The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-09
ARREST IN TOWER MURDER
Man Taken at the Funeral of Opera
tor CIendennin,
BATTERED WATCH IN HIS POCKET

He is A. W. Mitcheltree, Former Friend
ofthe Dead Man-Last Letters Cienden.
min Telegraphed Were "tre"-Gill, the
Day Operator, Says Negro is Under
Arrest and Has Confessed.
Williamsport. Pa.-Arthur W. Mitch
eltree, while attending the funeral ger.
vices at his mothers home in Clinton
County Of William Clendennin. the
New York Central Railway operator
killed in Brown Tower, was arrested
charged with the murder.
After the sermons by the Revs. Will.
lam Dundill, of Westport, and Joseph
Poyer, of Youngdale, the funeral pro.
cession formed, end in the line was
Mitcheltree, who occupied carriage
with two young women. They had
started for the cemetery. and when
about a quarter of a mile from the
burying ground Constable Meyers, of
the township, placed Mitcheltree un.
der arrest.
His action created general consterna-
ton, and many Of the carriages that
were headed for the cemetery turned
and followed Constable Meyers to Lock
haven. where the prisoner was placed
in Jail. While the arrest came as a
surprise. Mitcheltree offered no resist
ance, despite the fact that the officer
was not armed with a warrant.
Ac cpon tho nrisonor foEnp
into custody the officer demanded that
he "give up the watch" and without
hesitation Mitcheltree pulled from his
vest pocket q watch that was not bis
own personal property, and handed it
to the constable. When asked as to
the arrest, the constable replied that
he had sufficient reasons for pursuing
this course, and would show his hand
at the right time.
After the murder at Brown Tower
the name of Mitcheltree was connected
with the murder, because Operator
Clendennin had wired ''tr-" in his
final message. The operator at Lock
haven said that he had heard the letter
"m'' some time before the ctr" was
sent
In talk with a friend the prisoner
said that he was innocent Of the crime,
and believed that he would have no
trouble in proving an alibi. He claims
that the watch that he gave the consta-
bic is the property of Miss Mamie
Overhill. of Lockhaven, who was one
Of the young women in the carriage
with him when arrested. He said he
was to take it to a jewelers. for re-
pairs.
NJ. A. Gill. the day operator at
Browns Tower, and for whom Glen
denim was working when he was
killed, tells q story that is also remark
able. Gill and Clendennin were close
friends and speculated in stocks to-
gether.
In the course of Gill's statement. he
said, prior to the arrest of Micheltree,
that he could name the murderer and
even gave the details Of the crime. He
said that he was in the confidence of
one of the detectives employed on the
case, and he knew negro had been
arrested near Shamokin and secretly
placed in the Jail at Lockhaven.
The prisoner, according to Gill, had
turned States evidence, and related the
story of the crime. saying that a white
man had gone to the tower to kill Gill.
who, it was rumored, had made SIS, 900
in a stock deal several days ago.
When Gill could not be found the
murderer shot Clendennin, believing
that possibly he might have some
money. There were only three charges
In the revolver, he said, and when these
were fred the murderer ran down
stairs, where he had placed spike
maui. and during his absence. the
wounded man crawled to the tel
egrapher's key, and was in the act of
wiring the message when the murderer
crushed his head with the hammer.