Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-20
SAYS IT'S MALICE.
HOW FHH CHEF OF POLICz TALKS OF TIE
HARRIS TURMOIL
III. Lstss Developments in the Case Which Include
Statement From hr. EIrrlS
Himself

There is still good deal OF interest,
about the city, in the case Of Mr.. Henry
]. Harris, the Louisville travelling man,
whose arrest by officer Conrad, Thurs
day, on suspicion that he was Fitzsim-
mons, the Pittsburg murderer, and re-
lease, the following day, by Chief Del
brugge, constitute familiar facts. Yes
terday Mr.. HulIihen Quarter, Pres
,dent of the Chamber Of Commerce,
acted upon the letter from Mr..
Henry Baer, published in yes
terday's REGISTER, and sent an
official communication to Secretary
Howard Hazlett, asking that a call for a
meeting of the Chamber Tuesday even
ing be published. This call was accord
ing issued by Mr.. Hazlett, and appears
in this issue of the REGISTER.
Yesterday Mr.. Harris, who was then
in Steubenville, sent statement to this
city, in reply to the statements OF the
police, published in hemorning papers,
in which he denies that any one offered
IN send word to his friends, as was mar
rated specifically and circumstantially
in the affidavit signed by Mr.. John
Howell. He admits that he said at first
that he did not intend to bring suit, but
that he afterward changed his mind.
On this point, he says:
"When I thought of how badly had
been treated, 1 thought it would be the
nroper thing to do. Yet, while some OF the
hest citizens of Wheeling advised me to
bring suit. did not let it affect my ludg-
ment in the matter at ALL"
OF the Chiefs treatment, Mr.. Harris
says:
treated me meaner in any possible way"
These matters were brought to the
notice of Chief Dillinger, last evening
ON his return from Pittsburg, when he
said:
"There was no ill-treatment OF Mr..
Harris. On the contrary, was particu-
larly kind to him. l sent out for his
mail for him, at his request, and when
he was released l took him up into my
private office. gave him the use OF the
toilet facilities that he might clean HIM
self M. and when he left he was in as
good a humor as any man could be. All
this trouble" he continued, sis the re-
spIt of private malice on the part OF an
evening paper, which has been persist
emily irving to make trouble for the
police department for weeks. This
has been shown In number
of matters, notably In the
case of Nose Sigafoos, to cite a recent
example. There never was more pro-
per arrest that that made in the town,
and yet the police were mercilessly ma
ligned. A good many people have been
given but one side of these matters,
and in that way have been led to wrong
conclusions. Malice against me, Is at
the bottom Of the whole matter, as
can very readily show"
The malice referred to by the Chief,
was the subject of good deal OF talk,
Yesterday, and not few citizens who
at first were inclined to severely criti-
else Chief Delbrugge, materially altered
their views when acquainted with the
whole facts. They were still strongly
of the opinion, however, that the Chief
had erred In not releasing Mr.. Harris
Immediately after having been in
formed by Detective Shores that he was
not FltZsimmonS.
A police officer said, yesterday, that
he was of the opinion that Harris knew
of his resemblance to Fitzsmmons be-
fore his arrest, as when the police
boarded the Island car one Of them was
looking at photograph and printed de-
scription Of the murderer. Harris is
said to have leaned over so as to see
what the officer was reading, and at
once began to act strangely, covering
up the lower portion of his face with his
hand, and evidently thinking to amuse
himself at the expense of the bluecoats.
II this surmise is correct, the ''joke"
went farther than Mr.. Harris intended
IL should