mors, told
the police she had heard a struggle,
a woman's voice crying, "Oh. my God,
don't do thati" then a shot and a
thump as of falling body. Rum