Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-09
KILLED By STABBINC
James Carroll Cuts and Kills On
Unknown Tramp Pal.
BE CONfESSES The AWFUL DEED
And Claims Twas In Seif-psfeuse-
known Each other for . Day oaiy
Clever work by the Police
in the Capture

almost instantly killed, last evening Al
the G.. K. & l. south yards.
telephone to police headquarters
was the first Information received.
Pafrolmen Steekler, Price and Porter
were detailed aud hastened al once TO
the scene.
The officers had difficult search,
but knew that the man could not have
gotten tar away. 1t was dark. Sud
denly officer Steckler heard noise in
a box car, and gave the signal to Price
and Porter. Entering il they found
their man apparently asleep. lie made
no attempt at resistance, but professed
profound ignorance as 10 what he was
wanted for. He was taken IN the
patrol wagon and brought 10 the
station.
Coroner DIR. Geo. w. Bradish was also
notified and went TO the place. The
murdered man WAS found where he
fell under the fatal blow, beside the
railroad track just south OF Steele &
Co.'S packing house.
Two tramps were there in the crowd,
one OF whom, George Woodbury., OF
Bay City, had telephoned in. The
other gave his name as Ryan. Both
were taken To headquarters to give
their testimony.
Appearance of the Dead
The murdered man WAS APPARENTLY
about 80 wears of age. and wore a slight
brown mustache. lie wore -four shirts
aud coarse rough clothes. lie was
about five feet tell inches in height,
well built. and weighed perhaps los
pounds. His hands are calloused as by
work.
The body was taken by the ambu-
lance TO koch's undertaking rooms, on
West Bridge street There n coroner's
jury viewed the remains and VIII be
called this morning at 10 O'Clock, wien
a post mortem examination will be
held.
The man had nothing upon his per-
son to identify him except bath ticket
which read: Good tor one bath-W.
II. Lampman''; and in ink, ito JAS.
Carroll" There was nothing in his
pockets but small mirror and some
other trifies. A wound was found just
below his neck, at the junctlon of the
large arteries from the heart. The
wound was small, but apparently deep
as though made 10y q narrow bladed
knife or stIlleto.
Inquiry at Lampman's revealed the
name Jas. Carroll was tnat of a tramp
who has been about the city for severa.
days past. He has lost both legs below
the knees and wears large shoes with
the toes extending backward. sr-.
Mr.. Lampman said that Carroll was
drunk Sunday, but sobered up toward
night. He seemed a surly, quarrel
some kind of u man. He slept In room
No. s, with man named Lake.
Capture of the Murderer.
The police had been given good de-
scriptlon 10y the men Ryan and Wood
bury, and the matter OF capture was
merely Il question OF time. At about
$3.50 the patrol wagon brought the OH
GERS III with their game. He was taken
into the office OF the Chef OF Police
Eastman and gwen chair.
He Is a villalnous looking fellow,
with a couple OF days beard, a scrawny
mustache, a large head, deep set muir
derous looking eyes that We're restless.
The men, Ryan and Woodbury., were
brought in and at once identified him.
They were told to give their stories.
Woodbury. SAID that five or SIX of
them were sitting 10y the track in the
afternoon about dusk. He heard the
man who was talking querulously with
the lame man, Carroll; and heard the
latter say Il have got 1t IN for you"
but heard nothing more said and
thought nothing more about II, though
he attempted 10 strike the unknown.
Again IN few minutes he saw
Carroll strike him. The man staggered
and fell over on the track with n gasp.
He and Ryan fastened TO hun, opened
ms shirt and saw that he mad been cut,
and at once hastened and telephoned
in. RYAN told the same story but
stated that at the time of the second
strike when the fatal blow was given
that he saw the knife; that he had
separated them the first time.
The Murderer Questioned.
The man Carroll was then questioned
closely by Superintendent Eastman,
and answered IN wavering tones. He
said that he was shoemaker and that
he came here Saturday night from
Terrc Haute, Ind, 10y way of Fort
Wayne. He detailed his history since
coming TO the city. He stayed at
Lampman's Saturday night and sun
day night. Monday he was out all osy
and slept in the woods near the south
yards, as ne did also Tuesday night.
HIS story for yesterday was that he
had been about town IN the forenoon.
but bad been at the south yards IN the
afternoon and also on South Division
ST. He was inconsistent in his story in
several details as TO places. He claimed
to have had his dinner with widow
woman who kept boarding
house. He ate no supper. Oa
going hack to the yards he claimed
To have been with no one, and
that he was with nobody during the
day. He said that he saw a man IN
blue there. but did not know II was a
policeman. He sad that be had never
been with the other tramps, the ones
wholndentifiesi hIm, and further denied
all knowledge OF the affair. He crawled
into lsox car, expecting 10 catch
tram toward Saginaw st night, where
ne has brother.
HIS SISTERS i've in Indiana, one In
Terre Hanfe, hat he would give no
name, saying that ne did not want
them 10 know anything about the affair.
Ills story i that ne first knew anything
about Il when he was awakened nv the
officers Nothing further was elected
tn. Nuraer~t-. knffe Fospd.
Another tramp. pslnter named
Rohert Lake. SD that be cane from
kaismssoa With GaTrnii saturday
night. bat thst ne never saw him he
fore. None of the tfansps kne~ the
murdered man.
Tsff0H vas sfsrcheS. sna a large
isrk knils was fcus8 On him and some
snaH change. Tee JACK knHe haa
l'esa freshly as7sfea. apparently On
ssna Nsaf The Fssni vas STAN that