Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-01
ALLEGED ADMISSION
Colored Man Confesses to Hav-
ing Committed Crime.
REPORT MADE BY POLICE
Is in a Cell at Anacostia Sub
station.
ANSWERS TO DESCRIPTION
Will Be Tried for Attempted Felo-
NOUS Assault Upon Miss Edele
Arctander.
ANSWERS TO DESCRIPTION

Edward Shorter alias Hensley colored,
who was arrested In the woods near Ana
costa on Sunday on suspicion confessed
this afternoon, say the police, to making
the assault on Miss Edele Arctander near
Blagden's bridge in Rock Creek Park last
Friday afternoon. The police were weav-
ing a strong net around him connecting
him with the assault when the confession
was made
Miss Arctander saw the colored man
twice since he was arrested on suspicion
last Sunday. On Sunday afternoon she
stated that he had the same voice as the
man who attacked her. Again. when she
saw him yesterday, she said that she be-
lieved he was the man, she being impressed
with him from the first time she saw him.
Hensley was taken into custody by Po-
licemen Dent and Wise OF the Anacostia
substation. while they were searching the
woods for suspicious persons last Sunday.
He answered the description, both as to
looks and to clothing, of that given by
Miss Arctander of her assailant. He did
not give any explanation of his whereabouts
on Friday afternoon. when the assault was
committed, and his movements that day
were under investigation by the police
when he started talking this afternoon.
Sergt. Anderson of the Anacostla sub
L
were conversing with the suspect in the
cell In the station hot se about / o'clock
today, when the confession Is alleged to
have been made. Up to that time he had
been very reticent, II Is stated, but he
suddenly changed his tactics.
Pocketbook Lost.
After the colored man had told of the
assault. he was questioned carefully as to
what he did with the pocketbook, when
has been missing. and he told the officers
that he lost it near the scene of the crime
while he was running away. Detectives
have been interviewing him this afternoon
and 1t Is expected they will be able to pre-
sent strong substantiatins testimony wneh
the case comes before the courts.
Hensley will be taken to police headQuar-
tiers tomorrow to be measured and photo
sraphed and later he will be sent to the
Police Court to be committed to jail.
Additional Police Protection.
Sixteen more policemen probably Will be
taken from the various details and assign
ed to patrol duty on the streets and In the
outlying sections. While this expedient Is
being considered the police department Is
faced with the difficulty that many of the
men on detail who might best be spared
are not physically capable of resuming the
more active task OF guarding the public
peace.
Commissioner Henry L. West and Mai
Richard Sylvester had conference today
over the matter of providing more police
men for street duty. Agitation in favor
of better police protection has been pro-
nounced during the past few days. par
t,cularly since the commission of the as
saut upon Miss Arctander
During their conference they carefully re-
viewed the duties of each of the nearly one
hundred police who have long been detailed
a. clerks In police headquarters, as special
watchmen at the White House and else
where. and II was estimated that the most
that could be spared under any circum-
stances would be sixteen:
When the time comes for preparation of
the official order which Will take this num-
Der of men into active duty efforts will be
made to so rearrange the details as to
take out only the men most capable of
standing the added strain of street duty.
The assignments to different precincts will
be made later.