The sun., 1903-11-23
ARRESTIN THE TOWER MURDER
MAN TAKEN AT THE FUNERAL
OF OPERATOR CLENDENNEN.

VI NhV AVAu NASh-h<Aet
dennen Telesraphed Were "re''-Giil.
tho Day Operator, Says . Negro Is
Under Arrest and Has Confessed.
| WILLIAMsPoRT. Pa, Nov. 22.-While the
funeral services were being held over the
| murdered telegraph operator, William Glen
dennen, in the Union Church in McEhattan
| to-day, a constable arrested suspect
as he stood In the crowd outside and spirited
| him away to the county Jail at Lock Haven
before the crowd learned what was hap
pening. The man who is In custody at
Lock Haven is Arthur William Mitcheltree.
neighbor Of the dead man.
Since the murder was first committed
Mitcheltrees name has been mentioned
in connection with the affair and on the
day after the murder, Friday, 1t was
thought that he would be placed under
arrest. When the time passed and 1t was
not done it was thought that the detectives
had concluded that there was no evidence
| against him. The arrest to-day, while a
great crowd surged about the church. came
as a surprise, especially in view Of a
statement given out late last night by
Operator NJ. A. Gill, who has the day shift
at Brown Tower, to the effect that the
murderer was known to the detectives
on the case and that an arrest would be
made within twenty-four hours.
Many believe a mistake has been
made, and that Mitcheltree can easily
prove an alibi. Gill, the day operator at
the tower, Is the man for whom 1t is thought
the murderer was looking. Gill speculates
| in stocks, and a story recently became
current that he had made 81 500 in one deal.
1t was also reported that he carried with him
a large amount OF money. Since the muir
| der Gill says he has been In the confidence
| OF the detectives who are working on the
case. He declared positively that the
name of the murderer was known and that
an arrest would positively be made.
Gill said that at Shamokin yesterday
| negro was arrested who had the watch
| OF the dead man. He was taken to Lock
| Haven, where he was kept. The man,
| Gill said, confessed to his part In the affair.
| He told story full Of details, according to
| Gill. The negro, he says, has been secreted
to keep the public from any knowledge Of
| the affair until the actual murderer is taken.
| The negro, according to Glrs story,
went to the tower with the assassin, and
remained at the bottom Of the stairs with
spike maui. while his partner went up and
| held up the operator. After the first shot,
which broke Clendennen' left arm a furious
fight occurred, during which two more
shots were fired. Having but three loads,
| the desperate fed to the bottom Of the stairs
| for the spike maui.
This gave Clendennen an opportunity to
send his message OF death to Jersey Shore.
He had not completed 1t when he heard
the man returning, and closing the key
automatically, he rose to meet him again.
A terrible blow from the heavy hammer
crushed the skull of the mortally wounded
man, and he fell TO the floor in heap.
From the tower the engine bringing relief
could plainly be seen, giving the men enough
warning to make of, after having first
searched the body for plunder.
| Gill says that the last part OF the message
sent by Mr.. Clendennen spelled the last
letters OF the murderers name. He also
! says that while the Jersey Shore operator
failed to hear the first part Of the name,
another at station to the west Of the tower
heard it and that the two coupled the name
of the guilty man. 1t is known that the last
letters sent by the dying operator were
tire and this is where the strange coinci-
dence, If it ia nothing more, comes in with
the arrest of Mitcheltree.
Mitcheltree was seen by THE SUN corre-
spondent this afternoon in the jail at Lock
| Haven He said that he was arrested by
! Constable Dan Myers while the services
we're In progress. He was hurried to Lock
Haven and put in jail He says that the
| constable refused to say why he was ar
| rested. other than that he was charged
with the murder of Clendennen. He added:
"Why, have known Clendennen ali rny
| life. At the time the murder must have
taken place I was at the home Of Ed Colbe.
half mile from the tower. An hour later
I came to Lock Haven and attended the
| theatre
When Constable Myers made the arrest
he took from Mitcheltree a gold watch
which was crushed and not running. Asked
about this watch, the prisoner said that it
was the property Of Miss Overhill, Lock
Haven young woman, whom he took to the
funeral Of Clendennen in carriage. She
had dropped 1t as they drove along and one
OF the wheels of the buggy passed over 1t.
The funeral Of Clendennen occurred at
10 o'clock this morning at McElhattan
Thousands Of persons we're present. When
the interment was made in Linwood Gene
tery, many we're weeping At the church
services the Rev. j. #. Poyen read a
notice Of the reward Of $500 which had been
offered by the New York Central Railroa ad
for the arrest Of the murderer The service
was attended by majority OF the telegraph
operators in this part OF the State. who ar
rived in special trains, one being from
Jersey Shore and the other from Patton,
the terminus Of the Beech Creek division
Of the New York Central Railroad.
When the crowd was dispensing, the news
of the arrest Of Mitcheltree spread. BY
that time, however, Constable Myers was
we'll on his way to Lock Haven with his
prisoner.
TAMAoUA. Pa. Nov. 22.-An to-day large
SQUADS of Reading Railroad detectives
ana policemen and posses Of farmers have
scoured the mountains on the Shamokin
division between here and Willamsport
in search of The man or men who murdered
Operator Clendennen at Browns tower,
heat Operator Hafer into insensibility y
at Allenwood and robbed the station, and
ON Friday night robbed the Girardville
station. ..
agents along the line are armed and armed
neicemen are riding on the trains. The
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