The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-25
SEES HIS GHOST
ANONYMOUS WRITER SAYS HE Is A
MURDERER.
KILLED OFFICER FENDER
DEAD PATRoLMAN's FACE BEFORE
HIM WHILE HE SLEEPS.

rhe Writer Says That He Is a White
Nan and That the officer Insulted
aim-Wanted to Surrender, but HIS
Wife wouldn't Let Him-Claims He
threw the Brick at Ofhcer-Says
THAT Under Cover of Darkness He
Assassinated Fender In the Lane.
Does Not want Henry Brooks Pun
tsbed-Letter Was Written on
1VoshInston's Birthday to Record
ar .Iyrick-Turned over to Police
Who Are Mum.
Recorder Myrick has received an anony-
nous letter stating that Patrolnan Har-
~ 3. Fender was not killed by Henry
brooks. the negro now in jail charged
with the murder. The writer of the let
,sr declares that he. is white man and
The SLAYER of the officer. despite the tes-
timony of witnesses and the fact that the
coroner's jury held Brooks for the homi-
eide.
The letter is a lengthy one. The envel-
one was addressed to the police magis-
trate. but the letter was to the Judges
ST may concern" The writer declared that
The man with the light coat and high hat
is innocent of the charge on which he Is
being held and if he is convicted an in
nocent man will pay the death penalty.
He says that several months ago Fender
grossly insulted him and he then made
up his mind to kill the officer at his first
opportunity. He failed to say in what
manner he had been injured.
The anonymous individual wrote that
he was the party who struck the patrol
man in the abdomen with a rock, in Per-
~ lane, near West Broad street, several
weeks before the homicide. At that time,
he thought that he had killed his man.
but saw in the papers a. few days later
that Fender had recovered. He coolly
alleges that he then made up his mind
TO assassinate the officer in the same lane
and got revolver for that purpose. He
says he remained in a dark corner in
Perry lane until Fender came along. The
officer was going directly towards him.
he says, when he fired three shots from
his revolver. He did not wait to see what
became of Fender, out ran down the lane
and escaped. He says that there were
several negroes in the lane at the time,
and that they to ran. lie makes no
mention of having seen the man with the
light overcCat and high silk hat or Of
having heard the shot fired on West
Broad street, when Walter Burns was
shot.
The writer of the letter declares that
he has felt the pangs of remorse since
the deed was committed, and two or three
times he has been on the point of sur
rendering to the police. According to his
well-worded story he has the face of the
officer constantly before him and can
hardly sleep. He had no peace since tho
otticer,s death, but explains that this is
due more because an innocent man is
charged with the crime than because ne
committed the act himself. He AYERS
that he would have surrendered, but has
been prevented from doing so by his
wife, whom he told of his crime The
man charges that negroes have often
been punished for crimes committed by
white men and that in the event OF
Brooks conviction an old story will be
repeated. He closes by saying that If
he does not decide to give himself up he
would like to see the police eaten him.
As soon as Recorder Myrick received
the document he called at police headquar-
Cers and turned it over to Superintendent
of Police Screven. He was of the opinion
that the letter was at least worth in
vesugating, and SO stated to the head of
the police department. The detectives ad-
Vanced the theory that the
letter had been written by some
friend of Brooks and so stated to the
recorder. An effort was made yesterday
TO obtain copy of the epistle but none
OF the officers on duty at headquarters
would admit knowing anything about it.
One Of the city detectives stated that he
had not seen the document and another
refused to discuss the matter at all An
unsuccessful effort was made last night
to see Superintendent Screven. 1t is not
believed that the police will pay any at
tenton to the letter.
Brooks sti occupies the cell that~for-
merly contained Seaborn Hayes, the muir
derer of Motorman Varnadoe, and con-
unues to insist that he is Innocent of the
charge entered against h m. He denies
that he shot either the n, gro. Burns or
Patroman Fender and says he was. ar
rested while he was trying to find out
what the shooting was about.