Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-01
Mrs, Williams Tells. Of
Atlantic City Shooting.
Say Roberts Resisted The Rob-
Der and Was Shot.
Victim Is Fighting For lIfe-'.ho
Statement Likely.

cay in the drawing room or her nome
at Long Green, Baltimore county. Mrs
w. s. e. Williams, in the presence OF
her sister. Mrs. Sherlock Swami, wife
of the president of the police board, de-
scribed in detail the shooting of Charles
b. Roberts, Jr., who was wounded
Wednesday night on the Board walk
at Atlantic City while in her company
Mrs. William discussed the affair with
the utmost candor.
1T was an attempt at robbery, pure
and simple" she declared, land Mr.
Roberts was shot because he refused
to comply with the demands of the man
with the mask who ordered him to give
up his money.
when the shooting occurred, ! had
left my little daughter at the Hotel
Brighton not more than 20 minutes be
fore Mr.. Roberts was going along with
me in the rolling chair. We got to
place where the boarding was rough
and the chair bounced great deal.
suggested that we turn back. The chair
was covered one, and Mr.. Roberts
raped on the glass and told the negro
chairman to turn around. Just as he
did so. the chair stopped and i mask
ed man thrust a pistol into the chair,
having first opened the window on the
ocean side and ordered us to get out.
81 was seated on the side of the chair
toward the ocean and without word
got out and held up both hands. Mr..
Roberts followed me and as soon as
he emerged from the chair, the man
told him to give up his money. I had
little chatclaine bag attached to my
wrist but the man made no effort to
get this
"When ordered to give up his money
Mr.. Roberts declared that he would do
nothing Of the kind and started after the
man. Mr.. Roberts was much taller than
the man who held him up. The latter.
who wore a mask of some dark grayish
material that came to his chin, was small
and emaciated. I should say he could
not have been more than 5 feet, : inches
tall He wore the toughest kind Of cloth
ing, and, judging from his appearance,
though of course neither of us could see
his face. he looked like a tramp.
II was scared and begged Mr. Roberts
to give the man what money he had, but
Mr.. Roberts instead rushed at the man,
who was covering him with a pistol and
stood a few PAGES off. AS Mr. Roberts
started forward the man fired two shots
in all, one of which took effect. At the
moment I did not know that Mr.. Roberts
was shot. and doubt if he realized it. AL
though struck by one of the bullets he
kept on toward the man without pausing.
ard the william ran and escaped in the
darkness"
Did either you or Mr.. Roberts recog-
nze the voice of his assailant?" Mrs. Will
iiams was asked. She replied in an indig-
nant negative:
IF 1T had been anyone whom we knew
Well" she said, 40 you not think we
would have recognized the voice at once?
If i had been my husband, as they have
tried to insnuate. or my brother, it would
have been impossible for either to have
disguised his voice so that both Mr.. Rob
erts and l would not recognize it. NV
husband. as has now been proved. was
here at Long Green, and my brother. Tom
DeForG, was in Chicago on a business
trip. The names of other men-friends of
mine and of my husband-have been
dragged into this and very uniustly. Sure
~ there was nothing unusual in nv being
on the Board walk with Mr. Roberts at
that early hour of the evening.
IL was said that we had endcayored
70 suppress the facts concerning the
shooting of Mir. Roberts There is moth
ing about the whole affair to be conceal
cd An attempt was made to hold up Mr.
Roberts, and in resisting the robber he
was shot. Seeking to find another motive
winch some newspapers have done. is nm
falr and cruel to a woman who has no
redress. For these things, once spoken
do incalculable harm"