Evening journal., 1905-02-09
TENDERLOIN LED
TO SHIPPERS RUIN
Confessed Murderer of Con-
stable Began Gambling
in Philadelphia
FIRST DEFENDED BY VICTIMS son

10 the ihllhdelnhld tendeflOln ana lta
police-protected vice is attributed the
downfall OF John NJ. Shippers. the con-
victed horse thief and the self-confessed
murderer of Albert Constable, the
prominent Elkton lawyer Young
Shippers. who is barely % years old,
comes OF an old and respectable FAM
lily. He went TO Philadelphia while
still In his teens and secured work at
his trade as a printer.
With his companions he visited the
tenderloin and was introduced to sew
eral OF us gllttering vice dens, in
cluding q number OF gambling resorts.
His first step to ruin, the detectives de-
clare, was taken when ne entered one
OF these houses for which the district
was famous.
A country lad. he became fascinated
with the games and for a time every
thing came his way. He won what was
to him barrels OF money. He soon be-
gan 10 lose, however.
The detectives from that time traced
his steps. He pawned his boxing
gloves, watch and everything else he
could we'll dispose or The money did
not last long, and he became more des-
perate than ever.
Became Horse Thief.
1t was then he left Philadelphia and
began his career as a horsethief, II be-
ing one % the speediest and, as he has
since stated, what he thought
TO be the safest way 10
make money. The first horse
taken he sold for a good round sum,
but the money was quickly spent at the
gaming tables. Other horses were
stolen and sold, and the proceeds went
the same way. He believed. he has
said. that his run OF luck would
change. and that he would recover the
small fortune he had lost. Luck did
not come his way. however, and, broken
In spimt and with empty pockets, he
iourneyed 70 baltimore, and then 10 his
old home at Elkton.
The detectives admit that he was so
taken with the gambling mania that
he was crazy. He had intended to take
another horse. ne stated. Il was In
that frame Of mind that he walked
across Ford's' 'cornheld and over his old
home farm, when he saw Lawyer Con-
stable, the dean or the Cecil county
bar, going 10 his home. Money to 60
again 60 the gambling tables, was, he
declared what he wanted and what he
must have He then shot Mr.. Consta-
BILE. and only got % cents, but secured
his watch
Victim's Son Defended Him.
The watch was subsequently the
cause of his undoing, but before It was
discovered Shippers made an attempt
to get another horse. He was arrested
in this city and sentenced at Elkton tc
eight years imprisonment IN the Mary
lland Penitentiary.
A peculiar coincidence IN connection
with his trial for horse stealing
vas that he was brilliant.
ly defended by Henry l.. Constable, a
son of the man ne has confessed muir.
dering.
The defense Of Shippers for the muir
der will be well attended 20, and yes.
lterday a weli-Snown lawyer was retain.
ed look after his interests. The line OF
defense was not made known. but it Il
probably that insanity, caused by gam
bling and dissipating, viii be the eN-
lcuse. Young Shippers very rarely par
took Of intoxicating liquors, but was an
linveterate cigarette fiend.
Detective Smith, OF Philadelphia, whc
traced Shippers movement in that city
will probably make claim for one-had
of the $500 reward, but Il Is not be
lueved he win get Il. The real credii
for revealing the identity OF Shippers
as a murder suspect, belongs 10 the po-
lice OF this city.
When he was first arrested here on
the charge OF horse stealing in Ceci
lcounty, he was photographed for ths
lpolice. It was this picture which ths
Baltimore Detectives secured for ths
lpurpose OF tracing the movements oi
Shippers and it was the one by whici
he was identified by a number of per.
sons who had seen him near the scens
of the murder. There WAS a photo.
graph taken in the Baltimore peniten.
ldiary, but II showed Shippers with his
hair shavSa of and I'm his striped prisor
suit. This was worthless for the pur.
poses OF the detectives and they used
the Wilmington photograph.
A special dispatch from Elkton says
John Sinpers' confession Of the mur,
der OF Albert Constable Is the talk ot
the entire neighborhood. His brothers
who reside in this town, have de
nOunced him for committing such q
dastardly crime. States Attorney
Wilson Squires and Albert Constable
Jr., have begun preparing the case foi
the March grand jury. Habeas corpus
proceedings will be Instituted In having
the convict released from the peniten
tiary, and when indicted he viii d,
taken TO the Baltimore city Jail. wherl
he will be held until the day he d
drought into the Elkton court for trial
Owing to the feeling now against TIT
lconvict. Messrs. Squires and Constable
stated this morning that it would no
be safe TO bring him to the Ell1ton jail
An extra guard viii be engaged whili
the convict is In this county, and ever,
lprecaution will be taken to protect tn,
lprisoner.
Detectives Weaver and Dougherty ar
rived I'm Elkton yesterday from Balti
more. where they were Joined by Alber
J Constable, Jr. They Immediately lef
for Iron Hill, three miles north OF Elk
ton, to locate the revolver hidden n
the woods near the home place of tn,
Shippers family. The convict told jus
where the weapon could be found.
Reginald Constable. son OF the mur.
dered attorney, Is contested with tn
Edge Moor Iron Works. Following the
murder OF his father ne temporarily re
signed his position in running dowr
the murderer. He worked dihgentl,
for several weeks but without success
and returned to his duties with the iror
concern.
Walked IN Front OF Train.
! Easton, Pa, Feb. 9.-In stepping
} out Of the way OF a shifting engine
I MI r,..fst. - tkfn .ft.- - -.