The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-11-10
TWO HUNDRED POUNDS
REWARD.


been issued for the apprehension of Johr.
Williams, charged with having murdered
! Thomas Johnston, notice is hereby Civ
en- that reward of f200 will be paid to
any person who shall give such informa-
ton as shall lead to the apprehension
and conviction of the said John VIII
liams. Description of Williams: Height
five feet eight inches; figure, thin; hair,
dark; large eyes; probably clean shaTen.
] When last seen had marks of scratches
on the throat and wound on the side of
the head, above the forehead.
The above notice, circulated extensive
ly about the country, led everybody who
wanted G200 to keep an attentive lookout
upon all persons whom they met having
dark hair, clean -shaven faces, and stand
ing five feet, eight inches high. For
men answering in any way to the fore
going description the times became try
ing, and many, from a consciousness
that they resembled the suspected MUIR
derer, walked about with troubled coun-
tenances. 1t did not occur to the ma
jority of the public to reflect that the
true John Williams was probably con-
cealed in some obscure lodging, and was
not visible to any but his landlady. It
was stated that John Williams had not
much money, but if be had once altered
his appearance, he could have tramped
safely and easily about the country, Sleep
ing and being fed in the union Of a new
parish every night. These things were
not remembered; the anxiety to earn G200
led to the arrest of good many people,
and among these victims was a thin, dark
haired gentleman, who had scratch on
his throat, a bump on his head, and
whose linen was marked 81. W"
The unfortunate man had, from the
day when the murder was made public in
the papers, eviHced q strange uneasiness
and no wonder, for his name was John
Williams, and he was absent from home
when the murder was committed. He
received information of the occurrence
at Manchester, and half an hour after
ward he might have been seen on his
knees in his bedroom, tearing up num-
ber Of papers, which he drew from his
box and a;terward burned. Having
done this, he rang for porter to carry
down his things, paid his bill and left
the hotel, saying he was going to Liver
pool. On arriving at the railway station
he pasted on his luggage some labels,
with the name arthur White"
Now, up to this time, the hue and cry
after John Williams had not become gen
eral; but in the course of the afternoon,
as the murder was talked of, the man.
ager of the hotel at Manchester recolIect-
ed that the name Of the young and dark
haired person who had gone away in the
morning was Williams. The police
were at once communicated with, and in
the course of a few, hours, enough evil
dence was elected to show that the
fugitive must be, beycnd any doubt,
the man wanted.
A waiter testified having SEN lump on
his brow; porter had heen sent out to
a chemists to buy lotion for some ex-
coriations Oh his throat; everybody agreed
that the man was thin and clean -shaven.
A detective was accordingly dispatched
to Liverpool. Meantime, another de-
tective, who remained behind, ascertain
ed that Williams had not gone to Liver
pool, but to Edinburgh. A porter had
seen him enter the Scottish express, but
had not noticed the name on his lug
gage.
These particulars were telegraphed
about the country and published in all
the papers, so that Williams, alias White
who had alighted from the express at
Carlisle, ascertained that he was hunted
and became frantic with terror He was
not the murderer; he had committed no
crime of any sort, and yet he had very
special reasons for wishing not to have
his private affairs investigated. What
should he do? He was half inclined to go
to the police station, explain that he vas
being chased under q misapprehension,
confess his position and trust to the good
sense of the police to let him go free.
Unfortunately he delayed too long in
executing this purpose. The Edinburgh
police, having been directed by telegraph
to arrest the Williams travelling from
Manchester, had arrested somebody else
sooner than apprehend nobody; but on
discovering their mistake they wired
down the line to inquire whether any
passenger with ticket to Edinburgh had
alighted at station on the way2 Ans |
wer was returned that an Edinburgh tick
ct had been given up at Carlisle, and the
superintendent at the latter city was i'm
mediately ordered to make search in |
the hotels. But he had already been
forestalled by one OF the telegraph clerks.
This man had been the first to read the
message from Edinburgh, had seen his
way to earn the e2O0, and had hastily
PatCuGIl II uGte 10 LIS Il
clerk, saying:
81 learn that John Williams is in Carl
Isle; go to the principal hotels; find out
If any young man, dark, thin, arrived
yesterday. If SO, ask to see him, and
collar him. Wen go snags for the blood
money. Burn this"
So it came to pass that when the sup
erintendent fastened to the hotel where
Williams vas staying, he found a large
and excited crowd blocking up the ap-
proaches. ''What's up2" he asked as he
elbowed his way to The door. "Why,
they've got the murderer, Williams, and
he's making fight of it in the hall, re-
Piled half dozen voices. ''Confound
1t. exclaimed tna spnarintandant not