Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-10
THE CARLTON MYSTERY.
Detectives Claim to Have Discovered
the Murderer.
ROSfO0 Past


From the time of the murder Of Mrs.
Eta G. Carlton, at Watertown. under the
most brutal circumstances, on the 18th of
March, up to the present time the police
have been at work with all possible yigi-
lance to secure the person of the mur-
derer. The large reward that was offered
for the detection of the criminal spurred
the officers on to harder work, and every
clue that was known was worked out un-
til it was found to amount to nothing.
Several of these clues were exploded and
the public had begun to feel that the mur-
der would always remain as much a mVS-
terry as the well known Bell case. Among
the other detectives at work on the case
were Special Officers McCausland and
Weldon, who have been working in a very
quiet manner, and from recent deVeloD-
mcnts it seems possible that they have
traced out the perpetrator of the dastardly
deed and even now have him in custody.
When it became nOised abroad Thursday
evening that another cOlOred man had
been arrested for perpetrating the crime,
and also that one or more other persons
had also been arrested and held as wit
nesses, the public interest was again at
fever heat. 1t was known, however, that
Detective McCausland arrested negro
early in the evening and brought him to
station in a coupe. The police authOri-
ties were very reticent about the
matter, and refused point-blank to
give any information to enquirers, and
even when Police Officer Howard, of
WatertOwn came into Boston Thursday
evening, and visited station 4, he was also
denied any information bearing upon the
subject. From all that is now known con-
corning the transaction it appears the ar
rests were made on Thursday morning by
Special Officers McCausland and Weldon
and Capt. White of the fourth division.
The arrested parties are: Frazier Conliff,
mulattO, as principal, and Tony Smith
and John Clark, both colored, as witness
es. AS near as can be learned the fatcs
are as follows: The two men, Smith and
Clark, claim that Conliff told them soon
after the murder that he did the Job, and
that he received two hundred and fifty
dollars from Carlton for doing it. and that
he threw his bloody clothes into the
Charles river after completing the job.
Conliff, it is claimed, denies all knowl-
edge of the murder, but admits that
he threw his clothes into the Charles river
because they were lousy. He says that he
stopped at the Massachusetts House on
Endicott street on the night of the MUIR
der, and that he registered as Henry Clay.
The register of the Massachusetts House
shows that man stopped there on Sum
day night, March Is, the date of the mur-
der, and registered as Henry Clay, and
JlelT ueScElpIIOn Ol 0lll W1In Jno
man now under arrest at the Fourth sta
ton. He also returned to the same house
on the following night. Monday, March
10, but, having only twenty cents, the
clerk refused to furnish him with a IOdg-
ing. Capt. White and Special officers
McCausland and Weldon of the Fourth
division are now searching the city for
Carlton, who is nowhere to be found,
having eluded the officers, and it is
thought that before this he has made his
escape, although it is said that he was in
the city few days ago.
The officials claim to have q sure case.
but it is thought among a great many who
claim to be cOnYersant with cases of a
like nature that it is a job put up in hopes
of obtaining the reward and that it will
amount to nothing, and that the arrested
parties will be discharged for want of
evidence.
1t is said that mulatto known by the
name of Conn has been in the habit of fire.
quenting the saloon where Carlton was
employed previous to the murder, and it
is supposed that this is Conliff, 1t is also
stated that the two witnesses were also in
the habit of frequenting the saloon.