Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-11-03
TWO HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD.

TWO HUNDRED POUNDS REWARD.
MURDER-Whereas warrant has
been issued for the apprehension of
John, Williams, charged with having
murdered Thomas Johnson, notice is
hereby given that reward of GOO
pounds will be paid to any person who
shall give such information as shall lead
to the apprehension and conviction of
the said John Williams. Description of
Williams; height, five feet, eight inches;
figure, thin; hair, dark; large eyes;
probably clean shaver. 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 extern
sively about the country, led everyone
who wanted t20O to keep an attentive
lookout upon all persons whom thew
met having dark hair, clean shaven
faces, and standing five feet eight inches
high. For men answering in any way
to the foregoing description the times
became trying, and many, from
consciousness that they re-
sembled the suspected murderer,
walked about with troubled countenar
ces. 1t did not occur to the majority
of the public to reflect that the true
John Williams was probably concealed
in some obscure lodging, and was not
visible to any but his landlady. 1t was
stated that John Williams had not much
money, but if he had once altered his
appearance, he could have tramped
safely and easily about the country,
sleeping and being fed in the
union Of new parish every night.
These things were not remembered;
the anxiety to earn goo led to the ar
rest of good many people, and among
these victims was a thin, dark haired
gentleman, who had a scratch on his
throat, bump on his bead, and whose
linen was marked 81 W"
The unfortunate man had, from the
day when the murder was made pub
lie in the papers, evinced strange
uneasiness; and no wonder, for
his name was John Williams,
and he was absent from home when
the murder was committed. He re-
ceived 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 a
number of papers which he drew from
his box and afterward 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 sta
ton, he pasted on his luggage some la
!, q t,,tl>
Now, up to this time, the hue and cry
after John Williams had not become
general; but in the cOnrse of the after
noon, as the murder began to be talked
of, the manager of the hotel at Man
chester recollected that the name of the
young and ark-hiared:person who had
gone away in the morning was Will
liams. The police were at once COM
municated with, and, in the course of a
few hours, enough evidence was elected
to show that the fugitive, must be,
beyond any doubt, the man wanted. A
waiter testified to having seen a lump
on the brow; porter had been sent
out to a chemists to buy lotion for
some excavations on his throat; every
body agreed that the man was thin and
clean-shaven. A detective was accord
ingly dispatched to Liverpool. Mean
time, another detective, who remained
behind, ascertained that Williams had
not gone to Liverpool, but to Edinburgh.
A porter had seen him enter the Scot
fish express, but had not noticed the
name on his luggage.
These particulars were telegraphed
about the country and published in all
the papers, so that Williams, alias
White, who had aGehted from the ex-
press at Carlisle, ascertained that he
was being 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 rea
sons Tor wishing not to to have his pri-
vate affairs investigated. What should
ne do? He was half inclined to go to
lShe police station, explain that he was
peing chased under misrepresentation,
confess his position and trust to the
200 Zoo sense OF the police to let him go
i Unfortunately he delayed too
i Ea;s IN executing this purpose. The
LuiIlotirgh police, having been directed
oy Telegraph to arrest the Williams
tfaVeilhg from Manchester. had arrest
ed somsbody else sooner than appre-
mend nobody; but on discov-
eefing Their mistake thew wired
down the line to inquire whether any
passenger with a ticket to Edinburgh
had alighted at a station on the way?
Answer was returned that an Edinburgh
ucket had been given up at Carlisle. and
the superintendent at the latter citv was
Immediately ordered to make A seq rch
N the hotels. But he had alresdw been
l9restalled by one of the telegraph
e.erSs; This man had been the first to
fead the message from Edinburgh, had
seen his way to earn the e2OO and had