The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-17
WILLIAMS BAD CHARGE.
BE SAYS GROCER DERsT URGED
BIN TO ROB EHRLICH 81 BRO.


BIN TO ROB ENRICH 81 BRO.
A Savannah Grocery Company Porter
Said to Have Been Working the
Same Racket Williams Alleges He
Sold One Barrel to Derst and An
other to Another Grocer-The Negro
Puts His Charge in Affidavit Form
and Detective Wetherhorn to Pre-
sent the Case to the Grand Jury.
Allan Williams, the thieving porter OF
A. Ehrlich & Bro, an account Of whose
novel robberies appeared in yesterdays
MORNING News produced somewhat Of a
sensation when be charged Grocerymsn
George Derst, who gave the information
which led to his arrest, with being the man
who urged him to rob his employers and
taught him the trick Of putting meat and
grocer les in grits and meal barrels.
Detective Witherhorn Immediately sent
for Mr. Derst and in Justice Naughtin's
office, in the presence OF Justices Naughtn
and Russell, Detective WetherhOTn, Mr.
Ambrose Ehrlich and MORNING News re-
porter, Williams faced Mr., Derst and
charged him with being the prompter in his
crime and partioipator in the ill-gotten
goods.
OTHER STORES ROBBED.
If the Negroes story is true other houses
besides Ehrlich & Bros have suffered from
the same style of robbery. Williams in
PRODUCED his story by telling Of his financial
obligations to Mr. Derst on account Of
money advanced to him when he ran a
small grocery store and the trouble be had
IN trying TO pay Off this indebtedness.
Williams said that one night in december
last while IN MIR. Derst's store the
tee naNa 20 hot
he could make some money by
packing barrels with meats and gro
ceries, Disgusting them with heads of
grits barrels and selling them by medium Of
the house 70 friends. Williams claims thai
he objected and MIR. Derst remarked that he
had been working the racket on the Savan-
nah Grocery Company through a porter
who had been discharged some time pre-
vious and he did not see any reason why
Williams could not do the same thing with
Rhrlioh & Bro.
SAID HB WAS URGED TO 1T.
81 did not make any promise" said Will
Jams, land went off thinking about it, A
few nights afterward, in January, l went
into Derst's store again, and Derst called
me aside and asked what l was going to do
about the matter he had been talking to
me about few nights before 1 told him
was afraid. but finally agreed to try it, and
Derst promised to give me $40. He then
gave me So 30 TO buy the barrel as grits and
next day l fixed 1t up. paid John Brown,
a WAGNER, 81 to come to the store and buy
the barrel with the 50 50. Brown got the
barrel and carried it to Derst's store, and
he used what was in II. 1t contained Con-
tinentsl hams, white meat and can of
lard.
AN ALLEGED BROKEN PROMISE.
"That night went 70 Dersts store and
be only gave me 50 so, promising to give
me the other So later. He said: ALLAN, the
next time you work this trick leave out
these -- Continental hams. They are
too easy to be caught up with on account
OF the covers, and If the covers are taken
off the flies will spoil them l went back
several times to Derst to get the balance of
So, but he wouldn't give it TO me and | got
mad and refused to send him any more
barrels.
Then" added Williams, 81 went over to
another store and told the proprietor about
the scheme 1 was working and the way
Derst had treated me. l offered to send
him barrels Of meats and groceries the same
way, provided he would give me $40.
RISKY BUT WORTH TRYING.
"He studied awhile and then said: its
risky thing, but if you can work it care
fully Phi 60 IN. He gave me $40, and next
day / paid the office for
barrel Of grits and sent out barrel of
hams, white meat, bacon and lard to his
place. The barrel which was being sent out
when was arrested was also for him. The
only reason | can see for Derst giving me
away after putting me up to the job is that
l sent the goods to a rival and he got mad
because he was being undersold"
Williams told the story sitting within a
foot Of the man be was charging with being
partner in his crime, and when Mr. Derst
interrupted him with the remark, "Allan,
IL
his hand on his knee and replied
WILLIAMS REITERATEs HIS CHARGE.
''Mr. Derst, know 1 am guilty, and if I
have to die for it l am going to tell the
whole truth about the affair. You
were the first man TO put this in my head.
You used the barrel Of meat / sent you, and
IL never was taken away from your store
by wagner, as you claim. Before that
once in Mr.. Ehrlich's store YOU tried TO get
me to fix up a barrel of good rice under
cheap grade barrel head, saying there would
be few dollars in 1t for me, but told you
j had to always let Mr.. Enrich examine
the rice before | ooopered the barrel ~
MIR. Derst made a statement in reply to
Williams charges. He went over the
ground of his transactions with Williams
10 money matters and real estate about two
years ago.
DERST'S DIFFERENT STORY.
ment between Williams and himself about
ordering barrel of grits from Ehrlich.
Three weeks ago" said Mr.. Derst, ''Will-
Jams called at my store and asked If l would
let him order barrel of grits In my name
from Ehrlich q Bro. / told him he could
20 ahead and Williams handed
me so cents TO pay a wagner whom he said
would call for 1t at night. While was up
town the barrel reached my store and was
put alongside of lot Of others. That night
a woman came TO the store and asked for
some extra fine pearl grits. In looking
around l found Williams barrel with
Baltimore grits label on it, stamped e fine.
l opened it, and instead Of grits found il
was filed with meats. closed it up again
and shortly afterward a WAGNER called and
carried the barrel off.
WILLIAMS COUSIN IN IT.
A few days ago williams again came to
my store and asked me to order a barrel of
rice for his cousin from Ehrlich & Bro.
but told him didn't want to have any
thing TO do with him or his cousin. as the
grits barrel affair was dishonest, and if his
cousin wanted anything he had better go to
Ehrlichs' himself. l then notified Mr..
Ehrlich Of the matter"
Mr.. Derst was questioned by Mr.. Ehrlich
about his method Of doing business, and he
said It was common for grocers to order
things from wholesale stores for their GUS
toners as matter of accommodation.