Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-30
WANTED FOR MURDER.
ARoanoke Detective Has Jacob Evans
Arrested in Allegheny for
KILLING CHARLES WATKINS WIFE.
4 Pittsburg Man Knocked Down and
Robbed of Watch and Money.
WORK OF THE POLICE OF TWO CITIES

Jacob Evans, as he calls himself, is a
good-looking young mulatto who is held in
the Allegheny lookup on the very serious
charge of murder. HI. A Webber, the chief
of detective agency of that name in
Roanoke, says in letter to Superintendent
Henry Muth, of Allegheny, that Evans is
Charles Watkins, who murdered his wife,
Susie, at Roanoke, April 6, while the man
in the lookup says his name is Evans, that
he certainly is not Charles Watkins, and
that Weber has ordered the arrest Of the
wrong man.
The Allegheny authorities acted in the
matter on o lengthy communication re-
ceived from Webber, inclosing photograph
of Watkins and warrant for his arrest.
The letter detailed the murder, and referred
to Watkins as bright mulatto of stylish
appearance, whose wardrobe included such
fascinating apparel as patent leather boots,
silk hats and frock coats.
The Case Worked Up Closely.
The photograph was that of colored man
of light color, whose face was adorned by q
slight mustache and side whiskers. In fact,
the Webber Bureau left nothing undone in
tha case, and worked it right up to the
point of telling the Allegheny police that
Watkins was then working in Pusey &
Kerr's store, at 116 Federal street, under
the assumed name of Jacob Evans. In the
face Of such detailed and positive informa-
tion the duty of the authorities became
plain and very easy, so that when Detec-
tives Steele and johnson were handed the
Roanoke warrant all they could do was to
take their man, which they very promptly
did
Whether Evans is Watkins or merely
himself and nobody else he can prove avery
capital alibi. He can get very respectable
citizens of Allegheny to swear that he was
in that city when the murder was COM
mitted. He was visited by George w.
Kerr, of the firm which employed him, in
his cell last night, and he told his visitors
that the only Inconvenience he experinced
was in the fact of his arrest.
81 am not so ignorant" he said, "as to
blame the officers for arresting me. When
a murder has been committed and man is
suspected he must be arrested, but I have
nothing to do with this case left Roanoke
January 4, and came to Pittsburg, went to
work for Mr.. Kerr in February and have
been working for him ever since. I knew
Charles Watkins, and read of the murder in
the papers, but know nothing of it."
What Evans Did in Roanoke.
Evans said that he was employed as
waiter in Roanoke, and when he left he was
working for Frank w. Allen, in store
attached to the Crozier Iron Company's
works. He lived about Is miles outside of
Roanoke.
Mr.. Kerr is convinced of Evans inno-
cence of the crime. He says that Evans has
been working for him since February, and
only took a half days time from that up to
the present. Evans is a good-looking mu-
latto, with a slight mustache, but without
whisl1ers. These, of course, he could have
removed. The only theory for Webber's
assumption that Evans is Watkins is that
some former resident of Roanoke saw Evans
in Allegheny, and communicated his suspi-
cion of his being Watkins to Webber.
When DISPATCH reporter was in Con-
nellsville during the coke riots, man was
arrested there also as Charles Watkins, the
Roanoke murderer. He seemingly was SO,
about as much as Evans is. Superintendent
Muth has notified Weber of the arrest