The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-27
@BILLYY ALExANDER, BURGLAR.
The Thief Who Robbed MFR. Billing
toms House an Old-Timer.


Chief of Police McDermott was not mis-
taken when he said that the negro James
Williams. who was arrested Thursday, for
the burglary Of MIR. Robert Billington's
house on State street. was one Of the best
catches made by the detectives in a long
time. Williams had refused to tell the de-
tectives where he lived, claiming to have
no regular residence.
Yesterday morning about o'clock, an
old negro woman, accompanied by a ne
gro man, called at the barracks and inquir
ed lf"Willy Alexander had been arrested.
There was no such name on the books, and
she was asked to describe the man she was
in search of, 1t being the usual thing with
the lawless class of negroes to have three
or four names for variety's sake. Her
description suited williams exactly. She
said that Alexander was her son and that
he sold books for living. The old woman
said that her son had been in the city
since December and that he lived with
her at No. 105 Farm street.
The couple was politely invited to be
seated, and Chief McDermott at once dis
patched the detectives to the house on
Farm street, with Instructions to search
the place and bring back all of Alexander's
plunder. They Gid so and made a rich
haul, returning with clothing, jewelry
and bric-a-brac. They also arrested Aman-
da Thomas the woman with whom Alex
ander was living at his mothers house,
on the charge of receiving and disposing
OF stolen goods.
Including what was found on Alexander
when arrested and what had been pre-
viously recovered, together with the
goods recovered yesterday, nearly every
thing stolen from Mr.. Billington's house
on the night of March % has been recov-
cred. Among the articles recovered yes
terday were lady's gold watch, two gold
guineas of the time of Queen Anne, sill
yer cup. silver hand glass and a number
of smaller articles.
Several suits of clothing were found in
Alexander's trunk. In the lot was pair
of trousers with the name of Charles
Burroughs written on the waiStband. The
house of a Charles Burroughs in Augusta
was burglarized last week and Chief Nc
Dermott does not doubt that Alexander
was the burglar, as he has made several
trips away from the city recently. He
has probably committed burglaries In
other cities also. A pair of tan leather
shoes was found in AleXanders trunk,
and were identified as one of a lot stolen
Broughton, near Congress street one
| night last week. On the same night the
! house of a Mrs. Smith living on Duffy
street was burglarized and suit Of
clothes and a gold watch were stolen
Alexander is believed to have committed
! that burglary also.
! The keys which were found hanging in
the lock OF chest in Godstein's place
were found to fit the lock of Alexander
! trunk. A tape measure and watch key
| found on Alexander are believed to have
| been stolen from the house of Mr.. Robert
| Haym's on Perry street, about two weeks
! ago The police are still looking for two
! gold watches and a silver watch, watch
| they believe were stolen by the negro.
Alexander is a dark, heavy-set man,
with a large scar just back Of his left
! eye, which gives an evil effect to face
| naturally forbidding in appearance. Ac-
! cording to his mothers story, he comes
naturally by his deviltry. His father, she
| saws. died in the pententiary, having been
sentenced there from Augusta for COM
hitting rape upon his own daughter. She
! had not seen her son in ten years, she
! saws until he arrived in Savannah in De-
! cember. Alexander made a pretense of
selling books and music, and in this way
secured entrance to houses which he af-
terward robbed.
Chief McDermott has some children's
playthings, including a wool rabbit and
| a small bowl and pitcher, and also a
! Young Mems Christian Association pin,
which were among the articles found in
! Alexander's room, which have not been
identified as yet, and for which he would
/ like to find the owner.
Alexander, Ben Wilson. Ed Jenkins and
Andrew Saxon were taken by the detec-
tives to Wilson'S Photographic gallery
Yesterday afternoon, and their pho
tographs were secured for Chief
McDermotts gallery. Wilson and
jenkins are held for murders CON-
mitted elsewhere. and Saxon is charge I'd
with stealing a gold watch at the South
ern Oil Companys mills.