The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-11
STUPIDITY.
Police Didn't Think to Look
at Hotel Registers.
Otherwise Cyrus C. Armstrong Would
Have Been Found Alive.
The Business Record of Deceased Was
without Flaw.

1t does not sound well to state that the
cause Of Cyrus c. Armstrong; death was
in part poison and in part police stupi-
dity. But the fact remains that II IL had
not been for the stupidity the poison
would not have been taken. What the OFF,
GERS of the Central police district might
easily have ascertained early on Wednes-
day evening when Armstrong was alive
was left for an Arlington House chamber
maid to discover at noon the next day
after the overdose Of morphine had done
its work. AT 8 o'clock Wednesday after
noon. Mr.. John G. Massie noti-
fed Chief of Police Child that
Armstrong was missing and asked that
the case be investigated as quietly as pos
sible. The chief followed the usual Gus
tom and notified the captain in seven
different districts, and they in turn told
the patrolmen that man named Cyrus c.
Armstrong, of such height, pessonal APP
pearance, ETC., was missing, and that was
the end of 1t. There are q dozen or more
hotels in the central district, among them
being the Arlington House. Armstrong;
name had been written on the register of
the latter hotel early that forenoon, seven
hours at least before the police had been
told of bis disappearance. But it never
occurred TO Captain Stevens of the cen
trail district nor to his lieutenants
to suggest to the men that they
might make inquiries at the
hotels and look over the registers
aud of course IL never occurred to the men
themselves to do 1t without being so in
structed. Therefore Cyrus c. Armstrong
was left alone long enough to meet with
his death.
Mr.. Massie today intimated to Captain
Stevens that ordinary intelligence might
have suggested the hotel registers
as being able to furnish pos
sible clue, and Captain Stevens
makes an excuse that would seem
ridiculous IL 1t did not pertain to such q
serious matter as the untimely and un-
natural death OF a respected citizen. He
says that the hotel guest books were not
examined because Mr.. Armstrong;
friends had requested that no publicity
be given to his disappearance. or course,
policeman or detective, either in
uniform or citizens clothing,
could not exercise his privilege of looking
at list OF names in public house with
out the object of bis search being known to
every man, woman and child in the city.
That is what Captain Stevens seems to
think. Still the officers were not wholly
man had been reported as missing and IL
he didn't come up to them on the street
as they travelled their beates and disclose
his identity it was not their fault.
His Brother-ip-Law's Hesitation.
Hesitation alone prevented the discov-
cry of the whereabouts of the late Cyrus
{. Armstrong last Wednesday afternoon,
for while he was hidden In room 20 of the
Arlington.Hotelh his brot her in law passed
and repassed the build ing several times,
trying to make up his mind to
go in and inquire for
him. He concluded, however, that
the object of his search could not have
visited that house. He continued his
rounds, visiting the more imposing and
prepossessing hostelries and telephoned
to all the out-of-town hotels.
IL Mrs. Armstrong; brother had entered
the hotel, he would have found the sigma
ture &C. q. Armstrong. City," plainly writ
ten on the register and the mans life
would have been saved.
The more people think about Mr.. ARM
strong's peculiar sickness Monday the
more firmly convinced they become that 1t
was attributable to poison and not to
grip"
Neighbors noticed his peculiar manner
when he arrived home Monday afternoon
and describe IL as "a dazed appearance"
The car stopped long time
and Mr.. and Mrs. Armstrong
alighted, the former walking slowly and
acting as II he did not know where he
was going. Assistance had TO be called to
get him up into the house and Mrs. Horton
who lives down stairs, hurried up to see
what the matter was. She says that Mr.
Armstrong complained OF head and
stomach troubles, she gave him
a phenacetine powder. That night he
slept comfortably, 1t Is said, and on
Tuesday declared he felt better, but
would not go TO the Office.
IL was because he appeared
so well that day that medical assistance
was not deemed necessary. Wednesday,
as stated In THE News, he left to go
to work, apparently as well as ever.
His leave taking OF Mrs. Armstrong BODIED
no III and her feelings when he failed to
come hume at night can be better imagi-
ned than described. She visited her next
door reighbors. the Dexters, and asked
what could be done. and everything that
could besuggested was tried. Much heart