The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-01-19
COLORED MURDERER
CAUGHT At LAST
Killed Pittsburg Policeman
Three Years Ago.
N EVER LEFT THE CITY
Lived in Old Haunts All the Time
Under the Noses of the
Authorities.
EVER LEFT THE CITY

PITTSBURG. Jan. 19-After eIuding
capture for three and a half years, Silas
Carter. colored. is at last under arrest
for the murder of Policeman James
Sheehy. who was shot and Killed at
Wylie avenue and Elm street May l..
1893 Carter, after the crime, allowed
his beard to grow, and with this as his
only disguise managed 70 avoid arrest.
BY his own confession Carter has not
been outside Of Allegheny county since
the crime and on one occasion. during
December, 1903. walked into the Public
Safety building with the intention of
giving himself up. Changing his mind,
he left the building without being rec
ognized. For months he has lived in the
HU district, meeting and talking TO coll
Ored police.
Dozens of Suspects.
Since the crime dozens of SiIas Carriers
have been arrested in all parts of the
United States, and only yesterday tele-
gram was received from the chief of po-
lice at New Philadelphia, Ohio, stating
that he had man under arrest there
answering Carter's description.
one suspect was arrested three times,
once at Roanoke Va, once at Atlanta,
Ga, and once at Canton, Ohio, on suspi-
ciOn OF being Carter. once a man
thought TO be Carter was shot by a
white girl in Indian Territory after he
had murdered the young woman's broth
er. After three weeks the body was eN-
humed and photographed. The picture
was sent here. but not Identified.
The arrest was made at the Mcfarland
fats, so Fulton street, where Carter has
been employed as janitor since April /,
1893. Pauolman Matthew Bell received
tip that The janitOr was Silas Carter.
He reported this 10 police headquarters.
Detective George W. Cole, who knew
Carter. was notified and, accompanied
by Bell and Special Officer Frank Cur
ran. went to the flats. They found Car
ter IN the basement and. covering him
with their revolvers, soon placed him
in irons. He was taken to central pO-
lice station, where he admitted his
identity and told his story.
Story of Murder
The murder of Policeman Sheehy Oc-
CURED on a Saturday night about 1870
o'clock. Carter and another colored
man got into a fight and Policemen
Sheehy and John Joynt placed both men
under arrest. Sheehy walked Carter
10 the patrol box at Wylie avenue and
Elm street. AS the officer was about
to unlock the box Carter drew a re-
volver and shot him through the heart.
Sheehy died almost instantly.
After the shooting" said Carter TO
Assistant Superintendent Kennedy yes
terday, 4 ran up TO Fulton street and
then Cliff street. I was afraid the po-
lice would get me and 1 hid in cave
in the hillside above the Grant boule-
ward that night and all day Sunday.
sunday night 1 left the cave and
went 10 Allegheny. The next three
weeks l lived in box cars and bummeC
my meals until my beard grew. Their
I went to Woods Run and worked dig
ging bitches for three days. I Their
went back in Jacks Run hollow under
the High bridge and hid in the woods
for a few weeks After that 7 went
down to Osborne and got job working
on the Government dam there.
After about nine months I came baci
10 the city and got a job working as {
laborer at the Black Diamond stee
works at Twenty-sixth stree.
Changed His Mind.
Il was afraid of Detective GeOrg,
Cole. so one day in December, 1893,
made up my mind to give myself up.
Il came up here to the Safety build
ing and walked back through the hal
TO the police headquarters. a lot o.
policemen were sitting around and
just changed my mind and went out.
Last April 1 got the job as janito
a the Mcfarland flats. Since theI
have talked to Policemen Bob Suloth
ers, Tallman Hughes, Matthew Bel
aud County Detective John Reed. Nom
of them knew me and some Of then
even talked to me about Silas Carter
You got me now l don't know VIII,
told Bell who 1 was, but 1 amt goin,
TO do any kicking"