Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-03
EEHIBAGGAGl.
r.. l.. GARDENERS EFFECTS FOUND.
AT MuRPHY,s HOTEL.
ATTRACTED NO ATTENTION.
Appears To Have Dropped In and
Dropped out without Creating a
Ripple-His Bed Not Slept In Since
Monduy-Large. Reward For Al1es-
ed Murderer.
ed Murderer.

The detectives Of this city are much
chagrined over their failure to eaten n.
L. Gardner. the young man who. is want
ed in Williamson, N. c., on the charge
of betraying and afterwards causing the
death Of Miss Victoria Barnhill, Of that
city. They had the man in their hands.
and but for a tip given him over the
'phoned about ten minutes before the po-
lice appeared, he would now be in jail.
Word was received here Monday morn
ing that Gardner was wanted In Will
liamston on the charge indicated above,
and the detectives went to the place of
business of Jeffress & Shelton to look for
him. He was out at the time, but the
detectives explained why they wanted
Gardner. and exacted a promise from a
gentleman connected with the company
to phone them II he came in and say
nothing about it. Hardly had they gotten
out Of the Office when the gentleman
called up Gardner over the phone and
told him to getfout Of town. Another gen.
tleman, who was in the office at the time,
was indignant over this betrayal of the
detectives, and told them. But Gardner
had time to skip. and he has so success
fully covered his tracks that the efforts
of the police all over the country have
been unsuccessful in locating him. Des-
criptions have been sent throughout the
South where he is supposed to have
gone, and the police of all the cities are
on the lookout. A telegram has been re-
ceived from w. II. Robertson, chief-of-
police IF Williamson, announcing that
a reward Of six or. seven hundred dollars
has been offered for his capture.
r. e. Gardner was In Richmond as late
as Monday last. He registered It Muir
phys hotel on Sunday morning. shortly
after IL o'clock, from which circumstance.
it is believed that he came here from
Norfolk or from some city between Nor
folk and Richmond.
His name appears written in a rather
free hand on the register at Murphy S
and he was assigned to room 80. Abso-
| lutely no attention was paid to his COM
ings or goings, and no one about the
hotel appears to remember anything about
him. The fact that he had not slept in
cred until yesterday afternoon, when the
chamber maid reported the room for a
change and stated that the baggage was
there, but that there had been no neces-
sity for her to make the bed since the
room was assigned. Investigation show
ed the BIZ ggage had been packed ready
for removal 1t consist of a dress suit case
and another bag. On the former Gardner's
name and initials are written in black
ink, with his address as Kinston. N. G.
On the hotel register he gives this city
as his home The significance Of the
conflicting addresses is obvious.
Gardner did not visit the restaurant
during the stay at Murphy's. or if he did
he paid his bill, for there are no charges
of any sort against him. He appears to
have dropped In, and dropped out without
attracting any attention whatsoever.
WELL-kNOWN HERE.
Gardner is well-known in Richmond,
where he had been for some time con-
nected with Jeffress & Shelton, whole
sale merchants. as travelling salesman.
For the past year he has been ''worn-
ing" North Carolina, making his head
quarters at Kinston. 1t is charged that
he met Miss Barnhill. betrayed her. and
then persuaded her to use drugs which
caused her death. The young lady died
on December 21st. The discovery of cor
respondence between Miss Barnhill and
Gardner convinced the police that he
was implicated. The warrant for his ar
rest was the result.
Gardner was not Richmond man, as
first stated He came here from North
Carolina
It is thought that he has gone to Texas.
He was very quiet man. who lived well,
generally stopping at the Jefferson while
In this city. His manners were cultured,
and he had many friends