Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-08-02
The w. S. Williams Case.

Mrs. Robinson on her trip.
The w. S. Williams Case.
1T is Reopened at the Request of his
COunsel-SeveraI Witnesses Testify as
to his Identity-An Adjournmen t of the
Hearing Until Next Saturday.
The case of William S. Williams, of Hart
ford, who is charged with indecent exposure
of his person on the cars of the New Haven.
Fair Haven and Westville Horse Railroad
company, came up again in the City Court
yesterday morning. On the motion of his
counsel, Joseph W. Barbour, of Hartford,
that the case be reopened and the case be re-
stored to the docket, Prosecuting Attorney
Pickett said to the court that he did not OBJ
ject to such course Detective Brewer was
then given four new warrants to serve on
Williams, there being two for alleged offences
on the 18th and two on the 18th of July.
Williams who appears to be about fifty five
years of age, sat beside his counsel and did
not appear to be person who would commit
such crime.
After the regular court business had been
disposed of the case proceeded. The first
witness called was Detective James P. Brew
er, who arrested Williams. He said that he
recognized the prisoner Williams as the
person he arrested for exposing his person
on the horse cars. On Thursday. July ID, at
$3.50 o'clock he went with President Ives and
Superintendent Graham, of the Fair Haven
and Westville horse railroad, down to the
corner of State and Chapel streets and
Williams, who was then under suspicion near
Foote'S fish market with bundle. Three
cars came to the junction. Williams acted
curiously and nervously and made
cars and then on another. He re-
peated his maneuvers when the next three
cars met at the junction. He went into
''Bob's" saloon on State street once or twice
and left a bundle he carried there. Finally he
made a bee line for coming up Chapel
street containing six women and one man.
The officer jumped on the front platform
and looked at him through the window. His
| hands were between his legs, and suddenly
| two or three ladies who sat in front of him
| Jumped up and left the in haste. Will
| liams was very nervous, looking about at
| everybody. At the corner of Church and
| Chapel streets he got off and went mp Chapel
| street. Brewer jumped off too, but when he
| came to look around Williams had disap
peared. Shortly after the officer noticed
| Williams in a car coming down Chapel street.
He jumped on the front platform and saw
| two ladies alone in the car Williams had a
| copy of the New York Tribune in his hand
1.-THE paper was shown He sat opposite the
| ladies' spread the paper out in his lap, pre-
| tended to read and afterward exposed his
person. The ladies moved up to one corner
| and Williams moved along too. The detective
| stepped up to him and said: ''What are you
doing, you dirty rascal? You ought to DO
| ashamed of YOURSELF The witness said he
was in hopes the man would have resisted
| him. but be did not. He then placed Williams
| under arrest. Aft sr he gave bonds the officer
| gave him the bundle which he had left in
| ''Bob's'' saloon. Williams then remarked ::
''If had kept out of that saloon would
| have saved myself from this scrape"
l w AK ar onoi6-
| cradle length by Attorney Barbour. He
| asked Brewer if he a uniform. Tho
officer replied that he never wore a uniform.
Here is my badge, right here" drawing an
| officers badge from his vest pocket. Detec-
tive Brewer further said that Williams ex-
| planned that it was an accident, or something
| of that kind. The witness was present when
one of the ladies came to the police office and
identified him. She was positive Williams
was the man, although he had on another
| suit of clothes.
H. B Ives, president of the Fair Haven
| and Westville Horse Railroad Co., testified
| that he recognized Williams. He first saw
| him at the pump, on the afternoon of the ar
streets. The witness was watching for man
| of his description. When Mr.. Ives got to
| the Office that morning he found man wait
| ing for him who said that man was seen on
one of the company's cars at 7:3O o'clock
| on the evening before who was exposing his
| of the car, who gave something of a descrip-
| ton of the man. Superintendent Graham
was notified. At that afternoon Mr.. Ives
again saw the gentleman who had first COM
planned. The witness had, in the meantime
seen another conductor who gave deserip-
| ton of this man Williams. At the corner of
| Church and Chapel streets, at 1:45 o'clock,
Williams was seen by the witness. Subse-
quently. from his Office window, Mr. Ives
noticed Williams enter saloon just north of
Foote'S fish market. He came out of the sa-
loon and jumped on car which went up
Chapel street. Getting off at Church street
he boarded another car and rode to State
street. The witness then told Mr.. Graham
that beyond all question the right man had
been found. The witness then sent word to
the police Office to have Williams watched
further and arrested if necessary. The wit
ness saw him on four different cars that af-
ternoon. He saw him enter Redfeld's saloon
once and the State street saloon three or four
| times. In each of the cars he boarded were
more or less ladies'
Cross. examination Mr.. Ives said Will
iams was under his observation for an hour
and half. He was on the car when Will
| Hams arrested and had ridden with him
before.
William A. Booth, a conductor, testified
| that July % Williams got on his car near tho
steamboat landing at 1903 p m John Austin got
on the Car at the same time. Near Hamilton
street lady dressed in blue entered the car
At Brewery switch Superintendent Graham
came down and the witness told him that he
had on board the man who had exposed his
person. Williams pulled paper from his
pocket and shook himself. At State street
he went through the performance.
Booth had seen him two or three times be-
fore during the year. He saw him three
months before he was arrested He then got
on near Hudson street and wore SLOUGH hat.
About six months ago Williams ran up to
Booths car and looked in and then went on.
The witness noticed that he was a very pc
culiaI man.
Conductor Albert +. Miller saw the prison.
or after o'clock July 10 at the corner of
Broadway and York street. He entered the
witness car and sat directly in front of two
young ladies' He then went to the back of
the car, drew his hat over his eyes, and at
tempted to expose his person, He went
through that operation four times. He would
look down, draw his legs apart and then
open them again. When he was showing his
person no one but those opposite could see
him. Besides these ladies there were proba-
bly, six or eight more men and women on the |
car. |