The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-23
TORCH MURDERER RETURNS LOOT
STOLEN IN weird CRIME; WRITES
POLICE HE is FLEEING IN AUTO
Murderer Expresses His
RemorSe for Crime,
Mailing Confession.
READY TO KILL SELF
Struck Woman on Head and
Set Her on Fire, Says
Crime Letter.

BIZ Uaifcd Press
SOMERVILLE, n. j., Feb.
23.-The man who murdered
Miss Margaret Brown by fire
confessed today in an anony-
nous letter to the police.
He encloed $2,5OO of the securities
he ha dstolen from his victim and
told in short, dramatic sentences
how he had made love to her in an
automobile on a New Jersey road,
beaten her inSensible when she re-
pulsed him, and then committed one
Of the strangest murders in eastern
criminal history.
IT took gasoline from my car and
poured it over her, lit it, and then
drove away" he wrote.
The letter was anonymous and
was postmarked Newark. 1t was
received by Police Chief Charles
Kavanaugh of Bernardsville. The
securities consisted of two $1,000
bonds of the Cities Service Corpo-
ration and one $500 gold certificate.
The writer expressed deep renorse
and said he had something with
him Ito end it all" if he were
caught.
Check Bonds
New York authorities were
notified and detectives we're sent to
the two banks where Miss Brown
had deposits. The list of her
securities was to be checked to see
if they corresponded to those in
closed in the letter.
The letter said:
II am writing you this letter and
sending you the bonds of Miss
Brown. knowing you will take care
of them before anyone else gets
them. I am very remorse. L. have
been drinking. I'met Miss Brown
in Buffalo and then again in New
ark, two years ago.
II left Newark Ais on Monday
and reached New York at tbs and
met Miss Brown. I had two bottles
of wine and we both drank some. /
drove out to Lovers Lane, where
there was a large car parked. I drove
around until the car had gone and
then I pulled up there.
Struck Woman on Head
''I tried to take advantage of her,
but she refused. I hit her on the
head and she fell. Thinking had
killed her, took gasoline from my
car and poured over her, lighting
it and then drove away.
"I drove through Bernardsville.
where threw the rest of the stuff
in the river. This was all the
money she had. I drove around
and slept in the car the rest Of the
night. I drove to Newark, where
am hiding, the next morning.
have good car and good tires and
I am starting out, God knows where,
to hell suppose, and by the time
you get this letter I shall have a
good start on you.
''I am going until my money gives
out and when I am caught have
something with me to end it all
before they can do anything.
eau revoir."
Believed Genuine Confession
Because Of the securities il-
closed. police dropped their first be-
lief that the letter was the work Of
crank and proceeded on the
theory that they had confession
from the actual murderer.
The writer seemed to be a man
OF intelligence. The language of
his letter and it's slight incoherence
we're attributed to his excitement
and perhaps to liquor. The hand
writing was neat and that Of an
educated person.
| Miss Brown, a comely woman Of
40, employed as a tutor by James
Park Gillespie, well-to-do New
Yorker. was found by motorists
Monday night, still alive, but being
cremated IN blazing gasoline.
Man Known as Doctor"
The weird crime had been COM
nlitted back of hot dog stand
near Morristown. The only clew
available there was that an auto
mobile had been seen parked near
the spot. deserted at this time OF
year. 1t was a dark blue sedan.
The search centered in New York.
From servants of the Gillespies,
detectives learned that Miss Brown
had been friendly with man. They
had heard him addressed as DOC
tor" He was cautious in his friend
ship with her and never entered
the Gillespie home.
On Monday, Miss Brown quit her
job. She told Mrs. Gillespie she
was going to California to visit
relatives. To make the story
plausible, her trunks we're checked
to California.
At noon she met her niece, Miss
Mary Brown of Fl. Lee. She said
nothing about leaving the Gillespies,
but explained she was going with
them on a trip to Florida.
If she had been acting on the in
structions of the man who was de-
ceiving her, she hardly could have
devised a plan better calculated to
lull suspicion and prevent inquiries
about l.or a ohsonca