The Washington herald., 1907-01-28

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cumstances surrounding the shooting
Saturday morning Of DR.. Charles W.
Townsend, at his home, Westervelt ave-
nue. New Brighton. Staten Island. which
resulted in the doctors death this morn
ing. many more contradictory statements
/ by members of the doctors household
and immediate family. and the revision
by some OF them of statements previously
made to the police. added TO the mys-
terry. The doctors wife changed the story
Of the shooting she had given to Inspec-
| tor Schmittberger's detectives the day be-
! fore, and Nathan Randolph, DR.. Town
sends Coachman. added a new version 10
the story of the events following the as
sault on the doctor by a masked man IN
the early hours Of the morning.
William r. Janeway, a nephew Of the
murdered doctor, acting as spokesman
for Mrs Townsend. to-day gave this YER
sion Of the shooting.
Mrs. Townsend says that she was
awakened by hearing the voice of man.
who was standing by the bedside. at the
elbow of DR.. Townsend. She heard him
say just two words: Get up
"As soon as he had said that he com
menced firing at the doctor. who was
trying 10 rise out Of bed lie fired two
shots, and then hurried out Of the room.
Mrs Townsend says that she was mis-
taken yesterday when she said that there
was a light In the hail al the time Of the
shooting, and that she could see the form
Of the man in that light There was no
light in the hall, and 1t was by the light
Of match he held in his hand that she
saw him draw the revolver and shoot.
Wore Peaked Hat.
''She is sure that ne wore a peaked
hat with a visor drawn down over the
eyes. and that he had tied under his nose
a blue handkerchief with a white dot
pattern, She did not notice whether or
not the man spoke with a foreign accent.
nor could she recognize the voice lf she
were to hear it again. He said only those
two words 20
This version OF the shooting differs ma
terially from the final and revised story
Mrs. Townsend gave 10 the detectives on
Saturday. The first story that came from
her was that she was awakened by a
masked mans demand for money. and
that she cried out 20 him not to shoot
an marmed man. Later in the. day Mrs
Townsend told the police that it was
the first pistol shot that awakened her
and that she sat up I'm bed just i'm time
TO see the intruder backing hastily out
of the door into the hail. where an cleo
tric light burned.
When Mrs. Townsend first related the
account of the Incidents surrounding the
assault on her husband. Dr. Townsend
clear-minded, though weakened by the
shock, told the police that an attempt
had been made 10 rob him. and that IL
was "A burglar that had shot him. Later.
when the wounded man had sunk into q
stUpOr. Mrs. Townsend. after having been
persuaded by the detectives that the bur
glar theory was not tendble revised her
original account Of the assault.
Coachman CompIicates story.
What Nathan Randolph. DR.. Town
sends cOachman, adds TO the story Of the
shooting further complicates the mystery
surrounding the affair To-day Randolph
said that when he first rushed into the
doctors room, in response 10 Mrs. Town
sends cries for aid. Dr. Townsend. then
lying on the bed and very weak, said.
Randolph. I am getting very weak. and
/ viii probably soon sink into uncon-
sciousness. I want you to listen care
fully TO what ] have TO say, so that in
case I should never regain consciousness
you can tell my story TO others. An at
tempt was made to rob me. and I was
shot by the burglar"
L.
murdered man, gave out another i'm
portant fact to-day in his statement made
in behalf Of Mrs. Townsend, who refused
to be seen. lie said:
My mother, Mrs. Mary Janeway, who
is DR. Townsend's sister. was at the bed
side OF DIT. Townsend before the ambu-
lance arrived TO carry him 20 the Smith
Intirinary- She heard the doctor say: I
think it was SiNerman, but don't tell the
police, because 1 am not sure -
Crabtree Adds to Mystery.
Herbert Crabtree added another bit to
the puzzle the police have to unraveI to-
day when he told about his conversation
with Mrs. Townsend after the shooting.
He SAID that when he came into the room
where the shooting had occurred. he
found Mrs. Townsend bathing and dress
ing her husbands wounds. He asked
her if she assigned robbery as the mo-
tive for the assault on the doctor.
Why. how could that be?" Mr.. Crab
tree quotes Mrs. Townsend as saving in
answer. II it were robbery, why didn't
he take these?'' and she pointed to her
jewelTy lying loose on the top of the
dresser.
The words credited to DR.. Townsend
concerning the man whom he believed
10 be his assailant seem to have been
accepted by the police as sufficient
grounds for holding Moses Silverman.
the hack driver Of Broad street. Staple
ton, for to-day he vas held for exami-
nation on Tuesday under SI5.OC0 bail Sill
veTman is not represented by counsel.
and no formal charge was made against
him.
SiVeTman'S WIFE, whom Or. Townsend
had met once professionally. denies vigor-
ously that anything has ever transDired
thas could lead DR.. Townsend to suspect
her husband as being his assailant. bent
on revenge.
DT. George MOrd, the coroner's phvsi |
'ian, will conduct an autopsy on the body
Of DR.. Townsend this morning. No date
Tor an inquest has yet been set.
The funeral services will be conducted
At the house at 3 o'clock Tuesday.
60 With the Crowds to the Auto
Show. 2lst and NJ sts. Jan. S-Feb. .