Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-09-11
ANNAPOLIS MD. MONDAY. SEPTEMBER IL. 1899.
MURDER AND ROBBERY.
Ferdinand A. Robinson Slain In
His Fathers Store.
ROBERT GROSS, CoLoRED,
Arrested Here Yesterday On a Bugeye,
Charged With The Crime Con-
fined In The CITY Jail.

Arrested Here Yesterday Un a bugeye,
Charged With The Crime Con-
fined In The City Jail.
A shocking murder was committed in
the Third district OF Anne Arundel coun-
ty between 7 and IL o'clock Saturday
morning, when Ferdinand A. Robinson.
a respected young man. just past his
twentieth year. was murdered in the store
OF his father. John Robinson, about three
miles south Of Curtis bay. The county
police officials and detectives from Balti-
more worked all of yesterday upon the
case.
Robert Gross, a colored man, about
IS years old. who is suspected of the
crime. was arrested here last night. Gross
was not at his home yesterday. He lived
about 900 yards from the Robinson store
and his wife, his wife's aunt and another
colored woman who lived in the house
with Gross were arrested rs witnesses
and locked up in the Curtis Bay station
house. The names of these women are
Lizzie Armstrong, said to be Gross wife.
and Armstrong is said TO be his real
name, and Ida Brown, or Coates. who
was not related TO any OF the other ne
groes living in the house.
Ferdinand A. Robinsons father, who
keeps the store. lett home Saturday morn
ing with his wife to 60 TO Hawkins Point
TO take orders. Another son, Augustus.
went 10 Baltimore to buy goods, and
Ferdinand, who had been in bad health
for some time. was left in charge of the
store.
THE MURDER DISCOVERED.
The first intimaiion that anything was
wrong was when passers-by discovered
that the store was locked up long after
the hour when II should have been open
ed. According to their testimony it seems
clear that the murder was committed be-
tween and 8 O'Clock. At IL o'clock
Mr.. and Mrs. Robinson returned home
and found the doors of the store locked.
Knockings brought no answer. An en-
trance was affected. Behind the counter
lay young Robinson. dead. He had
fallen upon broken earthenware GUS
pdore and cut his face. The right side
OF his skull was crushed in. although the
skin was not broken. showing, evidently.
that the blow was delivered with some
blunt instrument.
Upon his throat were bruises. one small
one on the right side and larger one on
the LETT. The murderer probably grasped
his victim by the throat with his right
hand and dealt the fatal blow with the
left. The small bruise on the throat
would mean the thumb and the large
bruises the four fingers. The place had
been robbed. A accent piece and IoI
copper cents were taken from the till and
other things in the store were missing.
The upstairs rooms had been visited and
trunks and bureau drawers searched and
many articles stolen. Two silver watches
belonging TO the boys were gone. One
Of them bore the initials of Ferdinand
+. "A. X. DIR. L. Is. Horton, of Curtis
Bay. summoned jury OF inquest. great
excitement being caused by the discovery
OF the murder, and the jury. through its
foreman, Daniel Duvall. decided that
Robinson had come to his death at the
hands OF some person unknown.
TRACING THE CRIME.
Chief OF Police Harry Acton csmmu-
nicated with Marshal Hamilton, of the
Baltimore police force, and Detectives
Pohler and Brennan were put upon the
case. With Chief Acton. DIR. Charles III.
Brooke, Sheriff Frank S. Revell, VIM.
G.. Gischel, president Of the Board of
County Commissioners; Frank Hancock
and Samuel Chairs, the detectives, went
to the scene of the murder.
In Gross, house they found the three
women already alluded 10, all OF whom
seemed TO have several names and all Of
whom told different stories. They de-
clared that the last time they had seen
Gross was abont 10 o'clock on Saturday.
Others had seen him sailing away in his
skiff about that hour. He said that he
was going to Annapolis, and Sheriff Rev
ell came here TO meet him. A bag of
nour and bag of sugar was found in
Gross house. Just such articles were
missed from the store. Other storekeep-
ers said that Gross had never bought
from them more than few pounds of
-four in his life and never a bag. One
of the women said that there was no bag
of -four in the house early Saturday
morning.
An undershirt, with blood upon it, was
found in the house. and in the pocket of
woman's dress. hidden between mat
tresses. was found pair of brass knuck-
les. They might have inflicted injuries
uphn mans face. II was suggested
that revenge might have been the motive
Of the murder, because young Robinson
had refused Gross credit. This rumor is
not well founded. however. because
Gross people have had credit at the
store since the time referred to. The
sole motive seems to have been murder
and robbery.
GROSS ARREST.
Sheriff Revell learned that Gross had
left Stoney creek. fourteen miles from
Annapolis, about noon Saturday. He
tracked his course down the bay in the
bugeye Isabel" which Gross had hired
from Jos. w. Trautwein. OF this city. 1t
is supposed the murder was committed
to raise funds to purchase an oyster Ii
cense, and that Gross came to Annapolis
with the intention of getting out the Ii
cense today. The Sheriff came here yes
terdsy afternoon by train. He dIscov-
cred that the Isabel was tied up near
Dubois wharf. He found the owner.
and with Deputy Sheriff Bryan and Mr..
Trautwein and Mr.. Charles <. Martin,
| they began 10 search the Isabel. They
found club made of several rollers put
| together. potato masher. rolling pin
and some ollcloth rolled under the stern