The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-19
WILLARD MYSTERY.
Police Doubt the Druggists
Story Of the AS
Sault.
INVESTIGATIONS
Were in the Neighborhood at the
Time the Rumpus is Said to
Have Taken Place.

The stories of the assault upon Druggist
Willard of Greenville, published exclusively
in THE JERSEY City NEWS, have caused the
residents Of Greenville to take a renewed
interest in the case, the circumstances of
which are becoming more shrouded in
mystery as the efforts to get at the realfacts
are being made.
A reporter Of THE News devoted much
time last evening to an endeavor to clear up
the matter, but the search for facts had to
be abandoned before the desired result was
attained. Few, if any, of the residents be-
leye that the men who Willard says as
aulted him, committed the outrage without
desire to settle some grudge they held against
him, and a number of residents are Of the
opinion that the assault never took place.
WHAT THE POLICE BELIEVE.
Among the persons interviewed by the re-
porter was Sergeant Harrington OF the Fifth
precinct, who was within a block of Will
lard,s store at the time the druggist says
the assault took place. Sergeant Harrington
left the station house exactly at twelve
O'Clock with the night relief, and accom-
panied by Policeman Dunnigan walked
down Ocean venue towards the car stables.
Dunnigan was to relieve Policeman Dunn,
VINO QaQ DeeQ Oh Uuo pOcb 1AOAt Ola OCiuCA
until midnight. Neither Policeman Dunn
nor Sergeant Harrington heard anything OF
the s~cuffie, nor saw any men in the vicinity
at that time.
As Sergeant Harrington was passing the
druggists store, Willard, who was in the
store, and not in the hail. tapped on the win
dow so as to attract the Sergeants attention.
Harrington and Dunnigan halted, and Will
lard opened the store door and told the Ser
geant that he had been assaulted. Willard
said that the men ran down Ocean avenue,
towards Hooker avenue. The Sergeant
made note of the particulars as told by Will
lard, and secured q description Of the men.
He then started to search the neignoornood
and visited every saloon nearby. Policeman
Dunn, relieved of duty, said that he had
been standing at Hooker avenue, and
was positive that the men had not
gone in the direction Willard said they did.
harrington and Dunnigan were equally
positive that the men did not go in the OPP
posite direction, as they would nave met
them had they done SO. Harrington and
Dunnigan inquired at all the saloons if any
one had seen the men at any time during the
evening, but no one could be found who
could answer in the affirmative.
At the time Sergeant Harrington had
doubts as to whether Willard was assaulted
or not. but he made an investigation as a
matter of precaution.
SERGEANT FARRINGToN's OPINION.
When interviewed last evening he said:-
81 am positive that IL the assault was made
the men who committed it did not go in the
direction Willard SAYS they did. When Will
lard spoke to m it seemed to me that he was
under the influence of liquor, and conse-
quently I did not put much faith in his
story. 1 visited all the saloons in the neigh
borhood, but could not find anyone who had
seen the men. Policemen Dunnigan reported
the matter at the station house,
When Mr.. Willard reported the assault to
Sergeant Harrington On Friday night he
was positive that the men ran down Ocean
avenue towards the car stables, but when he
was interviewed by the reporter on Sunday
he said that the men ran across the vacant
lot, alongside his store, towards Hooker
avenue, and that they did not run down
Ocean avenue,
Another peculiar circumstance is that of
Wizards injury. The druggist said that he
was struck a hard blow on the left optic, but
on Sunday the organ was not even black, as
would be the case if 1t received the blow
Willard said it did. The eye had a blood
shot appearance, but this was not very
noticeable. The question that the Green
vile residents would now like to have
answered is, "Was Willard assaulted, n
f not, why does he say he wasp