The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-08
M'lWILLIAMS DEAD
Ez- Chief Of Jersey City's
Police Commits Suicide
in New York.
HAD CANCER OF THE STOMACH
The Story Which Led to His
Resignation Twenty one
Years Ago.
HAD CANCER OF THE STOMACH

Edward L. McWilliams, for twenty-one
years private detective in the Astor
House, New York, and for ten years chief
of police in this city, committed suicide
yesterday afternoon in room los on the
third floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel,
West Broadway and Chambers street. AT
two o'clock, when he was through his
work, instead of going to his room IN the
Astor House as was his custom he went
to the Cosmopolitan, got room and ask
ed the clerk to have him called at four
o'clock sharp. When the bellboy knocked
on the door at that time he got no answer.
He opened the door with pass key ana
found McWilliams lying on the bed with
bullet hole in his right temple. On the bed
beside him was a new revolver and box
of cartridges, from which but one had
been taken. The bullet had gone through
his temples and was found on the floor.
On the dead man was found diamond
ring, a diamond shirt stud, gold watch,
a locket set with large diamond, gold
trimmed eyeglasses, a pair of gold cuff
buttons, a gold pencil, $40 in bills and
some small change The body was re-
moved to an undertaker's.
When the managers of the Astor House
were notified they telephoned to Jersey
CITY for Dr. W. W. varick, a relative of
McWilliams. The doctor came over at
once. Being told that McWilliams had
shot himself with new revolver, ne
said
80 he got another one, did he? took
his last one away from him. He talked
of shooting himself then. He had cancer
of the stomach and was very despondent
at times
AeWilliams was one of the best known
figures at the Astor House, handled many
suicides in his long service there, and it
was doubtless to avoid trouble to the
hotel that he chose another house IN
which to end his life. He was born in
Jersey City in 1872 When the Civil War
broke out he enlisted with the Twenty
first New Jersey. In the war he con-
tracted rheumatism and an explosion de-
stroyed his hearing.
When he returned to Jersey City he
Joined the fire department. Shortly after
that he became a detective. When Jersey
City, Bergen City and Hudson City were
consolidated he was made chief of police.
Early in his term. when Jim Fisk car
ried the Erie Railway books out of New
York 10 Taylor's Hotel, McWnIiams was
in a position to do many favors for Fisk.
Fisk afterward, it is said, made McNill-
Jams a present of $4,000.
On June 3, 1872. McWilHams was in
Philadelphia as a delegate to the Republi-
can National Convention. That day Mary
Beamer, who let furnished rooms at No
3 Exchange place, Jersey City, told Ham
ilton Wallis. President of the First Ma
tional Bank, No Exchange place, that
three men who had hired room in her
house, called themselves artists and work
ed only at night were cutting through the
walls of both buildings and into the bank
Acting Chief Edward McEIorney was
notified and found that Miss Beamers
story was true. The men had concealed
the hole by setting bookcase before it.
The room was raided that night and the
men were arrested. They gave their names
as Proctor, DENIM and Foley and were
sent to State Prison for ten years each.
Then Proctor charged that McWilliams
was in collusion with them and had
agreed to protect them and share the
proceeds of the robbery. He said that had
McWilliams kept his word and remained
in Jersey City Miss Beamer's story would
have been told to him and he could have
warned the burglars. McWilliams denied
the charge and said that the fact that he
had gone away was proof that he was not
in the plot. The Grand Jury indicted Nc
Williams. His first trial resulted in a dis
agreement and on the second trial he was
acquitted. The Police Commissioners ad-
vised him to resign. He did so and then
became a detective at the Astor House.
Not long after he was attacked by a man
named Johnston in Cortlandt street, New
York, and shot him dead. 1t was shown
at the inquest that Johnston was friend
of the three burglars and the Coroner's S
jury exonerated McWilliams. McWilliams
was a friend of Thomas Byrnes and of
Captain McClusky. He has a speaking
acquaintance with almost every detective
and policeman of any note in the country.
A brother, Jefferson McWilliams, is
President of the Manhattan Delivery
Company of No. 50 Broadway. He is now
out of town. Two sisters survive the dead
man.
Chief Murphy said in regard to the
death of McWilliams, whom he succeeded
twenty-one years ago.
'McWilliams probably knew more about
crooks of all kinds than any other police
officer in the country said Chief Muir
ply. HE has been of the greatest as
sistance to me and to many other police
men throughout the country. Through
his efforts the police of this city have
recovered many thousans of dollars
worth of property and got trace of men
NEEDED for different crimes.
He was an excellent officer He had
the respect and esteem Of police officials
throughout the county. There is probably
none of Importance with whom he was
not acquainted. Many clever captures
are credited to him in all sections When
he got on case he showed an unusual
shrewdness and was very seldom unsuc-
cessful. The case that could battle him
was necessarily of most extraordinary
character"