The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05
YOUNG WOOD SURELY The MAN
WHO VENT SLEIGHTNG WITH
MURDERED WATCHUNG GROCER
Bought Cap in Plainfieid and Put II
ON After the Murder-Robbery the
Supposed Motiye-No Robbery Was
Done-New York Police Apol o ri Ting.

George II, Wood, the Harlem ironworker.
who is supposed 10 have killed George
Williams, the grocer of Watching. " D.,
about noon OF Thursday while Williams
was driving him in a sleigh to Warrenvllle
Is locked up In the Tombs pending the
arrival Of reQuisition papers from New
Jersey lie was identified yesterday after
noon by Charles Prone, clerk in Will
llamss store, az the man who went TO drive
with the grocer.
When Wood was af1aigned before Magis-
trate Pool In the Centre street court he
repeated what he said to Sun reporter
on Friday nlght--th his mind was blank
from Monday until Friday and that he
knew nothing OF murder. Woods state
ment that he suffers from aphasia or some
thing Of the sor, is borne out to an extent
by his relatives
Detective Totten Of Plainfed. who was
here yesterday to SEQ that the New York
police didn't let Wood go, IA they seemed
likely 10 do on Friday evening. says he
has established robbery as a motive for
the murder. He does not contend that
Wood had murderous ideas when he went
into Wiliams's store and asked the grocer
at Warrenville, four miles away, nor does
he try TO explain why Wood was carrying
a loaded revolver, but he has heard things
that make him think Wood got sudden
impulse to murder and rob while he was
waiting for Williams to hitch up. The in
formation came TO Totten from Prone.
the clerk
Wood was standing in the grocery said
Totem, when some one asked Williams to
change bill. Williams took from his pocket
a wallet, and Wood saw il. He WIS bard
pressed for money. This lac has admitted.
saying that he left New lorl: on Monday 10
go with his partner Mack, 90 Scarsdale. Pa,
to try TO borrow 81 900 from Maok's father.
Wood was behind in his rent at so Nest
i3lst street and owed money to neigh
bors and tradesmen. l am informed that
he got $40 from the Eagle Iron Works to
pay some employees, but spent 1t him
self / have not learned what became Of
the money Williams had in his pocket when
he SGT out in the sleigh with Wood
A. Muglar, who runs the Eagle Iron Works
at 400 East li7th street. refused to say any
thing about Wood or the $40. but Mrs. Wood
corroborated Totten's story in a way. Her
street court. that he had used the so 10
make necessary purchases and that he ex-
pected to make it good from the loan for
which he was going to Soarsdale.
He did not givo me a cent when he came
home on Friday said Mrs. Wood Il am
convinced that he was drugged and that he
did not kin anybody. He was dazed and
bedraggled when he came to my sister =
house that afternoon,
Tho sister referred to IS Mrs. Frederick
Bischoff Of as West Twenty seventh street,
where Wood was found by SUN reporter
on Friday evening. The Bisohohs are taxi
ing care Of the Wood children, three small
ones. BisohoT Is a maTketman. He said
last night that he did not know Wood very
well and was not well informed about tho
case.
Wood came 10 my fat about 4 o'clock
Thursday afternoon said BischoT, He
looked rather sick, but he ate with us and
stayed about three hours. He went out and
we did not SEQ him again until O'Clock
yesterday afternoon, when he turned up
again. looking dazed When we referred to
his visit OF the day before he said he didn't
remember anything about It, and l don't
believe he did. lie had no large amount Of
money. On his second visit lie happened
TO show few pieces Of silver. l don't
think he gave his wife any money that day
or my wife would have known about H..
Bisohoff said il was his recollection that
Wood had mustaohe when be came to the
fiat on Thursday. about four hours after
the murder Of Williams. Wood was clean
shaven when found on Friday night. He
said that no had shaved his lip on Monday
but the job looked fresher than that.
The man who went with Williams in the
sleigh had n mustaohe. The grocer's clerk
said yesterday, in identifying Wood, that
he was the man, minus the mustache. De-
teotive Toiten brought another witness in
the person of Jacob Blinn, Jr., son Of the
proprietor Of the Farmer Hotel at Plain
field, where Wood registered, and where his
satchel containing cartridges was found.
Blinn knows Wood very we'll. tho prisoner
having come from that part OF New Jersey
Hello, George" said Biinn. Wood
looked blnnkly at him.
The New York police yesterday pleaded
guilty and apologized for their queer con-
duct Of the case on Friday night, when
after being informed that Wood was at the
Bischoff fiat they announced that il was
none Of their funeral and were induced
70 srreet Wood only when he gave himself
up Excuses for this behavior we're out
of the question, because two Central Office
men had been on the case all the afternoon
They were waiting ut Woods home when
reporters arrived there. The reporters
learned a. much as the headquarters men
already knew and with the Information
found Wood very easily.
Capt. Steve 0'Bnen, the head OF the
Detective Bureau, pleaded guilty with the
grace Of ready speaker.
I've got nothing to say" he remarked.
I'm a public character and expect Grill
cism. Every man makes mistake now
and them
Commissioner McAdoo did the apology
act.
80 far as I can learn there was no dis
inclination on the part Of tho Detective
Bureau TO take up the case, he said. Tho
importance Of the first telegram received
IRON Piainleld in the afternoon was un-
derestimated, moro especially because the
bureau was working energeticaly on the
hold-up cases and number OF other cases. '
All OF which may cause Detective Sergeant
Barrett to choke with laughter at brea kfest
to-day. II was he who was In charge Of