The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-06
TO MILL DIR. HALE.
AyOWed Mission Of Crank at Nara.
gansett Pier.
CAME PLANNING TO MURDER FA-
NOUS PREACHER.
Was Arrested by Officer After Hard strug-
gle-Belo ngs in Memphis and VIII Be
Detained in Asylum Until His Folks
Come for Him.

| RlG-BelO nSB III 1VciDph&S es"~ ''~~- ~
Detained in Asylum Until His Folks
Come for Him.
Providence, August 5.-The suspect in
Kingston jail, who was supposed to have
had something to do with the bold
burglary at Dunmere, the residence of r..
G. Dunsof New York, has been identified
as William Collier, theological student
| from Memphis, Tenn.
He is now held for an assault upo n
Detective J. 7. Northrup, who captured
him upon the lonely road leading to
Matunuc beach at a late hour at night.
Collier failed to give q satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION of his business in South King
ston and about Narragansett Pier, and
was apprehended, but not until he mad g
hard fight for liberty.
Intelligence received from the prisoner 6
father at Memphis today conveyed the in
formation that young Collier is crazy,
| and request is made that he be conf1ne
| in an asylum until some arrangement
can be made for his removal to the south.
| 1t was also learned today that young
OOlll6F IldU COillc oil tlIO way W .1GllOu6
| Island and was bound for Matunuc for
the avowed purpose of assassinating Rev,
Edward Everatt Hale who is spending the
| summer months in his cottage, about a
mile from Matunuc beach.
| For several weeks past Collier has been
sending threatening letters from Maria
gansett Pier to DR.. Hale and when one
Of these was returned unopened last week
Collier went down to the cottage in per-
son and members of the family became
| frightened at his actions.
| Since his confinement Inc has talked a
| good deal, but it was not until last night
that he would say anything about himself
and his mission to Matunuc. He declares
now that he came here TO kill DR.. Hale
because he has been teaching false re-
| ligion. ssHe is an impost er. and I'm go
| ing to she'd his blood" said Collier re-
peatedly. Tim the second Messiah; I'm
Christ who has come into the world to
shed the blood of sinners, even as Jesus
Christ shed his blood for u.s.
| Collier says his father is a lawyer In
Memphis, and that his family member,
are all prominent people. At times hi
talks intelligently, and he appears to b.
rational, but his periodical rawlings are Of
the widest nature.
1t is thought that Collier would hayt
waylaid and slain DR.. Hale had the op
lportunity occurred.
Collier came to the Pier from Boston
! about 10 days ago and hired a room o
Mrs Stephen Knowles. He stayed il
his room nearly all the time and wrote
necessarily. He said he was engaged in
most important work and complained o
| q pain in his head, and said he would ik,
to get some light out door work to do il
! connection with his writing. 1t wa
seldom he could be induced to come to hi
meals, and when food was sent to hi
room he often returned it untasted.
When Mrs. Knowles tried to expostulat
with him he said:
'You do not know whom you are talk
ing to-; am the second Messiah and hav
come to redeemsthe world. -
He frequently spoke of DIR. Hale an,
/ said the doctor was a great man to say
| souls, and he would learn from him to G.
the same.
Last Wednesday afternoon he got lette
which bore the Wakefield postmark. II
seemed much disturbed. He borrower
some old clothes and left early the mex
morning, saying he would return. Whel
he had gone Mrs. Knowles found a lette
open on her desk. The letter read as fol
| lows
"You have two diseases. One is wha
the world calls coJfceit and the other
, laziness. You had better go to work. -
The letter bore the name of DIR. Hale.
Collier was heard of Saturday mornin
near Point Judith. He called at a farm
house and inquired for Wakefield, sayin
!, he had missed his way.
Saturday afternoon Miss Hale saw
suspicious looking man lurking about tn
premises. This was the doctors sumne
residence near Matunuc Beach. She mott
fed the police as soon as she could
Officer Northup of Wakefield found tn
man Sunday evening hiding in piece Q
woods near the town.
When be saw Northup he at once too
!, fight When overtaken he grappele'
with the officer and desperate hand-to
hand conflict took place in the darkness
of the woods. Northup received bal
scalp wound but finally succeeded il
securing his prisoner. He was taken t.
Kingston and will be lodged in an asylum
until his family can arrange to take hin
South.
He is raving wildly tonight and say
that Mr.. Hale tried to balk his efforts t.
save mankind and that he had been in
! spired to take the doctors life.
i; WASN'T FOSTER LEE.