Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-12-28
THE MURDERER WEST.
What ~ Said Of Him in Smyrna and
Dover.

The Smyrna Times, In an editorial artl
Gle, headed % Is West Insane 3" says;
That is the question now before the
public, and the debate Is kept up with
more or less warmth as Interest Ia the
case lags or quickens. That such will be
the plesdings In the case is clearly fore.
shadowed-such would seem to be tine
premonitory verdict.
IL is thoroughly believed that he had a
definite plan In view, aud that he worked
nationally TO the contamination Of that
plan. That he secured a victim, not such
as he desired but such AS he could get,
aud then worked his plans to meet the
emergency, with as clear method as a
sane man could devise, For two days
after be had slain his victim, aud while he
was executing his plans upon the lileless
remains, he went in and out among the
people with all the GOODNESS of medical
student pursuing bis laAors at the dissett-
ing table. No one detected in him other
than the clear-hoadcd, good-humored gen.
tlemar that he bad always seemed. So far
from suspicion was he, that for hours
AFTER that midnight horror was revealed
by the contamination of his plans, the
citizens were lamonting bis uutimey end,
and the "explosiOn " that had caused Il.
His plot, with al the drawbacks he had to
encounter, was so well executed as to sue
coed for a time, and only cooler Judgment
detected his blunders, and pointed out the
failure
"All's well that ends well'' is a familiar
adage. Had he succeeded in his plans he
would evidently have been regarded as one
of the shrewdcst Williams in the land, and
would, doubtless, have figured as the hero
of some "blood and thunder" novel of
tho ffxsa11nr bivaraHft 1ffaraNnrn nuN ha
failed and the failure entities him u the
charge Of insanity.
He is insane, therefore, not because he
committed the crime, but because he failed
in his object.
The Dover correspondent Of the same
PAPER says; West has made so many
false statements since his confinement In
Jail, together with the stories he told down
the Peninsula a few days before his i'm
prisonment, that very little be says these
days is believed. He has told suclr aagrant
falsehoods from first to last, that even the
gentlemen he has, or is endeavoriug to Sc
cure, as his counsel will be loathe TO under
take his defence under the circumstances.
On his arrival in Salisbury he stopped
at Tracy's hotel, where he registered his
name as George Williams, and represented
TO the proprietor that he had come from
Delmar, to which point he had travelled on
the night train. lie desired private in
terview with the landlord, and on being
taken to private room, he said that he
desired to obtain board for four or five
weeks-eskiDg about terms, etc, and being
answered TO his apparent satisfaction, he
then told his host, In confidence, that he
was government detective, and was fer
retinC out counterititers on $1,000 bonds Of
the Union Pacific Rairoad-that the
Treasury Department had sent out twenty
eight detectives to hunt down The couu-
terfeiiers, - that the spurious business was
being carried on somewhere between Phil
adelphia and Cris6eld llo also inquired
how many boarders were IN the house
whether MIR. Holland was among them,
with whom he proiessed to he acquainted.
He said that Mr. Tracy might regard him
as Of very little consequence, but when he
knew who be really was, he would find
him different person from what bis ap-
pearance seemed TO INDICATE.
Vests singular conduct after this inter.
view, which took place Ia the morning,
led Mr.. Tray to seek an interview " th
him In the afternoon, when he asked HE
guest to furnish him some tangible tvi-
dence about his being a detective. West
then stated Ill II be had been on the train
which was smashed above Wilmington,
aud besides -ayny got his foot hurt had
lost his papers. lie then offered to pay
hrs board Ia advance, and would furnish
the desired evidence about his being de-
tsltive In few dty=. His conduct WAS
marked hy excessive tlu'i0n. avoiding
contact VIA auy person, and he remained
IN his room tine greater PORTION OF the
time. The blowing morning he paid hls
bid, expressing his intention to leave OH
The next train. Then said he Was going