Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
PERKINS WORKERS.
Outside Private Detectives Engaged
on the Tarentum Murder.
AN INFORMATION AGAINST kILLEN
A Chain of Circumstantial Evidence Being
Wound About Him.
NO ARRESTS WERE MADE YESTERDAY


dered on Monday night last. An informa-
tion will be made to-day by the police
officials of the borough charging Alexander
Killan, the man who is now in jail, with
murder The officials are positive that
Killan is connected with the murder, and
they think it is only a question of time
until the clrcumstantial evidence which sur
rounds him is corroborated.
Outside detective aid has been called
upon to ferret out the murderers In
addition to the Gilkinson Detective Agency,
which has men now at work upon the case,
some of Perkins men are also hunting up
i evidence against Killan. Detective Ru-
dolph, who worked up the Fort Wayne
Railway train wreckers' case at Canton, o.,
last May, arrived in the town yesterday
afternoon, and went to work. Rudolph is
an experienced man, and was formerly a
resident of Tarentum. He left the borough
three years ago. Since then he has been
engaged in running down criminals. He
took hold of the Fort Wayne train wreck
ers' case after the Pinkerton men had al
most abandoned every hope, and put the
men in the Columbus penitentiary who were
connected with the crime.
HE FINALLY OWNED UP.
A DISPATCH representative heard of his
arrival in Tarentum yesterday. When ac-
costed the detective denied that he was an
officer, and said he was there on other busi-
ness. Afterward he admitted that he was
looking for the murderers, and had been ad-
vised to take hold of the case, by Mayor
Pearson, of Allegheny. He expects to de-
velop something within the next few days.
Detective Finney and Special Officer
Adams, of Tarentum, were In the city yes
terday. The former went to Braddock to
interview Chief of Police Donovan, who
shot at the supposed murderers. Mr.. Adams
visited Mrs. Killan, who is confined in the
Central station, and secured story which
is not in accord with that told by her hus-
band. The officer also visited sister of
Killan's, who lives on Congress street, and
got statement from her about her brothers
life. To the officer she stated that Killan ,
had been sentenced eight years to the peni-
tentlary for shooting at a woman in this
city about 1880. He served six and
half years, the balance of the time
being thrown off for good conduct. Upon
being released he removed to Tarentum, and
has been living there for the past IL months.
He was also in Jail for throwing brick and
hitting Detective Coulson on the head with
it. To a DISPATCH reporter, who inter-
viewed him in his cell in the Tarentum
phatically stated that he had never been ar
rested before. He said he learned the bust
ness of basket making from the man he
worked for, and not in prison.
SOME DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
Detective Finney, who seems to never
close an eye, but is always working on the
case, received letter yesterday from Sandy
Creek which shows conclusively that the
men who fred at the police officers at Brad |
dock are the same that committed the rob- |
berry. In the letter it was stated that two |
white men and negro passed that place |
early Tuesday morning. One of the white |
men stopped at the house of a man named |
Fisher, while the other two went to the |
residence of Leon Desabers and asked for |
breakfast. The men seemed to have travelled |
hard all night, but at the time the people of
Sandy Greek had not heard of the murder
The negro acted as spokesman for the party
in the house he visited. He said they had |
got on Valley train at Pittsburg to go to
Turtle Greek. They found that they were
on the wrong train, and were put
off by the conductor at Sandy Greek.
The white man who went to Fishers house
said the party had stayed all night at
Verona. The detective investigated the
case and from the description of the men be-
1lSh6u Lney were Tue SdIuS p6ISOus WHO were
seen at Brushton and Braddoek The peo-
pie who saw them were struckfby their sus-
picious manner. One of the men had some
thing under his coat which resembled a
satchel The men were seen going up the
hollow from Sandy Creek to Brushton.
This the detective thinks is proof that the
men were acquainted with that country and
were in all probability residents of Taren- +
tum. The descriptionoof the two white men
tallies with thatoftwo men in seen skiff row.
ing up the run about o'clock Monday af-
ternoon by Hugh Pugh, engineer at the
lower glass works.
POOR LITTLE MoTHERLEsS ONES.
Paul Rudert, husband of the murdered
woman, arrived home yesterday afternoon.
The small children were in charge of Mrs.
Rudert's sister, who will assist in raising
them. None of them are vet aware of the
fact that their mother is dead. They think
she is i'll and will be back to see them. One
Of the little tots, when she asked her father
what all the people were doing around her
was told by her father that her
mother was sick. IRchildish innocence she
asked. "Why don't you give her something
10 make her we'll again?" =
Mr.. Rudert says he is almost positive that =,
the man who scooped the jewelry out of the
window had basket which he held under
the ledge and put the booty into it. This is
another link IN the chain of circumstantial
evidence that is being wound around Alex
ander Killan.
Al Smith, the well-known liveryman of
the town, is relating curious dream he had
Thursday night. He retired early and
dreamed he saw the murderers of Mrs.
Rudert In his sleep he saw one of them =
standing over him. He exclaimed "Ah I
you guilty murderers" AS he did so he 1
turned to grapple with the men and woke
lp. The description gave of the men, as G
he saw them in his sleen, tallies with tinat G
# the men who committed the deed. A S
lumber of people of the town view the
lream in a serious light. t
WATCHING THE CASE LOCALLY.
At about $50 o'clock last evening two !
men walked into the Central police station.
)ne was man a little above medium
height, rather poorly dressed, with exceed
ngly long dark side whiskers. He seemed |
o be under the influence of liquor. 4
He took off his slouch hat to Sergeant
fray, and said: ''Your Honor, would like
o see two men who were brought in here to
zee if I can identify them" He was asked
Vhy he wished to identify them. He an a
wered that he wished to swear out warrants u
gainst them. After much further uues- n
ioDing, he reluctantly said that ne desired i
o charge the men with assault and battery. q
'On yourself?'' the Sergeant asked. ''Yes, n
n myself" replied the man with the a
7hiskers. He was then told that he must t
ttepd the hearing at o'clock this MORN II
ng. He was not satisfied with that and
ersisted in his request to be allowed to see