The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-09-19
/ VERY STRANGE STORY
the Case of the Drummer, Harris,
who was Arrested
Is THE FUGITIVE FITZSIMMONS.
statements which do not agree and
arc Entirely InoomputiDlc---He is
said to have sued the city--A Grave
Mistake, at Lcasti but was it Worse?

The case Of the man, Henry ]. Har-
:. arrcstcd by officer Joseph Conrad,
a., I,be city police force, on Thursday, on
ssspicion that he was FitzsimmOns, the
Pittsburgh murderer and jail breaker,
80, cbr5niclod IN yesterdays IXrELLt-
srxrro. Yesterday Chief of Police
n.Ibrr.r, who had te!egraphed to
toni.yilic, Ky, asking the cider and
Tooar company the man claimed to
,ssse.cpt il he was straight, received
telegram satisfying him that Harris
vas all right, and he was dismissed.
# wa, .aid yesterday afternoon that
harris Ind taken steps to sue the city
nr his detention. lie was quoted as
charging the chief OF police with refus-
;n~ 10 lot him send for acquaintance
. . ronIl identify him. According TO
.b "' stories printed in the morning
, ." i also seemed that Harris was
XII bv Chief DeIbrugge after Detee'
tie Shores, OF Pittsburgh, had sald he
vas not Filzsimmons.
There were good many rumors
,1ast Yesterday, and good deal OF in
G,gea,iea was expressed at the treat
mont Of Harris. Last evening Mr..
Iira,y Hacr, head OF the firm Of 5. Baer's
S,5s WHO has had dealings with Alr.
Iiarris for two years past, sent the tol-
loving scli.cxplanatory communication
through the postcl'iCe:
WHEELING, W. Va, Sept. is, 1891.
" H. Qnsrlq, PrcIidsH! ChGnaT Of Cinrmeree,
Us,,'by. W. Ia.
DEAR SH:-You haze doubtless no
,iced in our daily press ACCOUNTS OF the
unsuitable arrest and detention OF Mr..
Henry j. Harris, OF Louisville, N.Y., who
bas visited our city and the wholesale
frde here for two years past in the in
iprest OF the Louisville Cider aud Vine
nr works This account ! can youch
,of as being true, and it certainly de-
mauds some notice and rcctitication
irom the law-abiding element OF our
c.y; and as the Council committee on
police are disposed towards white
washing and continuing in office
man who each day furnishes
fresh evidence OF incapacity and unfit
ness for the position OF trust he holds,
and othcr.municipal officers arc in no
better shape, | think the time has come
when the taxpayers Of Wheeling should
call halt; therefore, | would most
respectfully request you to call n meet
lnr oithe body over which you preside
and who bear the burden OF taxes and
are responsible for our reputation
abroad for the purpose Of entering an
earnest protest against continuing the
existing disgraceiul state OF afFairs.
Very respectfully yours,
Henry BAER.
Yesterday an INTELLIGENcEI reporter
asked Chief Delbruggc why he had de-
tanned Harris over night. He said that
Detective Shore, who came from Pitts
burgh to identify the man, asked him
10 held him. lie said also that Harris
had told him that lie was not angry,
and did intend to sue; that an after
noon newspaper man had tried TO in
durc him to 90 10 Il lawyer and enter
suit, but he had refused and had given
srcasons, that he did not think he had
auy cause Of action, and that ii he had,
llemisht be in distant state when the
suit came up, and could not afford TO
leave his business 10 be here.
Chief Dclbrugge said further that
Harris told him he had been treated all
right, and that he asked Detective
Shores TO give him letter certifying
that after thorough investigation he had
been freed from all suspicion, which
Shores did. Explaining this peculiar
request, he said he knew the pictures OF
FiIssimmons looked like him, and he
might be arrested in every city he went
to. lie said further, according to Chief
Dclbrugge, that lie could not complain,
In, view Ot the numerous innocent peo-
pie arrested on suspicion Of being Tas-
cot, Bardsley and other criminals.
This statement was made before Har- :
MSS statement was known. INTgLLI-
GENcER reporters made repeated at
iiempis to see Harris, but could not find
hun lie left last evening for Newark,
Ohio.
Last evening City Clerk Thoncr, an
entirely reliable and disfntercsted
party, told an lSTELLiGENcER man that
Harris had told him, III presence of
Chief Of the Fire Department Healy
and others, that he had, noitlea Of suing
ue Gily or anybody else, but that he
would like to have ell the reporters in
Wheeling write the Chief UP for the
way he had treated him.
Later 3tr. John Howell, janitor Of tho
Guy building, hearing Harris's story
'lat ne had been refused the privilege
o. communicating with his acquaint-
aaGrs, made the following statement
under oath:
Na's Of Vast Va, County Of Ohio, s.
Personally appeared before the I'M.
aae,r?s'gaed, a notary public in and for
ONO comfy, W. Va, John Howell, who
and says:
:, IN Thursday evening while Henry j.
naFrls! arrested by Policeman Joseph
Sonrad on suspicion that lie was Fitz.
Simmons, a fugitive from Justice al Pitts
.grs4, was in the lookup, | went in 10
t ,a"e Tim paper. / asked him il he
anew anybody in Wheeling, and he said
ui1t he did; that he knew Flaccus Bros.
ala baers sons. asked him, "Whv
aO' send ior them? II they know YOU
~ oe the person you say YOU are
HgE can get you out. Ii
:vu can prove your identity
~, would be sufficient" lie replied
Sas Nc did not want them to know that
At, was arrested. | remarked that it
", no Nc disgrace to be taken for a Grim
~: :'". !! 1t was 4 mere case Of mistaken
,arh'ly, but he insisted that he did not
S1hI ms acquaintance to know he was
0 y; " the bars. Ishowed him tho ton
y, tiaCcns Bros. building and said Il
W. only Il square away, but he s,ill dc.