Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-07-13
CHASTITY FINDS
REVEAL MURDER
OF TWO WOMEN
Sewer Choked BY Parts Of
Bodies Of Missing Brook
Iyn Women


NEW. YORK, July 12, CA wo-
mans thigh, believed to be that of
Miss Sarah Brownell, one OF the vic
Tins of Brobklyns axe murder, was
found today in Grand Army plaza, a
few blocks from the house where other
parts OF her body and that of Mrs.
Selma Benefits were found Sun
day
The package containing the thigh
was found while workmen directed by
detectives were tearing up the sewer
under the Brownell house in search OF
missing portions of the women.
The report of Mrs. Mary De Mar
tino that her daughter, Evelyn had
been missing since June 80 and had
last been seen going into Mrs. Brown
ellis house at % Prospect Place start
ed detectives to work on the theory
that a third woman might have fall
en- victim to the Brooklyn slayer.
The latest find in connection with
the Staying in which portions of the
victims bodies have been found at
Battery Park and various points in
Brooklyn, contained it's own identifi-,
cation. s g
The package, with an outer wrap
ping of brown paper, contained o wo-
mans uildergarment to which was at
tached a department store sales Slip
made out to S.. e. Brownell Police
said the initials stood for Sarah
Elizabeth" Miss BrownelFs name.
While workmen, under police direct
ion, searched the dark cellar of the
Prospect Place house, bringing to
light now and then fragment of the
bodies of Miss Brownen and Mrs Ben
nett, an enploye of the Brooklyn
Manhattan Transit company, found a.
Womar1's head in the cornpanys yard
at Thirty seventh street and Fifth
avenue, Brooklyri.
Police continued to question the first
suspect arrested in connection with
the crimes, Ludwig Halverson Lee,
former sailor and the janitor of the
% Prospect Place house.
Christian Jensen, grocery clerk,
and Otto Nelson, friend of Lee were
! held us material witnesses.
Lee stoutly denied killing Mrs Ben
nett and Miss BroWnell when accused
by twenty detectives. He said t!!at he
had known Miss Brownen for four
years and that on May 16 last she
asked him to marry her. His answer,
he said, was no"
Lee related that Miss BroWnell had
given him $500 to start a restaurant
and that. when this venture failed he
returned to his job as caretakcr of the
house where the bodies were found.
Miss Brownell purchased the house
from Mrs. Bennett, and mortgage
was still unpaid. In trunk in Lees
! room police found Miss BroWnell's
bank book. In the cellar they found a
, shirt covered with stains believed to
! be blood. The shirt had been washed
and was drying on a line. Tt bore
laundry marks Identical with those on
a shirt Lee was wearing.
The investigation that led 10 the
finding of the bodies began Saturday
when a wonlan's legs were found in
Battery Park, Manhattan.
Police said it was their belief that
Lee killed Miss BroWnell in the hope
of obtaining several thousand dollars
she had in the bank and that ne tried
to dispose of her body by stuffing it
in the sewer. This blocked up the sew
er, causing the neighbors to complain
to Mrs Bennett. Mrs. Bennett. they
thought had discovered parts of Miss
BroWnells body in the ash cans when
she investigated and Lee killed her to
prevent her disclosing the murder of
Miss Brownell.