Evening star., 1935-11-04
D. c. BROKER HELD
AFTER D|VORCEE
KILLS SELF BY GAS
Blast Wrecks Apartment.
Motive for Suicide Is
Mystery.
POLICE GIVEN LETTER
ON BUSINESS DEALS
Woman Found on Kitchen Floor
With Stove Jets Open After
Explosion.

Police today were holding Irving
81, Washington broker, for
questioning in connection with the
suicide yesterday Of Leona Epstein,
2S-year-old divorce, found dead after
gas explosion knocked two walls out
of her apartment at 3002 Rodman
street and Jared the neighborhood for
blocks around.
Mystery still obscured details Of the
motive for suicide this morning, but
police detectives revealed they have in
their possession a note which the
woman had penned late Saturday
night and an eight-page letter which
she had previously written to the
United States district attorney con-
cerning transactions of the Lowen-
grub Investment Co., of which Irving
Lowengrub is president.
Lowengrub is one of two men who
had been living in the apartment with
the woman for the last month. He
was arrested at police headquarters
late last night, where he presented
himself after returning from a week
end trip to Newark, N. j. Where
abouts of the other man, also known
by the name Of Lowengrub, were not
disclosed, although 1t is believed he
had also gone to Newark.
Found Dead in Kitchen.
After the blast early yesterday which
destroyed the interior of the apart
ment, wrecked the dining room of an
adjoining apartment and broke dozens
Of window panes in nearby buildings,
Mrs. Epstein was found stretched
dead on the kitchen floor, clad only in
a nightgown. Her body was only
slightly bruised and singed by the ex-
plosion.
The gas which filled the room is
believed to have been ignited by a.
spark from the electric refrigerator
after the woman was dead. All four
burners on the stove had been left
wide open. Coroner A. Magruder Nc
Donald issued a certificate Of suicide
today.
So terrific vas the blast that w. J.
Evans, colored janitor who lives IN
the adjoining apartment. and mem-
bers of his family were thrown from
their beds. Debris from the apart
ment was hurled more than so feet
and glass from broken windows lit.
tered the street.
The apartment and its furnishings
burst into flames, but the blaze was
quickly extinguished by firemen who
responded to an alarm turned In BY
a newsboy walking near the apart-
ment. Damage was estimated at
81, 900.
Despondent Over Job.
Although police refused to make
the suicide note public. it was indi-
Gated the young woman was despond-
ent because of failure to obtain a job
for which she is believed to have como
to Washington from her parents homo
in Passaic, N. j., about month ago,
The deaf woman's brother. Benz
jamin Aranow, came to washington
fr Passaic by plane last night,
identified the bod1 and today was ar
ranging to have it sent to the homo
of his parents. He was questioned by
officers of the homicide squad, who ara
investigating the case.
Although a telegram received from
Newark police last night stated that
the woman's husband died three years
ago and the woman had told neigh
bors here that he was killed in an
explosion. police learned today that
after divorcing his first wife. Leona,
Epstein had remarked and now lives
IN New York.