The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-20
POLICE HAVE A CLUE
COLONIAL PARK MURDER MAY
SOON BE SOLVED.
sTRIcTEsT SECRECY NOW.
DETECTIVES ARE WORKING WITH
THE UTMOST CAUTION.

Many Theories Have Been offered
since the Murder, and All Are be-
ing NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. May BE
on the Right Track, but VIII Not
DivuIre Information Believed to
BE in Their POssession-Pack"S
of Clothing Found Near Scene OF
Tragedy May Prove of Importance.
Police in the Parks.
The murder of Samuel 7. Baker In
Colonial Park is still a mystery, al
though the police say they are work.
ing with all their power to obtain some
trace of the assassins. There appears
10 be some doubt that the killing was
done by a lone highwayman.
Since the publication of the report
of the murder by the Morning News,
Monday the police have been offered
probably a dozen clues. While some
have been highly improbable, and al
most impossible, they have been close
" followed. Almost every conceivable
theory has been advanced and each is
being carefully followed.
The officers are in possession of one
clue that will probably lead to arrests,
although the conviction of the suspects
may be somewhat difficult. The police
are moving cautiously in the hope OF
landing the murderers Vithout a slip.
1t may be several days before the clue
ia worked to the end, and an arrest
may be made within the next twenty
four hours. The detectives want TO
be absolutely certain before they move,
and have no desire to blunder at
point where they are convinced they
are about to unravel a crime that thus
far has been a mystery.
A number of articles of clothing were
found shortly after Mr.. Baker was dis
covered in dying condition, and they
may have some connection with the
tragedy that has so thoroughly stirred
the city. The police maintain the
strictest secrecy concerning the finding
of the package, and for this reason,
if for no other, it is thoubht that the
garments are believed to have been
connected in some manner with the
killing. The package was found under
a stoop and within a short distance OF
where Baker was struck down.
The Colonial Park murder has caus-
ed timid people to use some other route
through the park, where, before the
An officer is stationed in the park
during the afternoon and until 8
O'Clock at night, but none there after
that hour. The officer is kept in the
park during the afternoon ana
early evening to prevent the de-
struction of shrubbery by the
children who make the place their play
ground. 1t has never been considered
necessary to keep a man on duty there
do, RI Of Ia "
unity to police headquarters. and be-
cause of the further fact that officers
who patrol streets leading to the park
are continually on it's outskirts.
There are several very dark spots in
the park, and the presence of an Of
ficer in the place would not have pre-
vented the tragedy the police say, if
the patrolman happened to have been
in some other part of the park. They
say the crime could have been COM
mitted without detection. even though
several officers had been In the park
They contend that il was not a ques-
ton of patrol duty, but of the oppor-
tunity of those with criminal inten-
lions. The same crime might have
been committed in almost any section
of the city at the same hour.
In Forsyth Park an officer is kept
on duty at all times. This the police
say is due to the fact that there are
large quantities of flowers and plants
that might be stolen, but for the spec
ial police protection the City Council
may be asked to add several lights in
Colonial Park with view to making
1T safer for pedestrians after nightfall.
The Mayor was asked if the murder
would result in any patrol of
the park at night. He replied
that two men would be re-
quired for such a service, and
that the police are needed for other
duty that is more important, perhaps.
when it is considered that there is no
necessity for pedestrians to take the
park route late at night. There is a
patrol of Forsyth Park at night, but
that park, the Mayor said. is in the
line of greater thoroughfares than
Colonial Park.