Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-08-06
AHARTFORD MURDER.
Ex-Polics Commissioner Shot
by Negro Body Servant.
A BIG MOB SHOUTS, "LYHcH HIM.
Wildly Excited Crowd a Spectacle
Never Before See There-kiII-
Ing Was In Revenge For Dis
charge of Assassin.

HARTFORD, Conn, Aug. G.-Henry
Osborne, a former police commissioner
and one of the leading business men of
this city, was murdered by his former
negro body servant, Joseph Watson,
last night. The negro was found in
hiding under a bed in the basement of
the Osborne home after d close search
for him had been made in all sections
of the city. Outside the house at the
time the murderer was found were
gathered fully a thousand persons, and
MS Watson, heavily manucled. was con-
Quoted down the steps to the police
patrol wagon the air resounded with
cries of xiii him!" and Lynch him.'
from the crowd, which surged in to-
ward the officers as If it desired to
take the prisoner.
AS the wagon started toward the po-
lice station the crowd, which was rap
idly increasing in size, swarmed after
it, a wildly ~demonstrative mass of hu-
mainly presenting q spectacle the like
of which has never been seen here be-
fore and has hardly been duplicated
under like circumstances in New Eng
land. At the police station. which is
located at the junction of three streets,
the scene was even more striking, for
people almost fought among them
selves to get a glimpse of Watson, and
it was only by the greatest effort OH
the part of many officers that the
crowd was kept from forcing its way
into the guardroom itself.
Watson Is only eighteen years of age
and Is very unpreposscssing In appear
ance. He did not quail ever when
face to face with the crowd which
seemed so anxious to avenge the muir
der. When brought into the police
station he was asked several questions
and without hesitancy answered them.
He said he killed Mr.. Osborne. IL had
it in for him, and l killed him." said
Watson. II am not afraid to die, and
l am satisfied now that killed him."
He then described in detail the kill
ing, after which he was locked up
and a police officer placed as a guard
over him.
Mr.. Osborne was deliberately killed
by Watson out of revenge for being
discharged as valet. He went to the
Osborne house TO commit the murder
and not to rob, as it was first sup
posed. Mr.. Osborne's family were at
their summer cottage ut Crescent
Beach. near New London, but Mr.. Os-
borne slept at home each night. Wat
son said that he got into the house by
Il key.
AS Watson went Upstairs he heard
Mr.. Osborne stirring about and met
him at the bathroom door, firing one
shot. Mr.. Osborne, who was in his
night robe. ran into his bedroom, leav-
ing d trail of blood on the floor. The
negro followed and twice more shot
Mr.. Osborne, both bullets taking eff
feet.
Tho wounded man must have under
gone terrible mental agony. as powder
marks on his face and body indicate
that the negro stood right over him as
he fired the second and third shots. 1t
was Just at this point that the first ink
ling of the tragedy reached the neigh
bors. for with the pistol shots were
heard the words Save me- The sound
of the shots and the dying words of
the victim We're heard by several per-
sons on the street, and some II ran
for an officer.
Sergeant Dietrich vas on the street
with several officers and Oh being in
formed Of the suspicious noise rushed
to the house and forced nm entrance.
Mr.. Osborne was found stretched full
length on the floor of the hall on the
second story, a pool 6f blood being at
his side. He was faint. but managed
to say to the officer that Joe, the negro,
had shot him and that there was no
cause for it. DIR. T.. c. King. a neigh
Dor. had arrived. and he ordcgad the