Evening journal., 1905-02-08
ADMITS
CONSTABLE CRIME
Chief Black Says Local Police
Are Entitled to $500
Reward
They GAVE THE FIRST CLEW

John w. Shippers, aged % years, who
was arrested in this city last OctObesl
on the charge OF horse stealing and Who
was sentenced to eight years imprison-
ment in the Maryland Penitentiary, in
Baltimore. has confessed that he Shot
and killed Albert Constable the lawyer,
of Elkton, on August is last. The con-
fession was first made to the warden
of the penitentiary, and later was re-
peated in the presence Of law officers
and the son of the murdered man.
Details Of the Confession
As sworn to by Shippers. the confess
sion is as follows:
Il was in Elkton after a horse when
the murder of Mr.. Constable was COM
mitted. Mr.. Constable was very close
TO me coming back over the hill. when
the thought came to my mind to hold
him up and rob him. 1 was in need OF
money, having lost all 1 had by gam
bling. I did not intend to shoot Mr..
Constable or kill him. The first time
shot 1 aimed In an entirely different
direction; the second time / shot In
the air, and the third shot l fired close
to him to scare him, not intending "a
kill him. He asked IL I wanted money
and 1 said Yes He told me he only
had a quarter, and threw 1t to me.
told him to throw his watch along witt
it, and he did; then he commenced e
groan, and 1 asked him where he was
shot, and he said he thought he was
shot in the head. He asked me 20 tel
the people up the road that he wa,
wounded, and stopped and halloaed tS
IL. hnN rrra1 :
sick man down the road and he wanted
them to come down; then 1 went M
the road, crossed Ford's corn fields
and 1 went across our own place
where Richard Owens lives, then owe
to Iron Hill and took the s.2s train e
Wilmington; went from Wilmington
to Philadelphia in the trolley. pawne,
the watch at Riders pawnshop unde
the name Of Clark; lost the chain;
do not remember what became Of tn
pawn ticket"
Chief Black Gave the Clue.
Every statement made by the muir
derer bears out evidence obtained 10.
Detectives Dougherty and Weaver, o
Baltimore. who recovered the waite
from the Philadelphia pawnshop.
These detectives secured their first clu
from Chief OF Police Black, of this city
who stated when Shippers was take
into custody here that he answered tn
description given Of the Constable mur
der suspect. Policemen Conner an
Fox arrested the man.
Chief Black said today that he be
llieves the local police are entitled
the reward offered for the arrest an
conviction of the murderer-Sl000 b
the State and $500 by the Cecil count
authorities. I'VE viii not claim the re
ward" said the Chief, but will trus
to the honesty of the Baltimore author
ities They know that they secure
their first clue from us. We win ava
Developments"
Chief Black first Impaired his suspl
cion that Shippers was the slayer {
Mr.. Constable to the sheriff of Gee
county, and the latter in turn told tn
Baltimore authorities when the suspeG
was taken to the penitentiary Their
It was this information that set tn
Baltimore detectives on the right tract
Shippers Significant Remark.
The accused made a remark to a der
uty sheriff in Baltimore that he was
| finldQtlpnld on lllt Jay III tift hlui
der, and. as a result. the watch of III
murdered lawyer was recovered frOl
pawn shop at No. 12O Market stree
in the latter city.
The Baltimore detectives took se7
eral people who live near the scene I
1.-THE murder to the penitentiary, an
they identified Shippers as a youn
; white man they had seen in the vicil
ity the day before and on the day II
crime was committed. Shippers seen
5 Continued on Sixth Page.)