Evening journal., 1905-01-31
WEAVING A NET
AROUND SHIPPERS
Detectives After a Philadel-
phia Young Woman Friend
Of Convict
REGARDED AS CONSTABLE SLAYER

Philadelphia, Jan. Si.-A young woman,
whose evidence is said by the police TO
be OF much value. figured conspiouously
in an official investigation by detectives
yesterday into the record and movements
of John Shippers, who was arrested at
wilmington, Del, last October and con-
victed in Elkton, Md, of horse stealing
and sentenced 10 eight years In the Mary
land penitentiary at Baltimore. He is sus-
pected Of knowing much concerning the
mysterious murder OF Albert Constable
in Ell1ton, In August last. Shippers has
been under direct suspicion since Saturday
last when Baltimore detectives recovered
the murdered mans watch from a pawn
shop in Market street, In this city, where
1t was pledged by a man answering a dos-
cription Of Shippers on the day after Con-
stable was slain.
The young woman In the case IS said
to be a friend of Shippers. She can tell
the police say, all of his movements since
the murder I'm Maryland, and she also
knows who pawned the watch. The detec-
tives guarded her identity closely, and,
although they secured the city, failed TO
find any trace OF her. They did, however.
made by Shippers, and ascertained that
he had been in this city for some time
shortly after the murder.
Net Closing Around Shippers.
Lodging houses in the Tonderloin were
visited and the detectives found that
young Shippers had lived in some Of them
after the Elkton tragedy. How soon he
came here after the murder still remains
mystery, as the registry in one Of the
houses where he first stopped has been de-
stroyed
"The Baltimore and Philadelphia police
are gradually weaving a net Of strong cir
cumstantial evidence around Shippers in
connection with the Elkton tragedy" said
lCaptain Donaghy yesterday. I'VE have in
formation that he was in this city a
week after the murder. Furthermore. we
know that he hid for a week In lodging
house room and refused to see his friends.
We are still at work on the case.
The police declared that so far no pawn
ticket for the murdered mans watch has
been found. Late yesterday afternoon de-
tectives obtained letter written to Sim
pers by a young woman. They refuse to
reveal its contents, but intimate tnat II
has a direct and important bearing on the
case.
At the request of the Maryland officials
some months ago, Detective Lindner made
inquiries here concerning Shippers. He
discovered that the young man had beer
an habitue Of the Tenderloin and that he
had posed as a prize fighter. At that tim,
he went under the prize ring name OF
Young Simmer" He went away, but re.
turned shortly after the murder.
The circumstantial evidence given oui
by detectives is as Follows.
That Constable's watch was pawnet
on August 10, the day after the murder, b.
a young man whose description talnel
with that of Shippers.
That Shippers was here shortly aftei
the murder, as was proyed by the finding
of his hat in a Tenderloin lodging house.
That Constable on his deathbed de
clared that the voice of his assailant wal
familiar, and that Shippers was acquaint
ed with Constable.
That many of the statements made b,
Shippers as TO his whereabouts on severa
days Immediately following the crime ar,
false.
The Investigation was continued today
and detectives intimate that important
Developments may occur Shippers mother
who is stopping with relatives In wes
Philadelphia, was seen by the detectives
yesterday.