The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-28
THE EXPLOSION MYSTERY
DETECTIVES wORKING UP THE
CASE AGAINST ROBBINS,

The Prisoner Denies that He Fired the
Billiard HOUSE, A General Denial
Entered 20 AL the Theories Of the
Prosecution - Billiard interviewed
and Cites Suspicious Circumstances
Against Robbins.
John d. Robbins, notice Of whose arrest
for murder was published in Wednesdays
MORNING News, was visited at the Jail
yesterday by MORNING NEWS reporter.
Robbins right foot and leg ara still bound
up in plaster Of paris, and ne is looking pale
from his long confinement to his bed at the
infrmary.
ROBBINS DENIES THE CHARGE.
The prisoner stoutly denies any knowl-
edge of the destruction Of the Builard
boarding house, and declares that the
charge is unjust He adheres to his state
ment, formerly made to the repo rter at the
hospital, that he retired between IL o'clock
and 12 O'Clock on the night Of the explosion,
and knew nothing further until
he was awakened by the crash
and went down with the falling
walls. He says that he jumped from his
of the crash. and that his room
mate, Rimes, will testify TO seeing him
in the doorway when be awoke.
As to Robbins gasoline can the contents
Of which are said to have caused the explo-
sion. the prisoner states that the
vessel held only five gallons. and
| that when his partner in
| the popcorn business left Savannah in the
spring, the can was only about half full, and
| That ha mad yaao1ipa from ~
| afterward, and never replenished it. He
| says the last time he filed his lamp it took
| nearly all the gasoline in the can. He says,
further, that the can was never kept under
the staircase, as stated yesterday morning,
but was ALWAYS kept in the back yard,
where it was found when the debris was
removed, and consequently neither the can
nor its contents could have blown up the
| house.
HIS INSURANCE POLICY.
Robbins explains his insurance policy by
saying that Billiard, Page and others in the
house were carrying insurance upon their
goods, and he thought 1t a very good idea
to insure his own property. He thought he
had about $500 worth of personal property
and called upon Julian Schley a. Co. to get
insured for that amount. He says
he was urged to take $500
policy, and concluded that was better
and insured for the greater amount. After
the wreck of the building he gave up the
policy to Schley 81 Co s clerk, having never
paid the premium on it.
NOT AN IDLER.
AS to the report that Robbins had done
no work for some time and was out Of
funds, he says that be worked two weeks as
painter for the Swift Western Beef Com
pany, and two months for Nelson, Morris &
Co., and was at work the week of the ex-
plosion.
Robbins says bis home is at Asbury Park,
n. j., and that he came here from St.
Augustine, Fla, where he worked as a
hotel linen porter. He is painter by trade
The prisoner has not yet engaged counsel,
but will do 81 as soon as he hears from his
brother in Asbury Park, to whom he has
written.
WHAT MR.. BULLARD SAYS.
w. j. Billiard, who iswore out the war
rant agatrs st Robbins, was seen by a MORN
ING News reporter yesterday afternoon.
He and L. J. Tate reside at 143 Barnard
street with J. S. Paige aud wife,
all of whom were inmates of the
Billiard boarding house. Mr. Bullard
Is satisfied that he got the right man, and
says that he suspected Robbins from the
first. Mr. Billiard and Deputy City Mar
shall Kelly have been working on the case
LOT SOkiio tiUlo anu Chtu6 20 bl6 CONCLUSION
some time ago that Robbins 10 the guilty
party.
A SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.
Mr.. Bullard says that he saw Robbins in
the hallway OF the second story a very short
| while before the explosion occurred, and
that 1t was not very long afterward before
his sister-in-law called his attention to the
noise as of some one walking down stairs
| His wife had just gotten up and gone to
| the door of the room when the explosion
| occurred. Mr.. Billiard says Robbins was
two weeks behind with his board, aud
| Billiard had told his wife that night to tell
| Robbins the next morning that if he could
not pay his board he must leave. Mr..
Billiard said all Robbins had to insure was
some old clothes, to which little value at
tached. and when he heard OF Robbins $500
insurance policy his suspicious were con-
firmed.
WORKING ON OTHER CLEws.
Mr.. PAGE said that he knew there had
been gasoline in Robbins can, and going TO
the place where it was kept in the yard he
removed the trash and found it, but entirely
empty and the stopper gone. This looked
very suspicious. He and Mr.. Billiard be-
lieve that Robbins took the can and
saturated the floor with the gasoline and
then touched it off with a match, and that
the gasoline caused the EXPLOSION. Deputy
Marshal Kelly has several other clews, upon
which he is working.