Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-13
CHAIN OF EVIDENCE,
Mrs. Rudert'S Murderers Have
Not Yet Been Arrested.
THE NEGR0'S PART IN 1T.
Complete Descriptions of Burglars
COnroy and Grifen.
WHAT TERESA TEETS WILL NOW DO

the murder of Mrs. Rudert, did not produce
all the evidence against Killen, Griffen and
Conrov which is in the possession of the
authorities. Only enough was brought out
to warrant the jury in finding verdict.
An officer who is familiar with the case,
said Yesterday: ga complete chain will be
established around the accused men, If
Grifen and Conroy are caught. Conroy is
wanted for a murder at Wheeling not long
ago, and Inspector McAleese knew that ne
was in this vicinity shortly before Mrs.
Rudert was killed He had been almost
located when that affair occurred.
IT will be shown that Con-
row and Grifen were hanging around
Freeport about eight miles above Tarentum,
the second week before the murder. They
undoubtedly visited Killen's shanty boat
about that time, and conferred with him
about possible jobs. They were all old
friends. They were all in the Riverside
penitentiary at the same time. kiilen was
in hiding there, under the name Of Frank
Clark. The woman Teresa Teets told an
officer that Killen was afraid to go over to
Tarentum lest he might meet somebody who
would recognize him.
SHE KNOWS MORE.
1.-THE woman did not tell all she knew when
she was on the stand at Tarentum yesterday.
She has told great deal more to officers
who have talked with her privately.
think that she will tell what she knows
when the case comes to trial She has prom
ised to shake Killen and his crowd. She is
in the CITY now and will remain here until
she is wanted. 1t would not be worth while
for her to attempt to 60 away, as she is too
closely watched.
at is certain that four men were in that
Tarentum job. Three of them, I am sure,
have been identified. The fourth man was
a negro. The th cory OF the detectives is
that the negro remained at the river to
watch Killen's skiff while the three other
men went to Rudert's store. The fellows
were experienced burglars, and would not
take any chances on losing their skif and
having their means of escape cut of. Klllen
stopped when they got back to the east side
of the river, and the two white men and the
negro passed the night in the Valley Camp.
Next morning Grifen told farmer John
Phillips, at Sandy Creek. that he had two
companions. We will trace the three men
to Brushton, 81 miles this side of Brad
dock. Chief of Police Donovan recognizes
the faces of Griffen and Conroy as those of
two white men who went through Braddock
two days later, in company with a negro"
Police officials and detectives are much
divided as 10 the direction which the fugi-
t1ves have taken. Some think they left tbs
Pennsylvania Railroad and went north.
Others think they have gone down the Ohio
river. If they are the men who robbed
Ross, at Bridgeville, Washington county,
on December 81, as seems probable, they are
at this time a long way from Pittsburg.
They secured $525 in cash from Ross. The
search for them may become as interesting
as the hunt for Will Tascott.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MEN.
Peter Griffen, alias Peter Lee, is de-
scribed in the police records, as follows:
Burglar, age %, born In Pittsburg. can
read and write, unmarried, slim build,
height feet 81 inches, weight 1876 pounds,
hair brown, eyes blue, nose straight and
thin, face slim, complexion light, cross
eyed. He usual wears soft hat and does !
not take kindly to collar. He was last |
arrested by Detective P. E. Fitzgerald, |
March 9, 1888, for burglary. He is some |
times called "Cockey" Grifen, because of |
his cross eyes.
"Eggy" Conroy is about feet IL inches |
in height and weighs about 40 pounds. He |
has rather well-shaped face, with broad |
forehead and firm jaws. His hair and mus
tache are dark. He twists up the ends of |
his mustache. His eyebrows are low, his |
eyes deep set and small. and have a bad |
look about them. His nose is slightly |
Roman, thin and pointed. He usually
wears stiff hat. He is about 80 years old. |
Alexander Killen is about 81 years old. /
He is 8 feet 8 inches tall, heavily built,
stoop-shouldered. He has a constant scoWl |
on his face, there being heavy wrinkles be-
tween his eyebrows. His nose is short and
plugged, his lips thick and his jaws heavy.
He keeps his face smoothly shaven, but is
very slovenly in his dress
All three Of the accused men are said by
the police to be desperate characters, who
have an utter disregard for human life.
The negro, who is believed to be with
Conroy and Griffen, is short and heavy set,
probably not over feet z inches in height
There is no expectation that Killen will |
confess, nor that any of the other men, if
caught, will do so. They are not made of
that sort OF stuff.
WAS CRIFFEE IN TOWN?
1t transpires that Griffen was in Pitts
burg about a week or a little longer ago.
This is hard to believe, but comes from two
good sources. Grifen, It is said, visited
some old friends here whose names have
been secured by the police. They say that
he was wearing glasses to conceal his bad
eve, and wore a stiff hat, which must have
gone very much against the grain. He told
his friends about his escape from the insane
asylum at Dixmont two months ago, but
said never a word about Tarentum.
A detective who is taking great interest
in the case, and who has done good work
> o1raadr- Said .-acfardov. tfTt |
be so very difficult to catch Grifen and
Conroy. 1t is not altogether like hunting a
needle in a haystack. They have lett their
trail, and as they are men of such peculiar
appearance they can be followed from place
to place although that sort of work must
necessarily be slow. The keenest detectives |
in this city are already on their track, and 1
think they will be under arrest within ten
days. Conroy has something wrong with
one of his eyes. 1t is just a little crooked,
and is little smaller than the other"
Some of the local police are inclined to
throw diseredit upon the result of the Cor
oner's inquest, and even claim that il was
improperly conducted, because the accused,
who was under arrest, was not present dur
ing the inquest. Lawyers will be somewhat
to learn this new point of law. 1t
has never been raised before and doubtless
never will be again.
Ihere Is reward OF S0Oc Tor the arrest OF /
Conroy and Grifen, offered by the borough of
Tarentum. This will, in few days, be in
creased. The jewellers of this city are rails
ing purse to offer an additional sum for ,
the arrest of the murderers.
Inspector McAleese said last night that
be thought better steps could have been ,
taken to apprehend the murderers of Mrs. :
Rudert At an expense of probably about /
s75 every police headquarters in the country
could have been notified, and a circular
sent with ikenesses Of the suspected parties. j
He thought the county should have offered .
q reward OF $500 each for the apprehension
and conviction of the murderers, but no
such move had been made. 1t was dis !
grace to the county that such a horrible
crime should occur and the criminals escape
until this late hour.
He had heard that Chief Donovan and a
jeweler had gone to Steubenville
and identified the jewelry found upon
'EOssy' Allen and his partner, and it was 9