Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-20

BURN, STAB AND ROB
Billy Williams Startling Story to
the Grand Jury.
HIRED TO KILL SERGEANT DALEY
A Gang Burned the Steamer Lady
of the Lake.
HIRED TO KILL SERGEANT DALEY
TIE SAFE ROBBERY CASE


Since Billy Williams was taken before the
grand jury Thursday the police have had
| their hands full of clues and have done
| many long miles of leg work in working
them out The fellow talked with frank
ness and fluency seldom seen in a witness
from the criminal classes, and his story
was really an embarrassment of disclos-
| ures.
The special crime about which the dis
trict attorney expected to get testimony
from Williams was the safe robbery at the
dock Of the Alexandria Ferry Company, by
which $500 was made way with. Williams
was given chance to turn states evidence
on this case. and, 1t is stated, declared that
| he was In the job and that Ed. Desmond.
John Dempsey and Charles Alton, alias
Jack Alton, were his associates. In ac-
cordance with the statement made by Will
iains the grand jury issued an Indictment
against one of the parties-Charles, or
Jack. Alton-this morning, and the police
are trying to find him. All the parties to
the AFFAIR have been indicted for house
breaking and robbery.
One Highly Connected.
The correct name of the party called AL
ton is withheld for the present, as the case
against him rests SO far only on suspicion.
He is young man about town, highly con-
nected in Georgetown. and it is supposed
he was with Williams and the rest when
they crossed the river In the boat simply
for a lark. and not only did not know that
q real crime was intended, but did not take
any of the money.
That Williams was ripe for overtures
from the district attorney looking to his
"soueaiing has been suspected from the
start since his arrest. He Is a product of
the race courses and gambling dens across
the Potomac, living by his wits and hand
and glove with the tough characters that
frequent the purlieus OF chance in OFer-
ralldom. OF late he has also swung to the
other end of the arc, and also been a caller
at police headquarters. His ostensble OBJ
ject was to get a place. if he could, under
Col. Wilson, superintendent of public
grounds, and he has sought the indorse-
ment Of number of officials connected
with the police department
What Made Williams Squeal.
Besides this, of late he got married which
was taken as a very safe and reliable in
dication that at the right chance he would
give away his pals and out with the whole
story Of the crime with which he was
charged with being connected. 1t is an old
precept with detectives that when a thief
marrieS he will turn states evidence to
keep outside prison " alls.
No one was prepared. however, for the
wholesale breakdown and give-away which
Williams permitted himself to make Thurs
day, when he met the grand jury. He not
only told what part he had in the safe rob-
make a clean breast of all his wickedness.
and, If possible, begin life clean-handed
once more. He went on and told circum-
stantially how gang of his associates in
steamer Lady Of the Lake. and asserted
that they did that deed purely as a matter
of business. He gave names, dates and all
the facts contributing to circumstantial
or met rto and foil inv
cation, for, if true, means of corroboration
are easily available.
1t was rumored at the city hall this
morning that Williams story Of this crime
had already probed it and found evidence
CROUCH to justify several indictments,
which would be issued in few days. Will
liams brought his disclosures down to date
and told how he had been approached since
he was put in Jail with offers of assistance
in getting bail. If he would not squeal.
A Hired Assassin.
But this was not the end of his category
of crimes, and the last is even more star
tling than those which precede it. Will
l:sm ms detailed, with minute accuracy, a
plot to assassinate Police Sergeant John C.
Daily and a citizen VINO is supposed to have
given information in number of liquor
cases.
Concerning the plot to murder Sergt.
Daley and a citizen, the police received
months ago, and Sergt. Daley has been
heavily armed and on the alert ever since.
He was ready to give his assailants a
warm reception had they tackled him, and
he is probably confident that the inquest
which would probably have followed
meeting would not have been held on him.
An Anonymous Warming.
1t has leaked. out that the sergeant re-
ceived an anonymous communication warn
ing him of the plot, but just how he was
to have been killed his informant did not
say.
1t is thought however, that he was to
have been shot or stabbed, probably the
latter, because the reports of pistol shots
would have attracted attention and led
to the capture of the officers assailant.
The letter said to have been received by
the sergeant warned him that because of
his connection with whisky cases he was
to be done up." and telling him that he
had better be ready at all times to defend
himself.
The handwriting led the officer to be-
lieve that the letter had been written by
some iliterate person who had overheard
conversation between some of the con-
spirators, and the officer regarded 1t as
having been prompted by the best motives.
Following the receipt of the letter Sergt.
Daley made an investigation and, while he
was perfectly satisfied that his life was in
danger, he could not get down to the names
of the parties in the alleged conspiracy.
The Blood Money.
Williams revelations to the grand jury
confirm the warning that reached Sergt.
Daley. Williams said it was over three
| months ago that. he was hired to do the
job, and he had been watching ever since
to get chance He was to be paid several
| hundred dollars for doing the murder.
| Sergt. Daley, when seen today, said he did
not know anything about the story of Will
Jams to the grand jury, and was not in
clned to talk much about the matter, more
| than to say that he had at one time been
warned that his life was in danger. Like
| many other officers who had received simi-
| lar warnings, he had needed it and been
prepared to meet any attack on him.
With the exception of Dempsey, all the
men implicated in the safe robbery are
! known to the police, and they expect to
| catch Alton before sundown. Dempsey has
not been located, but every possible clue
| is being worked out carefully. Williams
| having turned states evidence is now be-
! ing treated as a witness, and has. been.
given the large double cell occupied by
| Frank Ward.
Gone to His Brothers. Funeral.
| Secretary Carlisle left here this afternoon
for Independence ky.,to attend the funeral