Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-02-08
MAY CLEAR MYSTERY.
Accused Man Claims That His Mind Has
Been a Blank for Four
Days.

New York, Feb. A physician who
examined George IL. Wood, the iron
structural contractor, before he was given
over to the police in connection with the
mysterious murder of groceryman George
Williams Of Plainfeld, n. j., said that
while there were certain symptoms sug-
gestlve of aphasia about Wood, it would
require a long and careful examination
before the fact that Wood was suffering
from any mental disease could be estab-
iiShed.
Wood repeated his story to the effect
that his mind had been a blank since
Monday, when he left here with a civil
engineer named Mack, who was to pro-
cure loan from his father to assist in
Woods business. He said they left the
train near Trenton and drank some beer.
lie remembers nothing afterWard until
Wednesday, when he found himself in
Trenton with only So. He started to
walk toward New York.
Then came another blank in my mem
ory," he said, ''and, although l have a
faint recollection of having stayed Thurs
day night in Elizabeth, n. J., and of hav-
ing gone about among the iron works in
Jersey City Friday morning, looking for
work, nothing that [ did before [ reached
my brother-in-law's fiat at 2 O'Clock Fri
day afternoon is clear to me-"
In answer to questions he denied that
Plainfeld or having stopped at a hotel
there He also asserted that he had alb
sOlutely no remembrance of having called
on any Of his relatives in the neighbor-
hood Of Plainfield.
Until last night Wood had not been
seen since Monday, when he and his
wife and three children went away, leav-
ing the keys of their apartment with a
neighbOr. Wood, the police learned, is
a grandson Of Mrs. Pollock, to whose
house Williams was hired to drive by a
stranger now believed TO have been
Wood, and near which the body of the
murdered grocer was found in his sleigh.
Wood, the police have learned, regis
tered in his own name at the Farmers
hotel in Plainfeld en- Monday, the day
on which he and his family left Har-
lem, and his movements have been
traced up to the time when he left Plain
field to hire a conveyance to drive to
Mrs. Pollock's farm. During the inter
yening days lie IS said to have driven
out daily to the farm from Plainfield.
lie was last seen boarding a train soon
after the murder is supposed to have
been committed.
On entering Woods room at the hotel
at Plainfield the police found q box of
81 c2liber cartridges and, three empty
shells
An autopsy on the body of Williams
shows that he had been shot from be-
hind through the heart and had been in
stantly killed. A bullet extracted from
the body proved to be Of the same caliber
as those found in Woods room in the
hotel. Although armed posses visited
the residence of Mrs. Pollock Thursday
night after the discovery Of the muir
der she was not seen until yesterday,
when Chief of Police Kiely visited the
farm and learned from her that her
nephew, Wood, had visited her several
times this week and had told her that he
was stopping at the Farmers hotel
The search of Woods room and the
sending out Of the general alarm fol-
lowed this discovery. The police learned
last night that Mrs. Wood had gone to
stay with her sister, Mrs Bischoff
living in New York.
The apparent absence Of all motive is
one of the most mysterious and battling
features of the case. No attempt at
robbery was made, Williams body be-
ing found with the clothing tightly but
toned where he had fallen in the bottom
of the sleigh Immediately after being
shot.
Wood has been identified by the Plain
field officers as the man for whom they
have been searching. Wood was later
arraigned in police court and held with
out bail to await the arrival Of extra
diti0n papers from New Jersey.