New-York tribune., 1908-09-02
WILLIAMS EXONERATED
ROBERTS Is RECOVERING.
Chief Wocaaraf De,ties That Var
rants Haze Been Issued.
tBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


Atiap:fc City. Sept. 1.-The first result of the
police investigation OF the shooting of Charles B.
Roberts the Baltimore banker, came to-day,
when Chief Woodruff of the Police Department
issued a statement entirely eliminating from
the case the hubsnd of Mrs. ". G. Williams
the COMPANION of Roberts on the wheeled chair
ride
Our investigation has proved conclusively
that Williams had no direct connection with the
Boardwalk shooting said the chief. I'VE nave
ascertaiaed beyond doubt that he was neither
in Atlantic City nor Baltimore at the time the
shots were fred
This is regarded here significant. Chlef
Woodruff declined to impcate any one in the
case but intimated that developments of
startling character might be anticipated when
Mr.. Roberts sufficiently RECEIVERS to be able to
leave the hospital
Robertss condition according to hospltai
bulletins, is much improved tonight Phy-
sicans say that he will recover unless unlocked
for complications set in.
The police fatty deny that Assistant Prose-
cutor Vote has issued a warrant in this case
The police have given orders to the hospital
superintendent not to allow Mr.. Roberts to de-
part without first informing fhe department
This is considered as equal TO statement thae
Mr.. Roberts will be detained until he has given
Members of the Police Department were will
ing to discuss the highway robbery theory prac-
tica1y for the first time since the night Of the
occurrence. They say there is a possibility OF
a robber having attempted to hold up the pair
in the rolling chair. and Of having lost his head
and fred when Roberts, who is said to be OF
powerful physique. jumped out of the VEHICLE
when the negro pushing the chair went
running down the boardwalk for help The
fact that nothing stolen has been the main
stay of the police in discarding the robbery idea.
Mrs Wfams's statement as to the resistance
which Roberts proposed to offer may have had
something to do with the willingness of the
authorities to discuss. although they do not ad-
nit it, the theory of an attempted ho1dup
The hospital doctors said to-day that Rob-
erts's condition is encouraging. He was cheer
full. but refuses to make any statement regard
ing the shooting. The doctors say he suffered
little pain.
Detective Wilson, who has been in Baltimore
on the case, has returned here, and says he
expects to make arrest in the case very
shortly. He would not say positively that the
suspect was still in this city, but intimated
that the arrest will be made here. Police Off
cials refuse TO make known the name of the
person under suspicion, but they intimate they
have the right man under surveillance, and are
only waiting for positive evidence before they
make an arrest
Wilson says he got all the evidence he could
in Baltimore, and that the trail led him back
to this city. He says he had several interviews
with w. s. e. Williams the husband of the
woman who was with Roberts when he was
shot Whether Williams had established per
feet aIihi for that night the detective refused
to say, but from the fact that he fntinated that
the arrest in the case would be made in this
city, it is generally believed Williams has
shown conclusively that he not in Atlantic
City on the night of the shooting