The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-09-24
Startling Story Was Told to the Police BY Mail
Carrier j. Frazier Wets.
WAS IT A BULLET OR A LEAD PENCIL
Hole Wiets's Hat?-Thats the Question
Which Has Puzzled the Detectives Stationed
Upon Premises --iDeteetives: Are
Working Hard on

]. Frazier Willets, the mail carrier
who claims to have damaging evidence
against an acComplice of Czolgosz,
came into police headquarters Thurs
tional story of thrilling revolver duel
he had with some anarchists, who mad
attempted to take his life The sta
tion was thrown into a hu5 bub OF eN.
ctement for time as the dramatic
incident was related to the police and
Wiletss hat was shown them with
bullet holes in it. A detail of soldiers
was ordered to the house as a guard.
Several detectives accompanied the
soldiers and they looked over the
scene, interviewing the neighbors, who
had heard the shots 6red. The ac.
counts given of the number of shCts
and of the men, who had made the at
tack are very conflicting.
One of the detectives, Martin Bud
ner, of Cleveland said after he hal
made his investigation; The whole
thing seems to me to be rather fishy.
Shots were evidently fired but Ivy
whom It would be difficult to say. wa.
lets may have been fired at but if it is
so the shots were only fired to scare
him. AS to the bullet holes in his hat
it seems to me that the bullet must
have taken very strange course to
cut three holes in his hat. 1t looked
very much to me as though those GUl.
let holes were
MADE BY A PENCIL
being punched through the felt. saw
pencil marks around the edges of the
holes"
Whether the shooting was a sham
or not intense excitement was caused
in town by the various reports that
were circulated.
Mr.. Willets made q statement
sworn to, on last Monday. of what he
had seen and heard of the man that
he positively identified as C2olgosz, for
fear that something might happen to
him and the authorities would not have
his statement. He had
HAD WARNINGS
before as was stated in the News-Dem
ocrat exclusively Wednesday morning
Mr.. Willets said when seen by re-
porter at that time: 81 seemed fated
to meet this fellow everywhere | went
upon the boat Of course | had no
idea OF who he was but as soon as
saw the pictures that were printed of
him I was positively able to identify
him as the man who crossed with me
10 Buffalo. He was a mild looking
chap with light hair, and would never
have noticed him save for his talking
against the trusts and against Nc
Kinley
'In the evening, when ! came on
deck | saw this Czolgosz in earnest
conversation with a man who was
leaning against the capstan. The fell
low was entirely different in appear
ancc. He was a fierce looking speci-
men with very dark complexion. lie
mustache. This was the only time I
saw the man. Fle seemed to disappear
after that. but when saw the picture
Of the supposed accomplice | was sure
the man who was talking TO the assas-
sin and the accomplice arc one and
the same"
On Tuesday it Is believed that he
was being shadowed, for there were
two men watching him who were heard
10 ask if that was not the mail carrier
who was to appear against Czol
gosZ. the assassin. A gentleman. Mr.
Willets said, stopped him OH the street
Wednesday, and cautioned HIM to be
careful that there were certain parties
who were determined
TO KILL HIM.
According to Willets's own story, he
had with the federal employees marched
in the funeral procession of the late
president in the afternoon, he being
one of the old mail carriers in this
city, and had gone home earlier than
usual. He was sitting in his room at
720 Union street, when lIo heard
noise in the hack yard. He went
across the street to Sandy McDonald's
saloon and asked MIN to send for tae
police, He then came out and walked
down Reynolds street to the side en-
trance 10 his yard, for the house is on
the corner OF Union and Reynolds.
Just as he started in the cato he says
he saw man in the shadow at the
end OF the long woodshed running
along the edge OF his back yard. No
sooner had he;seen him than the man
SHOT All HIN,