Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-20
Prompt Arrest of the Slayer
of Job Haas.
IT WAS A MURDER FOR MONEY
Strong Evidence Against the
Arrested Man.
A Pocket-boole in His Possession Identi-
fed ms the Property of mr.. Haas
Treating His Friends with the Murdered
Mans Money an Hour After the Crime
Was Committed.

morning.
Mr.. Haas, about o'clock yesterday
morning, left his home, No. 5761 Main
street, below Mt. Airy avenue, Mt. Airy,
and went to his office and coal yard,
near the Gorgas street station, on the
Philadelphia & Reading railroad, the
office being only few yards from the |
station. He had from $500 to $400 in |
his right trousers pocket, and from $25 |
to $50 in small change in shot bag |
which he had in the left pocket. He |
had been advised by Mrs. Haas that it |
was not policy to carry so much money |
on his person, and, besides, he was
liable to be robbed at any time so early
in the morning on his way to the office,
to which he went every morning at the
same hour he left yesterday morning.
Thomas Powers, a workman on the
railroad, stated that he came down the
railroad track to the station, and noticed
the Office was open. He did not
see anything of Mr.. Haas, and, as the 6
o'clock train from Chestnut Hill was
about to pass the spot, he concluded to
flag the train before calling on Mr..
Haas and saying "good morning" to
him, as was his custom whenever he
passed the office. After the train had
passed he cleaned the glasses in the
| lamp beside the f1agman's box, and then
went to the other side of the track and
looked into the office. He noticed Mr..
Haas lying on the floor, and supposed
he had laid down to sleep, or that per-
haps he was waiting for his driver. He,
however, went to the door to look in,
and was Mortified to discover the man
lying in pool of blood. He then ran
| to the street and gave the alarm. The
patrol wagon was sent for and the body
of the murdered man taken to his home
at Mount Airy.
On making an examination of the
surroundings a club and hatchet were
found. The club was identified later in
the day by Mr.. Thomas Meehan as hav-
ing been cut in his nursery. On the
hatchet were found number of pieces
of hair and also blood. When the
examination of the body was made it
was found that there was large lump
on one side of the head, which was sup
posed to have been made by the club,
and also that the left eye was almost
knocked out by the same blow. On the
back of the head were three or four
gashes or holes, caused, it is presumed,
by the blunt end of the hatchet which
completed the ghastly deed. The pocket
of the pantaloons in which the money,
which was in notes, was kept was turned
inside out and the money gone. The
silver change in the other pocket was
not taken, as it is presumed the muir
derer saw the fiagman coming down the
track and did not have time to turn the
body over and secure the rest without
being discovered.
TRACKING THE MURDERER.
In examining the surroundings out
side the office every piece of ground was
gone over to discover the tracks for a
clue to the direction taken by the mur-
derer and after a search of a few min
utes footmarks were seen in cornfield
; opposite the office, accompanied by
those of dog. These tracks were fol-
. lowed through the field, through
! Meehan's nurseries to the meadows and
| then were lost. As proof that the
murderer went through the cornfield, q
small wide rubber band which had been
| wrapped about Mr.. Haas pocket book
was picked up by Sergeant Greaves
J who was one of the searching party,
and which was covered with coal dust
The rubber band was identified by Mr..
Haas driver as being used by MIR. Haas
| on his pocket-book, and ii is supposed
dropped from the mans hands in his
! flight.
| The police at once sent about to cap.
: ture the murderer If possible, Chief OF
l Detectives Wood, with Detectives Don
g aghy and Crawford and the special po-
licemen of the Germantown district, set
+ ting themselves to work.
l A small boy named Emanuel Wentz
l residing at Wentz's farm, stated that he
: saw colored man in the neighborhood
S of the station between and O'Clock
J. as he was driving cows to pasture.
: Later in the morning colored mar
e was arrested on suspicion. Young
a Wentz was asked to identify him, but
l failed to do so. Another man was ar
rested later and was locked up The
/, first prisoner was discharged.
n Henry Davis, a young colored man
0 to whom circumstances point strongly
i, as the murderer, was arrested at noon
Davis, who is 26 years old, and resides
h on Sharpnack street, Germantown, wal
I arrested by Sergeant Sanderson anC
4 Special Policeman Redifer of the Ger
G mantown police station, in room of th,
keystone Club, on Armat street, anC
+ was escorted to No. 10 Fire Company
a headquarters, and taken to the polict
+ station in the patrol wagon. At the polio,
!, station young Wentz identified Davi
: positively as being the man he saw oil
D the platform at Gorgas station, and thu
one he had seen 60 into the cornfielt
while he was driving the COWS Il
pasture.
u DAMAGING EVIDENCE.
IS The police took Davis shoes off hi
:, feet and went directly to the corn field
/, and, on placing the shoes in the foot
o marks, found they fitted exactly. The,
It then went to the neighborhood wher
n Davis lived with his father and mother
II Harriet S. Tunnel, colored woman
e who resides in the same house, stated t,
e Chief of Detectives Wood that at $50 O
y m. Davis had come into the house hur
riedly, gone up stairs, changed hi
clothes in few minutes, come dowi
and gone out quietly. He evidentl.
8, went to the club room on Armat street
n as he was seen at O'Clock in salool
n on Armat street, with large roll o
p bills, treating number Of companions
v The detectives, at the instance of Detec
y tives Donaghy, despatched Sergean
!. Sanderson and Special Redifer, an,
e Davis arrest was accomplished exactl.
e at 10 o'clock. He was searched at th
% | police station and the pocketbook con