The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-11
Young Willis and His Con-
fcSSiOn of Murder.
Conviction Would Have Been
Difficult Without II.
Some OF the Amusing Features Of
Chase After Desperate.

There is now no doubt as To who
killed bicycIist Strange The confession
OF young Her bert Willis has settled that
matter, and he will undoubtedly receive
the punishment his crime deserves.
Had ne not confessed, however, there
would have been grave doubt as to
whether he could have been convicted. at
least that is the opinion OF gentleman
whose profession makes him q competent
Judge in such matters. In talking with
the Gossiper last evening this gentleman
said: "It is fortunate for the police ana
for the ends OF justice as well, that this
young desperate has made clean breast
OF 1t and admitted bis guilt OF the MUIR
der of Strange. Had he held to plea OF
innocence, it would, TO my mind, pe
almost impossible to secure a conviction,
even though it was known he was thief
of very desperate character.
"The whole case against him would
have to depend largely on the testimony
OF Strange's companion on the fatal
night, aud as understand 1t, the latter
while reasonao oly sure, was not positive
In his Identification of Willis as the
masked highwayman who killed Strange.
With a shrewd and able criminal lawyer
to defend him the chance OF acquittal or
at least OF a disagreement OF the jury
would. far exceed the chance OF convic-
tion. A good many people criticise the
police for ther method of dealing with sus-
pected persons. They do not think 1t fair
10 have the police lay snares for them
while they are in confinement, but / can
tell you that ii II were not for this sort OF
work a much larger percentage OF Grim
inals would escape punishment than Is
now the case. Take the case OF Willis,
there Is not the slightest doubt that
his confession was due to the TACT
that he believed the police had discov-
essd- a good deal more concerning him
and his connection with the killing
than was really the case.
"M7 own opinion is that the police
are justified in employing any means
not dishonest to- get at the facts in
cases Of this character.
81 have been thinking since reading
OF the arrest that Mr.. Dawson ought to
consider himself fortunate that he es-
capped with a whole skin on the occasion
of his attempt to detain the suspected
bicycle thief in his store until the ar
rival or the police. And 1t was fortu-
nate also that he got a bead on Willis be-
fore the latter had chance TO pull his
guns. Had not Mr.. Dawson done this
there is no telling what might have hap.
ptned; certainly Willis would not have
hesitated 10 commit murder to regain his
II eriy, and any one or all of those in
the storo might have been his victims
had his got out his gun before he was
covered by Mr.. Dawson's empty revcl-
yer. His subsequent doiDgs on North
Main street and his desperate fight with
the police when arrested show conclu-
sively tnst Willis would have hesitntod
at nothing TO secure his threatened lib
erty.
"Ihere are some amusing features
about this matter that are made all the
more so now that we know all the facts.
Take for instance the statement of Chief
Baker he Gay after Willis escapade at
Dawsons, TO the effect that he was satis-
1eo the bicycle thief was still In the
city, AZ all the reads out OF town were
guaroed. AT the ve-y time this statement
was made Willis was probably cleaning
f1sn In bis fathers store at Taunton; but
what made this statement appear pos
jtiyely ludicrous, even at the time il was
made, was that had tho chief read the
morning papers he would have seen that
SO far from remaining in the chiefs baili-
wick the bicycle thief had been playing
highwaymsn over in East Providence, e, and
a few hours later had ridden through a
detail OF police sent out TO intercept HIM,
and who did not have the judgment to
follow his tactics of placing a rail across
the road in order 10 compel him 10 stop.
And then IL the chief really believed the
thief obIgIngly remained in town to be
captured at leisure, why did ne send cut
his bicycle brigade TO beat every bush
In the country for miles around. Truly
this hunt for the bicycle oesperado. or at
least the Providence end of IL, was very
amusing"
An English Clerpvran Oyercome