Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-25
TWO PIERCE MEN
IN CUSTODY
Arrested Last Night, Char ged
With Having Murdered
George B. Eyre.
STRONG CHAIN OF EVIDENCE

HUMAN BLOOD IN THE IADOMUS
BOAT CONSIDERED ONE OF THE
STRONGEST LINKS - EYRE's
MISSING WATCH AND RING.
Chester, Jan. 25.-James Pierce and
Amos Pierce, also known as "Pinny'
Pierce, were arrested late last night on
a warrant sworn out by Chief of Po
lice Berry, charging them with the
murder of George b. Eyre.
"Pinny" Pierce was taken into GUS
tody at his home, No. 23 Graham
street, at IL o'clock, and locked up at
City Hall. The police then went to the
house OF James Pierce, on East Eighth
street, but, not finding him there, pro
ceeded to the home Of Pierce's father
No. 35 Graham street, where James
was arrested. Pierce was also placed
in a cell at City Hall.
Both OF the accused declined to talk
about their arrest. They were given a
preliminary hearing at o'clock this
morning before Alderman Smith. After
brief examination they were commit
ted for further hearing, at which
the commonwealth hopes to presentsuf-
ficient evidence to warrant their being
held to await the action of the grand
jury.
"PINNY" SUFFERS FROM MENTAL
STRAIN.
"Pinny" Pierce, who had a hemorrhage
Tuesday night, is reported not to be
any worse. DR.. Fred II. Evans said
last night that "Pinny' is more or less
worried by the nervous strain on his
system. HE has been splitting blood,
and says he cannot sleep we'll"
Had he talked with you about a
probable arrest?" he was asked.
No; but his family mentioned it as
a probable event"
Two important links in the chain OF
circumstantial evidence leading up to
the arrest were the finding Of blood
stains in the Ladomus skiff and the
meeting of John r. Way. of Marcus
Hook, with Jim Pierce on the day fol-
lowing the disappearance of Eyre, at
which Pierce showed a roll Of money
and wore a ring answering the de-
scription of the ring worn by the MUIR
dered man. Yesterday came official
confirmation that the stains in the
skin were mammalian blood. This re-
port was made by DR.. George A.
Sweeney, who was charged with exam
ining the stains. He says that he first
made chemical analysis and found
the stains blood, then under a micro
scope discovered that 1t was mamma
Ian blood.
"It was not duck blood?" he was
asked.
mo. it was not duck blood, nam
malian blood, probably human blood
Df1rna Il hrII -
bail to answer the charge Of the lar
ceny Of the Ladomus skin, which, 1t ii
alleged, was in his possession about
the time OF Eyre's disappearance.
GOOD DAY FOR CLUES.
This is the best day we have hat
in running out clues" said Chief Berry
yesterday. That the chief has a grea
deal more up his sleeve than he ha,
given out is patent from the many con
ferences he has with District Attorne,
Smith. These conferences are at regu
lar periods and lengthy.
EYRE'S MISSING JEWELRY.
The statement of Storekeeper Johl
Way, OF Marcus Hook, concerning tn
alleged display OF money and valu
able jeweled ring by Suspect" Jim
Pierce to him on a car. on the da,
following the disappearance Of Georg
B. Eyre, appears to have stimulates
the easy going police authorities of tn
town into sudden activity in an effor
to discover what became Of Eyre's gol
watch and possibly the ring.
The discovery that the timepiece wa
missing from the pocket of the ma
when his body was drawn from tn
Delaware of Raccoon creek led yester
- III Lnawa -.
fro and apparent inquiries here and a
Wilmington and Philadelphia in an ei
fort to locate the watch at some pawn
shop or in the hands Of dealer in oil
gold.
The obvious duty Of the police woul
appear to have been to obtain dc
scription of the watch when the dir
appearance occurred, but it turns OF
that the police did nothing Of tn
sort.
NO TRACE OF EYRE'S WATCH.
In a conversation yesterday upon TIL
point Chief Berry said: "All / kno
about it is that it was a medium size
watch, open-faced, with an engiI
turned gold case. 1t was made to o
der for Eyre's father by Bailey, Banl
& Biddle, Of Philadelphia, about 1Sl
VI looJs 4 ldNC uob BNNA dbAC- " Noh
across anybody who could give me Il
case number or movement number,
which it could be traced
When informed that his question
had BEEN given to understand that Il
police had these numbers for sever
weeks, Chief Berry replied: THAT
not so. / don't know them now. All
have is a general description of Z
watch. I placed the matter in I
hands Of party few days ago,
tending to notify Captain Miller.
the Philadelphia headquarters. but
find it was not attended to. He W
telephoned yesterday in reference
seeing Bailey, Banks G. Biddle. / su
pose they keep a record Of the nan
of customers for whom they ma
watches, and that it would be easy
locate this particular watch in II
way"
FUTILE HUNT FOR RING.
Chief Berry said he had not succeI