Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-08-01 | Page 1 | Death of Jeweler Discloses "Girl Trap"

iliK j LIVED GAY LIFE POLICE DISCOVER Loftis Maintained One Bedroom Bed-room Fitted Up for His Women Guests HOUSEKEEPER TELLS OF FREQUENT DEBAUCHERY Authorities Still in Doubt as to What Caused Death of Amorous Jeweler CHICAGO, July 31. Police tonight 'were working on two theories in con-' con-' nection with the death of Samuel T. 'A Loftis.. wealthy diamond merchant found dead In his apartment last night With Kuth Woods, a hotel bookeoper. who first declared h- had "suddenly fallen dead after she had called for help wlu n he insulted her, ' but later admitted that his death came after a "frlendlv tussle with her'' BROKEN RIM BOTTLE ' One theory was that a cerebral hemorrhage, which coroner s physl-1 physl-1 lahs dpi 1 ired i aused Mr Loftis' death was the result of a fall possibly accidental acci-dental The other was tha Ltifita had Ihcan hiK-jT- the hid with ?; bVBltn whiskey bottle found near his pajnma-clad pajnma-clad figure. In efforts to check up tho statements state-ments made bv Miss Woods and her 'fiancee, Roy Shayne, who told the po-I po-I lice he rushed to the partment following fol-lowing a telephone message from Miss Wood that she was being Insulted, police po-lice had Mis Woods reenact the taxi-cab taxi-cab ride she said she took after leaving leav-ing Bhayne with the dead body ANOTHER ATTACK Miss Woods ald il taxi was called by Shayne and that after she had ridden rid-den a short time, the chauffeur's brother got into the car and attempted attempt-ed to attack her. The chauffeur says he drove lor to many cafes, at each Of which she took a drink and finally took her home. He denies his brother fr-Cr vene In 111.. ir Police declare that when Miss Woods reached her home she had a watch and Jewelry belonging to Loftis which she gave to her mother with the remark: Keep them, mother, for a while. Loftis Is dead." Police expi esed the opinion that Shayne had told everything he knew of the case" and declared he would bo released KEPT GIRL TRAP Stories told police by Miss Hulda Johnson housekeeper for I-oftls. InJi-cated InJi-cated that the party which resulted In ;his death was onl one of many In his apartment Broken Whiskey and beer bottles and other signs of hilarity and debauchery frequently fro found by her, she saaid She termed the apartment a "girl trap" and declared Loftis had entertained enter-tained flftv girls there since January 1 ine bedroom was fitted up as a bOudolr for women, she said, equipped with all feminine requisites. Police were bending every effort toward to-ward clearing up details of the- taxi-cab taxi-cab ride taken bj Miss Woods. They w.re not satisfied with ihe present versions t VT SH KE STORIES Attempts to shake tho conflicting stories of Miss Woods and Herman 'Wexler, th taxi drlvr. Tailed. I Despite announcements today that Shayne would he released on his own I recognizance he still was held late to-I to-I night being questioned further concerning con-cerning his statement that ' l oftis fell dead, apparently tripping" as he entered en-tered the apartment in response to Miss Wood's telephone call. Police say the were satisfied that Miss Woods was alone with Loftis at his death and that the body was cold, apparently dead for some time, when the doctor was summoned by Shayne. They also say they are puzzled ovi r the fact that only $1."0 was found in LoftlS' clothes, declaring he was I known to always have about ?1,ouy with him.