The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-01
TIE C0L0RED BOYS STORY.
now HE rs TRELTED UHILE IN THE
HOUSE or DETENTION
His Remark able Affection for ~ Montreal
WnIstcoat that Cost One DolInr-,Jus,Ics
Otterbourg's Motives Further Explained.


hstried to get his $50 note changed lust wednes-
dav evening in the Metropolitan Hotel. At first
he concluded he wouldn't write to her, because
he thought he might get through with his trou-
BILE and go home before she had heard about It.
Now. however. he knows that he cannot Leave
the House OF Detention until Friday. at lenst.
because Justice Otterbourg will not render
his decision until that day. and II he is
released he does not sec how he can travel to
Wilmington now that his $50 is gone. unless tho
$50 bill claimed by Mr.. Mcrritts counsel to DO
his. and which he thinks Is not the one he dis
putes with Mr.. Merritt be awarded him by the
Court. Unless one $50 bill or another be given
him no will look about for another place.
As the House Of Detention Is not crowded.
he is allowed room to himself to
sleep in. Its door Is constructed OF iron bars.
the floor Is bare. the walls are bare but white
and clean. and the window affords a view down
into the well" or courtyard in the centre Of
the building. 1t contains Ave narrow iron bed
sirads. furnished with mattresses and clean
sheets and bedclothing. In this room he
only passes his nights. when he is
locked in. During the day he occu-
pies any Of the several sitting rooms
in company with the other detained witnesses.
with whom he apprars to b. on pleasant terms.
He wenrs the trousers he bought at Devlin's
serve IT, The trousers are Of servlceube black
stun. He did not buy waistcOnt when he
bought the trousers ana coat becausr, M no
told the salesman. he hnd better one
than he could buy. This waistcoat ho
bought in Montreal for dollar. He has since
had several new backs put into II, and each time
has paid n tailor from twelve shillings to two
dollars for the work, The officers. OF the Sup
ply, when he had the waistroat backed the
last time, laughed at him for paying two dol
lars for the restoration OF an old garment. They
had not then secn the waistcoat. When they
IntIa NltsaN
were much pleased with II that. To mako up
for having laughed nj him, they contributed the
bright. black cloth. which in the gaslight does
not show marks Of ts three or four years wear.
Tho material partly resembles cloth and partly
Williams had been accustomed 10 say that he
WAS 2l years old. but when ne went On board
the Supply the officers questioned him about
his past life. and, after taking u good look Mt
him. concluded that he WAS 81 Tint makes
him 2s now. He was born on the cotton, aud to;
Duplin County. n c.. sixty miles from VIII
nington. His mother tended the sikworms.
was taken into the house. and thus escaped
being field hand. AT the close OF tine war his
father, also named Lemuel. went TO Whining
AfterwArd Colvile 4 Taylor loaned him some
money with which he bought truck and
horses. Hs soon repaid the loan. and in the
course Of time became the owner OF two houses
In the mean time Mr.. Colvins., had taken
young Lemuel into his family. Mrs. Colyille
write. aud cipher He can cipher in addition.
subtraction, multiplication. aud division. AT
said IL he'd behave himself he'd let him go. A
place was opened for him as waiter IN the
5smiiy Of Mr.; wiaehesisTi gold broker;
shipped on the Fanita. with Capt.
RRolnpy as steward. She piled between
service IA steward on her. he spent a year on
the steamer Iirginius. which ran between Phil
Sdae9la msa arin Hhd IN Gs"E,es,Sn Mkt he says he
from New York to the upper lakes, by the 81.
employed for six months in q lake steamer of
the Anchor Line as pantryman. His business
was TO stand IN the pantry and see that every
WIS brought back Alter this he was a
waiter in the Ocean dining hall in Erie, Pa.
trip 70 PUTIN Bay Island to wait on party Of
four grnllem.n. When the trip was over he
came 10 New York, whore he learned that the
supply was being lifted out 70 carry goods 90
the Paris Exposition. H. thought he would
Ike tO see tnnt exhibition. and 81 applied for
position on that vessel AMI WIS acceptrd
In his conversation with reporter Of THE
SUN on uesday, Justice OtterbOurg, after
speaking OF his rgligi ious belief and his feeling
that he was surprised that any insinuation
should he m9ie 10 regard to an attack ON the
Metropolitan Hotel or its management e-peci-
ally after he had taken pains to explain TO the
defence how the complaint against Mr.. Merritt
came to h- made out.
How did il come to be made out"
When Williams first appeared before me II
was on a charge OF disorderly conduct. gues-
toned him closely and the result was that dis
charged him on that complaint Pryat" De-
telfive Keey. OF the Metropolitan, aud ON gr'r
Hill. who mnde tho arrest after Williams WIS
lut out OF the hotel. were in court. and told
Williams and the two officers 10 wait until WIS
through with my other casrs. did not know
anything about who Mr.. Merritt wis. and had
gwen no particular Thought to tho TACT that the
AFFAIR occurred in the Metropolitan Hotel. When
was ut liberty called Williams 10 me and
said, Come. tell me all about this thing, Tell
mo Just what occurred, l WAS iavorably inn
pressed wih the hoy. He was evidently not
loafer: ne was neatly dressed aud he told his
story in a straightforward manly way He
went all over tho nnnir. tod me where
hr got his money; where he spent IT.,
Hin TO take Williams and 30 with him
toull the places mentioned, and try and iind cut
tectiye Keely 10 nsk MIR. Merritt to come To the
police court In the aftrrnOon-thW | wanted To
Tux with him about the case. should say that
had before this asked keely whore he stood
when Williams went to tho cnsher's desk to get
the hin changed. and he sald about fifteen or
Twenty teet from the desk. In the afternoon
Oiflcor II II came back with the boy. They had
been TO Devil Inns. to the Prescott House. To the
hgtur's. TO the shlrtmakrrs, and oNnrywhsre
Williams's story was corroborAted. Then Mr..
Merritt came down with two nogroes employed
at the hotel ! took him aside, privately, and
told him that | was going TO ask him some
questions but as there was no complaint
against him, AS the matter was purely informal.
he need not answer me if he dcslred not 70 do
80. ! then asked him where Detective keely
stood when the boy came 10 his desk to get the
bill changed. Hs said that he stood right by the
desk did hot ask him any more questions.
but ordered Williams to make out a complaint.
Whatever merit or whatever Odium attaches
to this prosecution Of Mr.. Merritt am rrspon-
sible tOr for | alone am responsible for the
complaint being made out 1t looked to me as
II Williams was telling the truth, and without
knowing anything about Mr.. Merritt. his social
position, or anything OF the kind, determined
that II WAS my duty To see that tho matter was
thoroughly investigated.
A rumor has been circulated that Mr.. Clifton
4. Il. Merritt. the cashier Of the Metropolitan
Hotel when occupying a similar position in the
Continental Hotel. was detected IN n transaction
not unlike that with which Williams charges
him. except that IT was said that at the Conti-
mental Hotel the sufferer WAS prominent
Washington official. who made com
plant against Mr.. Merritt. and that
the money was refunded, and Mr.. Mer-
rltt asked to resign. Said Mr., Merrned
Yesterday. There IL not the slightest fOunda-
ton for any such malicious rumor. Mr.. Merritt
was here MS cashier. and he gave mo entire sat
isfaction. | never henrd Of u single complaint
against him. and know that he was an honest
capable young man. He WIS scrupulously ex-
act about his cush account. and If his cash
was out OF the way even to u single cent
he seemed to worry over il. until he discOYered
where the error WAS. thought that he WAS too
particular, II such n thing Is possible. Yes, |
asked him to resign, but il was simply because
| WAS making II reduction in my force. and |
knew Of no man in my employ who. in my
opinion. could SO readily procure n situation as