The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-09-18

not the crime was committen. The man
said that $1,000 was offered tor the detec
ton Of the murderer" Vincent refers to
Honorable Henry Rawle, the Judges Of
the Supreme court and many other gentle
men Of Philadelphia, US vouchers for his
own reputation. The police folks are not
inclined to place much reliance in this
story on account Of the discrepancy in
time, the White affair having been
fourteen years ago instead of twenty, was
on q Saturday, not on Sunday, and the
scene on Fifth and Arch streets instead
of Ninth. 1t is, however, possible that
these are incidental to the lapse Of time
in effaclng circumstances from the mem
DRY. There is no intimation conveyed
BY the letter as to how the LAWYER
came IN possession of his information or
the name of the relator. The murder of
Needs created great excitement at the
time of its commission. He was colored
man, residing on Pearl street near Elov-
enth, and was engaged to be married the
subsequent week. The safe in which the
material was kept was upon platform
at the back portion Of the second-story
room, MIR. White also occupying the up
per floors. At night watchman was in
charge, who had to register his visits
on each floor every hour. Every morn
ing at six o'clock Needs went to him, got
the keys from the engineer, opened the
place, took the trays Of precious natal
out of the safe and deposited them under
the counter ready for the foreman The
men who planned the robbery had doubt
less reckoned upon the regularity Of the
portcr's habits to accomplish their de-
signs. When he assembled the stairs they
are supposed to have followed him noise
lessly, and, having removed their shoes,
crept upon him. He was then felled by
sudden blow with hammer or club
presumably the latter, as blood-staincd
hickory stick was picked up. lie was then
gagged and bound to prevent a noise and
carried, insensible as he was, to the back
part of the room. Then the thieves
opened the safe with his keys. They tore
open the ends of envelopes, probably in
the search for bonds. Finding nothing
in that line they took the gold, silver and
platinum, valued at $4,000. One of the
workmen raised window about this
time and the villains fled: leaving their
victim tightly bound. They locked the
front door after them to prevent pursuit.
When the door was forced alters ard
Needs was found dead, the testimony o
the coroner's physician being that he had
persisted from strangulation, the wounds
on the head and and face not being NOR
tai. The affair in this feature somewhat
resembles the Hull murder in New York
by Chastine Cox. The verdict of the
coroner's jury was in accordance with
these facts, the opinion being that the
robbers did not intend to take life. The
cle~s for the police were the club and
brand-new chisel wrapped in brown pa
per. Every hardware store on Market
street was visited, and fiually August
Franzell, 755 Market street, identified the
implement as one he had sold few DAYS
before by his figures upon the brown
wrapper. Old Joseph Taggart and
George Handy Smith, the detective, kept
sharp eyes on all the Offices and
smelters' shops for the stolen metals. but
Intellectually. Tne thieves were too sharp
to attempt to dispose Of such rare met
al as platinum, and probably threw it
away. The others were more negotiable.
Suspicion directed itself toward Hugh
Donnelly, well-knewn thief. 1t became
known that he and companion had
been around the neighborhood OF Fifth
and Arch streets. Donnelly's pal disap-
peared and went to Baltimore two days
after the robbery, and Donnelly shaved
of his own mustache for some reason.
The police suspected reason and arrest.
ed him. The hardware dealers at first
identified Donnelly, but at the inquest
was not positive. So Donnelly was dis
charged. But to this day some of e
| old detectives believe he was one Of the
men. The jury's verdict was that the
crime was done by unknown persons.
The Mayor offered $500 reward and DR..
White 81 1000 more for the criminals, but
no further clew has ever been found. A
further communication from the Eric
lawyer is awaited with interest