Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-01-29
TOday's Telegraphic News
The Murder of Dr. TOwnsend.


New York, Jan. 90 The police thee
~ that john Bell, street car conductor,
murdered DR.. Charles Wilmot Town
send the prominent Staten Island ply
stefan, in revenge for the fancied wrong
suff red through the death Of his wife
while being treated by the physician, 8
year ago, hinges now on the abil y of
Mrs. Townsend TO identify the mild
hammered, prisoner ss the masked iu-
truder who in the small hours of the
night shot DR.. Townsend to death as be
lay 10 bed Saturday morning.
Mrs Townsend has been too i'll from
shock to confront the suspect, although
the police are holding him 10 custody on
Ststen Island until such time as Mrs
TOwnsend's brother, DR.. Wslser, per-
mits the widow of the murdered man 10
undergo she ordeal. Bel IS IF slight
build and little more THAI five feet in
height. 1t is said that he had IN his
possession when arrested dotted SILK
Handkerchief similar to that worn as a
mask by DR.. rownsend's murderer,
II Bell killed the Staten I>lsrd ply
sican for revenge, he planned the DEED
with an attention TO dramatic detail that
was remarkable.
The records Of the s K. Smith Inf'm-
airy. where Mrs. Bell died, show that
the prisoners wife Was taken there on
the evening of January %, 1906. She
was operated upon immsd ately by D..
townsend Mrs. Bell d ed at tour O'clock
the following morning.
Between three and four O'Clock on the
morning of January &c, 1907, year
later, almost to the minute, DR.. Town
sends a+sailsnt entered his bed room,
ordered the physician tn "Vet up" aud
then shot him with cold-bl oded deibe-
ration.
A letter written ~ John Bell may be
the needs d link of evidence to fasten ny
on the street. car conductor the murder
Of To@nsend
Detectives searching the home OF the
Bells in Brooklyn, where John Bill was
arrested, discovered letter signed by
the prisoner and addressed to his brother
Howard, which, apparently throws light
90 the staten l-land murder mystery.
The letter was pos marked Brooklyn un-
Der date Of January &c. although The de-
tecives believe the letter vas written
ls FRIDAY. | was IA follows:
Der owe, TAX the pleasure to write
yoI these last few lines t let you know that
this ia up to me an l after eating st awDerry
at this time Of year ought to be succes full.
Howard, ask Grace at the proper time # S
will we the inscription put on the head
stone before burial nd alsj $40 that he ring
is on nv finger AMI slippers on my feet, and
| the picture on my breast, sure. You eau say
| this without hard feelings and # you never
said prayer before, LAY u row To- me and
sis Pay that | am justified IN my act and
that may meet her isis in heaven and that
| Col will be merciful. May God bless you.
If the detectives have gained more In
fmmation about the letter from Howard
B. II, Chief IusPector Mclaughlin will
not divulge its nature. The theory now
is that Bell, if it was be that killed DR..
Townsend, contemplated suicide but
changed his mind when he saw chance
TO escape
A raincoat and derby hat similar to
those Bell wore when seen on Staten
Island, not long before the crime was
committed, we're found 10 the Hart stree
home.