The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-02
MYSTERY CLEARING
POLICE SAYS MRS. THORNTON's
son USED KNIFE
THAT WOUNDED Hal
HARM.
YOUNG MAN AND FRIEND ARE
MADE PRISONERS.

MADE PRISONEhs.
Both Deny All knowledge of the
Affray-BeasIey Claims He Was
with Thornton Continually From
: O'Clock Until IL O'clock, But
Thornton Admits That He Was
Alone for About 40 Minutes-Ofii-
GERS Believe wounded Man Has
Been Observation-Disclosures to Have
Him Moved-suspect That He Was
TO Have Been Spirited Away.
Confident that they have solved the
mystery that has surrounded the cut
ting of Hartridge Harm in Yamacraw
last week, the police yesterday caused
the arrest of +. E. Thornton, son of
the woman who was with Harm at the
time of the assault, and who is pris-
oner al the police station house, and
Walter Beasley, a companion.
The arrests were made by Patrolman
Jernigan, who is certain that Thornton
stabbed Harm. The prisoner strenu-
ously denies the charge, and says that
he will be able to prove a complete
abb. Harm is stin confined at the
Thornton woman's home on Bay street,
and the police have not yet been able
to have him moved. The attending
physician states that the mans con-
dition will not warrant his being trans
ferred to the hospital.
The police say that all the mystery
that has been worrying them clears
away in the face of the theory that
Thornton stabbed the man who was
his mothers companion. They say
that Mrs. Thornton disarmed Harm, as
she has admitted she did, because she
did not want her son shot. The Off
GERS contend that if Mrs. Thornton had
not taken the revolver from Harms
pocket he would have been able to kill
his assailant. The police theory is that
later Thornton objected to his mothers
intimacy with Harm, and that it was
mothers natural instinct that caused
Mrs. Thornton to seize Harms pistol
when the assault was made.
Was Harm Threatened
Badly wounded Harm was taken to
the Thornton home where the police
believe he was further inundated.
The officers think that he was warned
not to disclose the identity of his as
sailant under penalty of death, and
that since the ARRAY the wounded
man has been afraid to speak the
truth.
The police are Of the opinion that
after Evans had been released. and it
had been shown conclusively that he
had no connection with the case, that
Harm was bullied and intimidated into
saying that Evans had cut him. They
are OF the opinion that they will Sc
cure a true statement just as soon as
Harm is taken to a hospital.
Young Thornton admits that his
mother paid the attending physician
his first fee of $40 and guaranteed that
the bill would be paid. He also admit
ted that on Thursday he purchased
suit OF clothes for Harm with money
given him by his mother The police
say that the purchasing of the clothes
was probably part of a plan to spirit
Harm out of the city.
Thornton laughs at this charge and
says that he bought the clothing for
Harm to put on and so that he could
go to police headquarters. The officers
are convinced that they are at last on
the right track and are making every
effort to have the wounded man moved
to a place where he will be safer.
Conflict in Stories.
Beasley, who is charged with being
an accessory, denies all knowledge of
the ARRAY, but tells a story that does
not agree with the one told by Thorn
ton. He says that he was with Thorn
ton continually from o'clock until II
o'clock on the night the assault was
committed. Beasley is certain that he
1o1z I'M
that time and says that they remained
together in Smiths bar until about 10
o'clock.
At that hour the bar closed and
Beasley says he remained on the cor
ner with Thornton for quite awhile
1t was during this time, he says, that
one of the Thornton boys reported
what had happened. Thornton took him
home, he says, and left him about
II o'clock. Beasley insists that dur
ing this time he never lost sight of
Thornton.
Thornton Slipped OF.
The man who is charged by the po-
lice with having used the knife ad-
mits that he left Smiths bar at about
o'clock, probably a little before and
went home alone. He says that he left
his friend Beasley in the bar, and
when he returned, about forty-five
minutes later, found him there He
claims that he was at home during all
of that time, and that he did not see
his mother or Harm.
He set the clocks in the house while
he was there, and played on the piano.
Patrolman Jernigan volunteers the
opinion that the clocks were tempered
with, so as to confuse Harm and others
as to the time of the ARRAY No bail
will be accepted for the prisoners, and
the case will probably be called in
Police Court Monday.