New-York tribune., 1901-09-02
MURDERS In GOLF CLUB.
TWO SERVANTS BUTCHERED
IN THEIR ROOM.
TRAGEDY AT THE SIwANOY-ONE MAN
ARRESTED ON SUSPICION-THEORY
THAT THE CRIME WAS COM
MITTED BY BURGLARS

Siwanoy Golf Club. which is in COrcoran Manor,
the most aristocratic part of Mount Vernon.
were found murdered in the clubhouse at an
early hour yesterday morning. The men were
literally cut to pieces. and the attic room in
which they had been sleeping was spattered with
blood.
The steward. David Scott. a coIored man. about
forty years old. had evidently been stabbed in
his bed. which marked with bIoodstains
while John Stevens. his companion. was found
lying on a bed IN the corner of the room with
one big cash in his right leg and another near
his spinal column Scott crawled out Of the
bed after being wounded. and his body was
found lying in a big pool OF blood on the floor.
big carving knife. with which the crime had
evidently been committed. was found by Coro-
ner Banning in the folds Of the stewards shirt
Eoth men had retired, and the room gave no
appearance Of a struggle.
1t rs the opinion of members of the club that
the assassin must have broken in and while
ransacking the rooms for money have been dis
covered and the steward and head waiter
stabbed to death, but this theory is not wholly
borne out by the facts.
The murder was reported to the Mount Vernon,
police at O'Clock in the morning by Warner
Slmms. the colored cook of the club. who occu-
pied room at the end Of the hall leading ta
the attic where the servants were murdered
Simns and the dead men were the only occu-
frame building They all slept on the third
floor. He told Chief Foley that about o'clock
he heard some one moaning "Oh, Dave! Oh.
Dave!" The sounds seemed to come from trs
attic ROOM short time afterward Sirnrns got
up and went into the ROOM He says he called
to the men. and. receiving no reply, became sus-
pictous and lighted the gas He found Scott
lying dead almost at his feet. Stevens. he says,
was lying bed and was not quite dead. but
ha yr-,5
appeared to be breathing his last Each of the
two men bore dozen more stab wounds
Simms was in his night clothing at the time.
THE CRIME REPORTED
few minutes before o'clock he appeared at
the police station and reported the crime CHIEF
Foley says that when simms reached there he
seemed cool and collected. There was no evil
dence that he had hurried away from the club
TO tell the police. the Chief thinks would have
been natural. Simms. he says, dressed himself
very precisely. and when he came to the station
he a white waistcoat and bore the general
appearance Of a man who was on his way to a
wedding a party. AS Simns was the only
man known 10 have been at the house at the
time the crime was committed. Chief Foley ar
rested him at once. ssus
Coroner Banning. who visited the club at g
o'clock and examined the bodies. was OF the
opinion that the men had been dead for fully
five hours. The Coroner and the police also found
the sheet in Sinms's bedroom spotted with
blood, and there Indications that he had
tried to wash blood stains from night shirt
which he had worm Chief Foley believes that
simms is the guilty man. and that he did not
report the murder for several hours. He says
that the bathtub was used early in the morning
by some one and he believes that Simms. after
committing the crime. went there to wash the
blood away
Simms is about fifty years old. He says that
he lives at No. 1873 West -hundred-and-
twenty-sixth-st.. Manhattan. He has been in
the employ of the golf club about six weeks and
came there the recommendation OF the Rev.
Granville Hunt. pastor of the coIored Baptist
Church, of Mount Vernon. who is brother-ia-
law of the murdered steward. Chief Foley aIsol
caused the arrest of Frank Dunning, another
young colored man, who was at the golf club
Saturday night. but seems unable to give any
account of what time he left there where hs
went afterward. Dunning. il is known, went to-
a telephone in a barber shop in Mount Vernon
late Saturday evening, and called up the club.
He was heard to remark to some one on the
other end, This man will cost three dollars" A.
motorman on the Chester Hill trolley road says
that Dunning came down from the club about
IL O'Clock at night. He said that he went there
to visit the other help. who are friends OF his.
The Rev. Mr.. Hunt says that all Of the mem
who were at the club on the night OF the tras-i
edy were friends.
MONEY THE MOTIVE. =
"Some devil" he declared knew that thess
boys had money there that they had taken in
for cigars. meals and drinks. and broke in and
killed them to get it. They were all friendly to-
one another. Warner Simms is all right. He
is true steel. and don't believe that he killed
NV brother-in-law. His record from Saratoga
Springs to Jacksonville a waiter and caterers
is good He is early riser, and very precise4
about his dress. It is a fad with him to take a.
bath every morning before he goes out. ThsF
other young fellow under arrest. as I understand
IT," continued the clergyman. was asked to look
for extra walters When he teIephoned the club,
this man will cost $3.' have doubt that he
referred to waiter whom he was trying to en-
gage for Sunday. Both Scott and Simms are
married men. Scott came to Mount Vernon LAST
fall at my solicitation from Baltimore where hs
was at one time butler for the president Of thef
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Dave Scott was
at my house between o and 10 o'clock last satur-
day night He came there to see his MOTHER
who is dying He remained only short time.
and then said. Well, I'll hurry back. There's A
big crowd at the club. and we are very busv'-
Mr. Hunt says that John Stevens came tai
Mount Vernon last July from Virginia and Iats-i
brought his wife and child Until he went y,
work with the golf club he boarded with Mr.
Hunt at his home. No. 10 Cortlandt-st. Mount
Vernon. He says that Stevens bore good rem,
utation. and in the Spanish war served as can
tain In the 9Th Virginia Regiment
When seen in his cell last night by a ranor+a-
Simms declared his innocence. He said that bs
and the murdered men Uera t,a Y,as+ - -.