Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-25
Z Mrrnnn0ua ArrAcK.


son of William j. Barwiok, merchant of
Chesapeake City, started out cunning this
afternoon and stopped about 8 O'Clock at
an old dilapidated barge which lies part
out and part In the waters of Back creek,
a short distance out of Chesapeake City.
The cabin Of the old hulk, is inhabited
by William Green alias "Billy the JOKER
who Ia also known as CDR. Green owing
to his reputation as an herb doctor. Bar
wick on entering the cabin was astonisbed
to see Green lying PROSTATE on the floor
insensible, his head and some of his
clothing covered with blood. A stone
mason's hammer, the head and handle of
which were bespattered with blood, lay on
the floor.
II was found that the assaulted man
had four wounds on his head, evidently
made by the hammer, three of these were
on the forehead, and one on the top of
the head. All of them were serious but
the latter was the most dangerous as it is
thought his skull is fractured. There
were two cuts on his throat evidently
made by knife, neither one was very
deep, and one only an abrasion of the
akin.
When your correspondent entered the
cabin through the door which Is not four
feet in hight he found himself In room
about 10 feet long by 10 feet wide, and
about i've feet high. There were about
a-half dozen In the place the air being
close and sitting. Green had by this
| time recovered consciousness, but APP
peared dazed. No physician was in
attendance although II is said several had
been there previously. Three or four
persons, one of when appeared to be
somewhat under the influence OF the
ardent, acted as nurses, and each wanted
to have things his own way, and no two
ways were alike.
Green had the reputation of having
some money, Notwithstanding his squalid
way of living, and this no doubt was the
object of the murderous assault. He told
your correspondent that he had $500
The place was searched and the money
not found. Two shot bags which were
evidently where the money was kept,
were discovered. One was empty, and
the other contained penknife and
nickel. There is no clue to the assailant.
Green intimated that he had an idea
who he was, but muttered that he did not
want to involve any one without being
certain, and said he would tell what he
knew later. The physicians think he
cannot recover. Green was imprisoned q
few months in the county Jail for violat-
| ing the local option law about year ago.
ELKToN, March 2l.-W William Green
alias BILLY the Joker,"a full account of
whose being found in terrible condition
from wounds inflicted in the cabin of an
old barge on Back creek on the suburbs
of Chesapeake City on Thursday after
noon, was published in the EVERY EVEN
ING of Friday, died this morning about
| o'clock. He was known to be in a criti-
cal condition, but was reported better
\ yesterday. He was removed from the
barge on Friday to the residence OF
George Whiteoak where he died.
Coroner Litzenberg together with
States Attorney Bratton, went to Chesa.
peake City, where it was found that Mag
istrate Cbristfeld had had jury sum,
moned. The coroner swore the follow.
ing: Thomas B. Hopper, foreman, JohI
Blaine, Henry j. Pencil, John M. Reed
Tobias Rudolph, j. Frank Peach, IrviI
G. Griffith, John Oourey, Joseph II
Brooks, Samuel r. Woods, Jas. Lindsle,
and G. S. Woolley.
The jury viewed the remains which 10,
} in the dining room. The large stone
mason's hammer with which the deed wa
committed, and which was spotted witt
blood was exhibited. Henry Bumgar
identified the hammer as his, and sal
it was lost from wagon which hai
? hole in the bottom in which he an
. two fellow-workmen returned from wor
ON Tuesday night. He saw man whom
Q had an idea might have picked up til
. hammer but did not identify him. Il
s was corroborated by Joseph Foulks an
y Richard j. Fillinger who worked wit
|, him and were in the wagon when the lol
e was discovered. William e. Barwick,
d young fellow, testified to finding the bod
1t about o'clock ON Thursday Afternoon
Is William W. Montgomery, an old maj
Al testified to searching Green's clothes al
" finding nothing but few trivial article
Captain William Lee, who was one of ii
n, first in the cabin did not think there was al
10 evidence of q struggle. Philip Laymi
N saw cards scattered around the room al
/ glasses and bottle on the table. He so
az Green on Wednesday about o'cloc
ii Mrs. Ella johnson testified to speaking
n Green on Wednesday morning. The
10 and other witnesses completely explod,
=. the theory previously held that the erin
"a was committed on Tuesday night al
"A tended to show that it was not commit,
by the boatmen suspected.
Mrs. Alice Duffy, who lives in the hou
" nearest to the barge, testified that
~ Wednesday evening about O'Clock 81
e \, saw three men going in the direction
~ the barge. They were strangers. Bill
u she did not think was home at the tim
y Joseph Broadway testified that Gre
= had exhibited large roll of bank note
u Other witnesses testified to the sa ne effet
u Henry Boots testified that Green so
that che had wrastled Them" that tn
~ had called him out and as he opened b
door had struck him. He said they we
three in number and he did not know wi
r. they were. The witness sat up with hi
70 Thursday night and said that towar
49, morning two strangers came in al
m looked at him and went out.
lg John Banks had talked considerab
be with Green, trying to find out who /
r. assailants were, but without succei
ed Green seemed confused and contradict
ng himself. 1t was not Billy's custom
to carry money. He said quite large mi
it, could crawl in Billy's cabin through
= window. Green seldom drank or play
cards.
cd j. P. Steele testified to Green being
he a suspicious natuSe and that he alwa
ed slept with his pistol beside him. OIL
*. witnesses supported this, and said he "
as. Away armed. Harry Hessey, who was
re the lookup, which is a considerable
yer lance from the barge, heard somethi
in like cry of distress on Wednesday mis-
an about o'clock. James w. johnson tel
he fed to seeing two gypsies on horsebs
om coming from towards the barge abb
- noon on Wednesday, II was at this no
mentioned that woman, said to be
,r,, wife of Green, is said to live with gypsi
A post-mortem examination of the
10 mains was made by DIR. Karsner, assis
nc by Drs. Joseph Wallace and How
he Bratton. DIR. Karsner testified that tn
III were nine wounds in all. The two on
inc back part of the top of the head were
!, ay most serious. The answers of Green
IN questions asked him re- not very So
tbe factory. They were mostly in one
81 two words. His condition of mind
hsr faulty. His skull was fractured, and dc
an was caused by compression of the brf
There was enough blood ON his brair
kill several men. He was satisfied I
ave the wounds were made with the hamm
les as the point of it fitted into the two n
esl, serious wounds. He thought he had b
ooo struck while down. Green had told !
the that he had $500. At first had said
put did not know who hurt him. He
IN there were three men; only one had l
sent him. On Friday he had said that Hf
i. Tue Riley, who is said to be a gypsy, was
tees man, and later, when asked to tell
9TH told that he would die, said he UNI
1--WE stood it and that Harry Riley did 1t.
erai Drs. Bratton and Wallace testified