Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-29
IADION-NuRDER MATTERS,
The Mayors Rdoindcr TO MT,
Meredith's Statement as to
wren's Bill
HOW THE CASE WAS WORKED UP
New Light as 10 the Way the Con-
niciing Evidence was Secured.
The following has been prepared TO
be submitted TO the Council in pamphlet

be submitted TO the Councii IN Pa'"pn'o
form: -.
RscpsoSp, VA, November "a, l7eo.
gons Honorable Ncn'tcrs Of The CITY CoD"
eli.
gentiemen,--As ". Meredith, ESD, IN
advocate of Wren' claim, has been pleased
fosend Won a re,ay TO my veto message OF
thai subject In which he seeks 10 quesiloi
the correctness OF my faetsand conclusions
A is proper for and incumbent ON me 70 re ~
spoufi to hts document. Especially 90 re-
cslled on 10 90 this nom the fact that you
have no CI7Y ATTORNEY 20 advise son e, ~, :.
fAss mafisr. for as the city Attorney - 'i ~
advocate OF this clatm o1etnt w ."a ~
cannot defend The SIDE s , o. same sae e ease "
toaddres< Won again. as ~ gives me MI op-
p0rtun,iy 10 present YOU epothei anu no"
80, s,oy.yffaf reason why me dbaVut'
si.,s,,sd nv WTen and advocated by Mr.
Heredlth thouid not be paid stare 10 you
= facf am prepared to prove-tnat Mr.
W,1n creTcd 10 work up this case lor ns
"expeDscs only; ue,S W." zen o onv cheek
fpat knows how 10 blush JUSTIFY demsnu-
tns Of ibis city 81 .760 (Wrens Original DID
w6en by his own y0thnfdr0 olIeI, ne ply,
posed 10 do the work "ior expei'ss ,s ou R,oh.
uond DiSpdtch, which In it's daily issue OF
March ~ 1855, has these words: " n goa
watch. key has been found near the le no.
around the Old reservoir, ana DOM tlle
shawl aud The key have been sen5 o 70 y Msvor
Darlington Yesterday and onefeo 10 unueI-
take me ease forexpenses only. me Mhyor,
boveN err did not think he haa autho'itS y"
.nyare The Detectives services. 1900.
Wfo IA responsible for Uc trWh OF TINS.
do Soua ask, OF course the IiSpofch lk.
~ Twas not true, why has not Wren or
some one else denied IL? silence gives
l..rln a NJ ffIHTTsfffU
consent 10 It's tfoIh ls, w ror eod 10 proof
maj ncn had on more hdh one Occ"Ston
stated this as his oner 49,. 10,
M he wants The proof LEI him deny the
assertion, and pohVPS Ns A"O"S tH' N''
r0feh can furnish IL. ,,, -,
The article quoted from the Dispatch nad
tassed nom my recollection when sent III
nov veto message. Although Mr.. MeIoulth
has said so mucn ana sD0gh 80 O,,en 70
nroye nav position incorrect, yet call your
attention. To lie remarkable fact, that with
allhis zeal and snfeH dncSS, ne IN aDe 10
dispute but little OF the mWeLum POlhts
made and confines MS disputatlon ahu
change OF inaccuracies chiefly 10 issues out.
sac Of the T,Iain reasons why Wren should
not be paid. 1900, ,,,t,,, ,,,.,
(,IfI amount Of Wrens claim shouiu nol DC
xDatd that the rates he charged as per diem IN
ms case were nearly double his own rates
on other occasions, and bore the same
UNEQUAL ratio To detective serNlcesaI many
other points. ,,
roIs and vet does not deny this charge.
HIS failure 10 deny Is equal 10 acQulescence
in ,fs truth ard 80 we have the remarkable
picture of the city Attorney Gdn'afi"g lhe
charges of q claim 10 Dc nedrtD u0uOtt what
is usual and yet advocating It's payment.
m Mr.. Meredith does not like the picture,
let him censure the artists tact and his own
silence.
1 then sought 10 show that Mr.. Wren had
~ fny
TO cony let Cluyerins, and therefore deserved
but little compensation on ne score 81 ms
ON rage nine of my message say: I" de-
clare 20 you that not one item OF material
land hardly one OF imInateriaD evidence
was furnished by MIR. Wren or at MS eN-
rense or by his assistance, or through his
operators, nhich tcds not kpOUn beforehand
10 some one UOrkisg UD The case, or thtch
could not hare been furnished ana mdde
l,,earn tpifhGuf Uren's aid or assistance"
beg you 10 notice the words In Italics, as
n context 10 the opening declaration, ana
see n Mr.. Meredith has been able TO place a
s,uois item outside OF that limit.
then undertook TO state on me same Puye
"tbe facts connecting CluVerius with the
murder. land TO state who ascertaineo tile
facts Mr.. Meredith does not dispute tnat
these ere the facts-does not claim that
there are any other faets-anu So Dy silehee,
admits that these are all the facts; for
surely 40 faithful and competent an adVo-
caie would not have failed 10 state any
other facts that could benefit Wien.
And would you believe IL. that. with al
ms ability and effort, he only disputes me
,ootner In which charge Mr.. Wren got the
s.torn note" and the information about
Joel and the waich-key: the fact that the
watch-key was within the reacn OF follce-
man Tyler and would have been gotten
from the Williams boy but for Tyler's being
asleep, and that Wren discovered one oil the
witnesses as 10 the Belle Isle evidence-Mr.
". 4. Martin?
was distinctly understood ~ me as made oy
Judge Richardson, and as distinctly un.
berstood he same pdg by Captain G. H..
Fpps and Sergeants A. M. TomlinsOn ana
4. =. Hulce, who were present when the
statement was made. AS Will he seen oy
Gerry OF the words OF their own certincate'
rs follows:
RICHMOND, VA, November "a, 1883.
I'VE were ~ esent at the conference re-
ferred TO by the Mayor In his veto message
of Wfen's claim, and we state that me
Nay or asked each one of those present the
two questions: Whether a detective was
necessary in the case? And whether we be-
iieyed a single item or evidence iurhlsne1
would not have been ascertalned by the
police without any aid nom John Wren
And each one answered in the negative,
and, as to those points, therefore concur
with the statements OF the MAYOR In MS
veto. .-.. -, ,,,e
N'AN
Mayor in his veto message as to the torn
NOTE at the American Hotel ana now MT
Wren got IL. rs also about the way IN when
MIR. Wren found out about Joel and the
wetoh.ke and We would state that We
distinctly understood Judge ID. q. Richard
son 10 give the information to the Mayor
'"'' 10 ''"'> CHARLES ii. EPpS,
"a NJ, TOMLlNSON,
&c. L. HULCE.n
"Iwas not present when Judge Richard
son made the statements referred TO above
nor DO remember the Mayors asking M
whether q detective was needed IN lhe case
nut / answered his second question as STATED
by The other officers; and II had been ask
I'd the first question would have answered
"a the others tid, JOHN POE, JR."
In fact Judge Richardson himself make
hut little variance IN his written statemen
now in my hands, which regret Is too lou
10 he printed in full with this. He says h'
went TO the hotel the Tuesday AFTER the r.ur
der In company with oncer Lainkln IN,
noticed Mr. Wren near the door leadini
down stairs: that after going To the read
ing. room and talking 10 the chambermai'
and hall boy (Hunter Hunt. ana oelhB IN
formed that the note wastorn up anu III IN
waste. basket. he sent hunt for the scraps
this boy went out and remaining l0nge
than Was necessary. they followed MN
that on his way down stairs Mr. Wren hui
riedly passed him, going APP into the hote
when MIR. lamkln said JACK wren ha
that note"
And he SAYS also: 1.-The statement mad
10 me by Hunt when asked why he did nc
hring me the basket was that he was look
ing under the counter for the basket whe
Mr. podson ssked him what he was iookin
for: he replied that i had sent hun Tor 10
basket 10 look for that note that Mr.. DOC
son took the papers out OF the basket an
laid them ON the counter that Mr. VIE
gathered them In his hands and went GU
rereat the statement made by Hunt
me. knowing nothing OF lite correctness
defell."
"A 10 the Joel and watch.key matter.
distinctly understood Judge Richardson
ma King the statement gave you, and u
same MAS rs distinctly understood by Ca
tain kpls aud kergeanis Tonnnson al
Hulce, rs will 10 seen by their certitca
hereinbefofe given.
/ accept Judge Richardson's stateme
NOW made As what he Intended 10 conv'
TO Us. for regard him the soul OF hon
in seems l misunderstood the way
which Wren got the facis-not In the Ia
a. 10 his recei>iD the letter referred |
nor % 10 his going To Joel's.
Hut n erred In my statement OF VIII
he really said, surely h Will be seen fro
the statement OF the officers referred
that Was innocently and unintenti onal
mists ken. for they all NqdsTstood him {
aetts a. I understood him. and each " the
has the same high opinion OF him as m
self.
Their certificate Is not given or design.
todiseredit him, but only TO show that
had grounds on which 10 base my asse
tors from the common understanding
oil pTekent ~ TO what he told me. As
the watch.key being within Policeman I,