The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14

Bill was arrested was the fingers Of his
right hand. None were missing. I had
heard him threaten the girl, but was sat
ned that he was not her murderer The
doctors said she bad been strangled, but
no one appeared to see whether
there were five finger marks or only four
The fact that no struggle had taken place
was great point with me, but the others
made no note of it. A professional detec-
tive should understand human nature
Bill Wheeler was a tough, but not a
criminal, He could have no motive in
killing the woman. He might beat and
abuse her as Ihad heard him threaten
to do, but he would not plan her death.
The murderer had not given his victim
the Notwithstanding. AS soon as he enter
de the room hesiezed her by the throat and
bore her down. When he knew that she
was dead he quietly left the place, and it
so happened that he was seen.
BILL WHEELER, THE BULLY WAS TRIED.
You, no doubt, read of the trial of Bill
Wheeler for the murder of Susan White,
though such trials are so common that no
one outside the police is interested. Judg-
ing the man from my standard, he was a
"bluffer," with no more courage than a
woman. / went among his acquaintance
and ascertained that he was all bluff and
brag, and had never been known to strike
a man. Such a cur would probably strike
a woman, but he wouldn't grip her throat
and hang there while she died by inches,
as it were. At the first sendoff only one
person claimed to have seen Wheeler
about the house that night, and all the
inmates were certain that no screaming,
cursing, or ,other row had taken place.
1t wasn't week before four different
persons claimed to have seen Bill, and
three OtharS. 1spnlauo harad IF rrcr 10
woman cry out and run around her room
as if to escape some one Indeed woman
came forward and testified that she saw
Bill when he left the room and that as he
went downstairs he muttered: I've fin
ished her and am glad of it -
There is no doubt that Wheeler was
seen and recognized by one person. All
the rest of them coolly and calmly pref
ured themselves. If you are surprised
at my declaration let me add that one of
the greatest distractions in the path of
the professional detective is the too will
ling witness. A certain class of men and
women want certain notoriety. They
want it said that they furnish clew and
they glory in being called as witnesses.
At least half the failures of the police to
capture criminals may be set down to the
false information furnished by those who
want to be mixed up in the case. 1 may
safely go farther. Let ten houses be
robbed, and the inmates of at least eight
of them will declare their loss
to be double what it really
is. As matter of fact
the robbers may have been seen at only
one house, and yet the inmates of five or
six of them will give personal descrip-
tions of at least two midnight visitors.
When l saw the web being woven around
Wheeler l set out to find the guilty party,
believing the young man who came down
on the car with me that morning l have
spoken of to be the man. You will say
| had an advantage over the professionals
1t would have been an advantage had l
not gone to the superintendent and re-
lating every incident
WHERE THE PRIVATE DETECTIVE WON.
s'My dear SIR he replied as I reached
the end of my story, 1.-The theoretical
detective is as numerous as the leaves on
a tree and about as worthless Bill
Wheeler and no one else murdered that
woman and we shall convict and hang
him. Please don't trouble yourself about
the matter"
expected just what [ got, but 1 went
to work Just the same. The Berdan
avenue car line passed the o. and O. rail
road depot. The Boston express came. in
at 1880 a. m. It was s o'clock when en-
tered the street car and saw the Young
man. l remembered that he yawned
occasionally, like one who was still
sleepy. l put in two days of hard work.
and secured the following pointers: He
had come in on the Boston express; hehad
occupied upper 10 in a sleeper he was
without any baggage; he had taken a
light breakfast at the depot Where he
had passed the day in the CITY
could not ascertain, but, as it
was summer, l believed he spent
most of the time in one of the public
parks. He had come from Boston-tha,
is, he had taken the night train there
but might live anywhere in New Eng
land. l went to Boston with clew to
work on. 1 had sized him up as more or
less as society young man. His dissi-
pated look and good clothes went to show
that he was a high roller. He had a
solid watch chain, a fine diamond pin,
costly sleeve buttons, and silk hosiery
That signified plenty of money. 1t was
no task at all to strike the trail of my
young man. l got track of him in a hotel
billiard room, and before II o'clock at
night / fonnd him lunching with two
other young men at swell cafe. Within
two minutes after set eyes on him l had
satisfied myself that the second finger of
his right hand was missing.
AKD JUSTICE WAS CHEATED.
To satisfy nyself as to the young man s
identity,khsd. taken a; seat at a near by
table 1t did. not occur to me that he
might Fernem Der my features as well
and if l made. any mistake in the case 1t
was right there. 1t was perhaps ten min
utes before he looked over at me. He
was drinking heavily and in a reckless
mood. saw him give start and turn
pale and then / knew he had recognized
me. He doubtless believed that [ was a
professional detective and there to arrest
him His first idea, as l saw by his de-
neanor, was fight, but he instantly aban-
doned that as useless. His face took on a
naughty, defiant look as he gazed at me,
and all of a sudden out came a small re-
volver, the muzzle was pressed to his
temple, and before hand could be raised
he had pressed the trigger and sent bull
let into his brain. Who was he? The
son of a broker, as you may remember.
The newspapers said he had beea disap-
pointed in love and was temporarily in
sane. Why did he murder Susan Whitel
Because he was libertine and she was
one of his victims. He had hired her to
20 away, not caring where she drifted,
but she loved him and was jealous of him
and was threatening his peace of mind.
He had killed her to be rid of her.
had all these facts, just as | had stated
them, and yet Bill Wheeler went TO the
gallows My facts were facts, but not
proofs. The professional detectives
laughed at me when stated them, and l
could not go upon the stand and prove a
single point Wheeler was as innocent
of that crime as the Judge who sentenced
L. ba still boast Of the n