Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-13
A BULLET THE ANSWER
Arthur Wells Preferred Self-Inhicted Death
to Arrest.
Ex-Detective Edelin,, Who Witnessed
the Affair." Held by the Police
Death Ensues Today.

yet twenty-four years old, shot himself
through the head last evening, as he pre-
| ferred death to arrest, disgrace and SEN
terce in prison. The shooting occurred in
| his room at As 9th street last evening
| about 7:20 o'clock, and the only person
| in the room with him was ex-Detective
William 2. Edelin,, who was there for the
| purpose of arresting him. There was no
doubt about tle facts in the case. but
Edeln, who had done a clever piece of
| detective work. was placed under arrest
| by Inspector Hollinberger's detectives and
| locked up on suspicion" Just what was
suspected was not made matter of record,
| but the officers said this morning that he
| was arrested and held until the case could
| be Investigated and it was shown beyond
| a doubt that the ex-detective did not use
/ the pistol
Arthur Wells, who has been a butter
merchant for several years. sold his butter
| from wagon, but business has not been
| so good this summer and 1t is charged he
resorted to stealing in order to keep up
| appearances. His scheme was to go to q
: livery stable and hire buggy and harness
| and then fail to return them. At one
stable he acted in the capacity of horse
| and pulled away the vehicle, while at
| thee other stables he had a horse with
him. The livery stable men who have been
| victimized in this way are John Mclaughlin
| of I'd street northeast, George A. Orrison
of 46S c street. Thomas d. Chapman of
| It'll street, and Mr.. 1inlins, whose stable is
| on o street. The first of these buggies
| was obtained about two months ago and
cases have annoyed the detectives. Most
| of the livery stable men were notified of
the thieving game that was being played,
but the man who was conducting the game
was not caught.
Edelin, Called In.
When Mr.. Orrison's buggy was hired and
! taken away in this way and the police de-
partment failed to get the man. he called
| in the ex-detective, who made an investi-
CATION. He soon concluded that Wells was
| the man, and SO informed the officers at
headquarters. Thinking the police were
too slow in the matter, Edelin, had war
rant issued from the Police Court for the
| arrest of Wells. He had talked to Detective
Boyd about the case, and yestedlay when
! he had procured the warrant and learned
| that Wells was about to leave the city he
| went to headquarters and wanted a de-
| tective to go with him and make the ar
lest. But Detective Boyd was not In and
| to take part in the case, and the conse-
| quence was that the ex-detective went
| away very much dissatisfied
About o'clock in ut, the evening Wells Wells
sent word to the police, but before Detec-
tive Boyd reached there Wells left to go
to his room. Edelin, had not given up the
| investigation, and when he learned that
Wells had gone to his room and was 60
| ing to leave the, city he nastened to the
room in the 9th street house and was
by the colored servant in the house. Some
| months ago he had met Wells, who was
| connected with the theft of a watch, and
when he entered the room the alleged law
breaker recognized him.
| The latter was, seated on chair near the
! window Edelin, told him that he wanted
to see him and was inclined to be friendly
with him, as he had hoped to learn what
vehicles
| The Fatal Shot.
"You want to see met" queried Wells.
YES" responded the ex-detective. who
started over to shake his hand, when he
saw Wells reach toward a small table. He
picked up a pistol. AS the mans arm was
turned in the direction of the head, the lit
tie 22-caliber pistol was cooked, and before
Edelin, could grab him the trigger was
pulled, and the bullet was sent into the
mans head, passing in at the right temple.
Having been unable to prevent the shoot
ing, Edelin, grabbed the mortally wounded
man to prevent his falling from the chair.
but he did not fall.
The colored girl who had ushered the
| eX-officer up to the top of the house, had
only descended about four steps, and the
report of the pistol SO badly frightened her
| that she fell headiong down the steps,
Edelin, rushed down stairs to the front
door and called to MIR. Orrison to go to po-
lice headquarters and summon an ambu-
lance.
Detectives GaIlaher and Rhodes respond
ed and they placed Edelin, under arrest, as
already stated, on suspicion" and he was
| taken to the first police station and locked
up.
When Wells reached the Emergency Hos
pital he was in a dying condition. The bull
let the physician found had passed through
the skull and had entered the brain, in
fiicting an injury which was necessarily
fatal.
The Detective Held.
Ex-Detective Edelin, is held to await the
result of the mans injuries. Inspector Hol-
linberger said this afternoon he thought 1t
was due to all parties that the coroners
jury should pass upon the matter. While
he felt certain that the man shot himself
he thought it would be much better that
the coroner's jury should exonerate Edelin,
than that he should now be released.
The wounded man was very low this af-
ternoon, and the doctors think he cannot
live many hours.
Later
Wells died at the Emergency Hospital
this afternoon.
To Treat for Lands.
q. B. Grtnnel of New York, w. M. Glenn
~ w ~