The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-19

gram sent from Philadelphia came via.
this city, as the Orange telegraph Office
closed last night, as usual, at IL o'clock.
The missive from Philadelphia was as
follows:
"Chief of Police, Orange, N. j., via. New
Have George Wilson. coIored, under ar
Answer. JAMES j.. DONAGHY, +,
Captain of Detectives
Bright and early today Detective Drabell
was at the Orange police station. and
Judge Joseph b. Bray made out a com
plant which was sworn to by DfaDell as
detective sergeant. This paper detailed a
statement that Wilson, or Williams, on
the nigh. of December 10 at the Park
Hotel. In Orange, by force and arms did
u~nlawfully commit an assault and battery
by assaulting, beating, wounding n
killing one Frederick r. Romer then and
there, to wit, IN a certain room known as
room IS, did with a blunt instrument strike
the said Frederick r. Romer on the head,
giving him several mortal wounds, from
which mortal wounds he at the same time
and place dIed," etc.
With this complaint and a warrant De-
tective DIabsll, in Ompany with Berry
Coleman, { negro waiter at the Park Hotel,
who purchased a pair of shoes from Will
son, and Detective Walter Godfrey, OF the
County Prosecutors office. went to the
office of County Clerk John b.. Woolston,
where certified copies were secured Of the
papers, and armed with these the trip
TO Philadelphia was made. Coleman was
taken along to establish the positive iden-
LITIGATION. OF the man under arrest.
TIN work of fastening the crime upon
the accused negro, already under way, VIII
be an important matter. The mans move
ments III Orange We're such as to make
him anything but chummy with the
negroes there. His movements have been
partially traced while in the city, and one
experience he had with a robbery was
learned by a local private detective in a
search for evidence yesterday.
The man when he struck the negro sec
ton of the First Ward, Orange, about a
month or so ago, went to the eating and
lodging place of Burnley -Flagg, and was
referred to a Mrs. Christopher, who re-
sided at so Hickory street, Orange, as the
woman who could probably accommodate
him. and after paying two nights board
in advance he stayed IN the place. He
was sleeping in a room when Mrs. Chris
tOpher reused him and said he must go
out. as she was going out n would not
leave him IN the house. She soon missed
her watch when she prepared to go. and
as Wilson started to walk out the woman
Immediately suspected him of the theft.
Calling the fellow back, as she said she
wanted to SHOW him something, quick,
she met him with a handkerchief wrapped
around her hand. pretending a revolver
was concealed beneath it. She ordered
Wilson on penalty of his life to give up
the watch. She refused TO search him at
his request, and he finally broke down and
got the watch from the hiding place where
he had put 1t.
Wilson then departed md was not again
seen. Mrs. Christopher has sailed for thf
Barbados. West Indies.
From negroes in the hotel it has been
learned that while employed at the Park
hotelry Wilson did not mix well, al
though he was quite chummy with a
woman employee.
That Wilson, or Williams, WAS met by
Mr.. Romer when the latter was i'll st,
Augustine, Fla on a pleasure trip ana told
of a hotel owned by the Orange man Is
believed to he rue by many friends of the
murdered man. 1t is thought that Mr.
Romer may have mentioned his hotel and
the fellow arriving In the North sought
ont the place. Discharged for dishonesty.
it Is assumed by some that he may have
connected his dismissal with Mr.. Romor
and then decided on the robbery and re-
yenge- Wilson'S home Is in Jacksonville,
Ella. where his mother lives. He had
worked in Philadelphia before.
The story OF additional rings on the ar
rested negro in Philadelphia was news e
the Orange detectives and that phase will
be thoroughly investigated by them.
With the news Of the arrest of the ac-
cused man street talk in Grunge today
turned to the question of apportioniDE tbs
freward among those concerned. The negr,
who first gave Information OF the man
wanted and who purchased the Romel
ring for $3.50 and the bartender who mott
fed the police are spoken OF favorably
The negro who purchased the ring, Georg
4 Wnodson. of Philadelphia. IS out his SIS
paid the accused. The warmest praise was
given the Philadelphia police for their sue
! cessful work in landing the suspect, Will.
Detectives James Z. Mason and AValts'
Godfrey, OF the count force. with Chiei
Washer and the others were spoken Of II
hattefinR terms.