The sun., 1904-07-14
STILL ACCUSE ZACH OTHER.
BOTH GUILTY or ABBOTT MUIR
DER, POLICE THINK.
Swedss Tell Their stories Again After
sObering Up-Jehns0n ssys II Was
Observation-Disclosures says II Was John
s0n-BiO0d on Shirt ?--Miser Was Poor.

/ -
| sOn-Biood On shirt?-Miser Was Poor
Looked up in the Raymond Street Jail In
| Brooklyn are the two men between whom
| beyond all doubt in the opinion OF the
! police, rests the guilt OF numbering old
1 George F.. Abbott, the miser and recluse
| Of Chapel alley, and Henry Van Buskirk
his drunken attendant.
These men are the Swedes Charles Victor
johnson and Oscar Dahlgren, whose ar
rests quickly followed the discovery Of the
double murder, on Tuesday and were
made as the result OF their own drunken
statements and accusations against each
other.
These accusations were repeated under
highly dramatic circumstances in the pri-
vate room Of Capt. Harkins OF the Adams
street station between / and 2 O'Clock
yesterday morning. Both johnson and
Dahlgren were spluttering drunk when
they did the talking on Tuesday which
led to their arrest, and Capt. Harkins was
anxious to hear what they would have to
say for themselves after sobering up
johnson was the first one brought into the
room. He was still red eyed and puffy
faced from his debauch. but his wits were
clear enough and he told straightforward
story, which, II believed in it's entirety.
can have no other result than to send his
friend, fellow countryman and boon COM
panion to the electric chair.
On the other hand, the man thus accused
told a story, which, il accepted by q jury,
will send the accuser to his death. The
police incline TO the belief that johnson
and Dahlgren are equally guilty, that Van
Buskirk was likewise party to the origina
plot to kill and rob the niser, and was him
self In turn done to death by his fellow
murderen to make sure that he would not
do any dangerous talking.
There were q number Of persons in Capt.
Harkns's room when johnson was brought
in. He Is a stout. stocky, stolid type Of
Scandinavian, and was cool enough until,
toward the close Of his story, his chum,
Dahlgren, was brought in. Then both
prisoners became intensely excited and
probably would have got at each others
throat had they not been kept the width Of
the room apart As 1t was, they confined
their violence to language. johnson called
Dahlgren liar Dahlgren called johnson q
liar. Both were now sober enough to re-
alize their positions.
or the two, Johnson's version Of the
crime was considered more circumstantial
and better constructed than Dahlgrens.
He said:
Dahlgren told me he was going to do up
Abbott He showed me q pistol and hid it
under the stable because 1t was too big to
carry. Saturday / had won $24 shooting
craps and was fixed for a good time.
That night was in the alley near Abbott's
stable. l saw Van Buskirk and Dahlgren
go into the stable about 0 clock In the morn
ing Sunday. Soon after that l heard a
pistol shot and there was a dog barking.
After that saw Dahlgren and Van Buskirk
moving about in the stable. They had
light and were passing up bundles from
inside the entrance to Abbott's place.
The bundles contained clothing. l know
they contained clothing because my coat.
which l had hooked with Abbott for 25 cents
was IN one Of them and Dahlgren gave it to
me on Monday.
Dahlgren and Van Buskirk were around
all that night drinking. They had whiskey
In q big bottle. They gave me some and
drank It. ! wanted beer, but it was Sunday
and we couldn't get 1t.
| went to Coney Island on Sunday with
Charley Olesen. had the money had won at
craps Saturday night. ana l paid Oiesen's
expenses and bought him hat. a shirt and
a necktie. Dahlgren stayed In Brooklyn with
ne had fxed old man Abbott. He said his shirt
was bloody and he had got to go to his lodg-
ings to get rid OF it and get another. He
lodged at l7s Fulton street l went there with
him. but did not go in. He had another shirt
on when he came out
We were around drinking all day. 1 did not
see Abbott that day (Mondayy. We were In
the alley. and Dahlgren told me to 60 into the
Junk shop and get money out OF box that
was on the floor. told him was afraid OF
the spring guns. and wouldn't go. He said II
was nonsense. but l wouldn't 60. Then III
60" Dahlgren said. "and You stay right there
where you stand. If you move from your
tracks while I'm gone-well. rememberl-
was afraid of him. He Ia bigger and
stronger than | am and knew he would do
anything. So i stayed where he left me-
Pretty soon he came out with a handful OF
silver money. do not know anything about
the murder. except that Dahlgren was In and
out the stable, and that on Sunday morning
at about o clock when he and Van Buskirk
d sss Mr. ksso ss"fS tSa the shot and
In su bst ance Dahlgren said:
II anybody killed Abbott, 1t was johnson.
He told me on Saturday he was going to AZ
him, and he showed me a revolver. 1t was
near @ Van Buskirk's body. which was lying lying
on Capt. Harklns's desk. y was longer
afternoon, and when he came out he said
he had fixed the old man. Ae showed me a
lot OF money. | saw fifty dollar bill, two
twenties and two ten dollar bills He lies
when he says l went into the Junk shop with
Van Buskirk at O'Clock Sunday morning.
he lies when he says l killed either OF them.
he is a liar. and his story is all lies.
At this point johnson broke In. aYou
are a liar he said
johnson wanted me to 90 to the country
with him on Monday continued Dahleren.
"You lie. roared johnson.
4You are liar yourself" retorted Dahl
gren. Then he continued
He wanted me to 60 to. the country with
nn2 xas sSoad GO Mh SmS
He lies when he says gave. him the watch
he wanted mo to 60 to the country with him.
and don't know how Mr. Van Buskirk was
Killed. Ali 1 know Is that johnson said he
would AZ the old man and that he went into
he had done It and showed me lot Of mo ney
johnson and Dahlgren were arraipned
before Magistrate T1ghe in the Adams
street police court yesterday. Both pleaded
not guilty. They will have no opportun-
ity Of communicating with each other, and
between now and July 81, the day set for
their hearing. each will be questioned
Cent uorL;no ooupaa n .n.-.h 4. l..