Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-29
THEORY OF ROBBERY
SECUTED BY POLICE
Solution Of Mystery Will Follow In
vestigation Of Williams Move
ments, Is Belief.

ATLANTIC CITY. n. J.. August 20
Charles B. Roberts. mysteriously shot on
the Boardwalk last Wednesday night, is
still in the Atlantic City Hospital and is
very weak
The bullet. which penetrated the liver,
1T is feared caused wound which may
prove fatal.
The police are firm In the belief that
tthe solution Of the mystery surrounding
the shooting will follow an investigation
of the movement of W. 8. G. Williams on
the day of the shooting. The allegation
that williams had been in a santarium
undergoing treatment and not abroad
was made to the police by his wife. who
was with Roberts in a rolling chair at the
time Of the shooting. Accord ng to the
police. she contradicts statement given
;out from Williams law Office.
The police Of this city have entirely
abandoned the theory that the assailant
of the Baltimore man was a htghwayman
They are awaiting a report from the Bal
timore authorities, who are tracing the
whereabouts and actions OF Williams on
the night of the shooting
"You Have Broken Ny Heart"
Two disclosures. just made by the negro
:who was pushing the chair in which Rob
erts and Mrs. Williams were riding, are
considered important by the police. When
questioned in regard to the conversation
(which passed between Roberts and Mrs.
Williams during the chair ride Jesse
Jackson, the negro, said:
II did not hear anything except one re-
mark Of the gentleman I heard him
say, Just before the man with a mask
came up to US:
"'You have broken my heart
Il did not hear what the lady an
svered.'
In addition to the fact first related by
him In regard to the shooting. Jackson
now says the masked stranger applied an
epifhet to Roberts as he ordered him TO
get out Of the chair The negro also in
sists that ne heard no demand for money
following the first order. Hold up your
hands,
Malcolm Woodruff. chief Of police. said
ssoday:
THE highway theory has had little
weight with us from the first The
shooting occurred at 1870 o'clock. The
wounded man was taken to the hospital
and the woman back to her hotel
LAS soon I learned that she was not
his wife ! asked. Where is her husband?'
Il sent several messages to Baltimore be-
fore IL o'clock that night. asking the po-
lice there to let me know at once whsther-
Williams was in that city. / believed that
i quick answer to that question would go
far toward solving the mystery.
1 anxiously awaited reply. None came.
J have not heard one word since from
she Baltimore police on that feature
Harry Wilson. one OF my detectives is
now at work on II.
Many things that Mrs. Williams has
:old US OF her husband are important as
showing their feelings toward each
ather. She said that her eighteen years
IF married life have been misery to her
three times. she declares she has had
her husband put in sanitarium.
Last TUESDAY he left the sanitarium
-and went 10 Baltimore. According to his
wifes assertion he called her I'D at the
Hotel Brighton and asked her to come
home with the children. She refused.
saying she preferred to remain Until Sat-
Jrday.
Aware of Wife's Whereabouts.
In the conversation Williams became
aware that Roberts was also at the
. Brighton
'AlI this Mrs. Williams has told us I
sDelieve that it Is the truth
But also believe that II her husband
came 10 Atlantic City from Baltimore
nat day she not aware of it,
Further evidence OF the desire of the
families OF the principals in the affair to
support the "highwayman" theory was
given today by County Prosecutor cold
enberg OF Atlantic county
One OF the most prominent lawyers Of
Philadelphia. friend Of both families.
called on me yesterday" said Golden
berg. He urged me 10 accept the rob-
hery theory.
II listened to all he had TO say. but re-
oiled that / should have to sft the af-
air TO the bottom before l accepted any
theory
Silence is now maintained by members
OF the Williams family group at the Ho-
tel Brighton concerning the shooting.
BESIDES Mrs. Williams there are at the
hotel Mrs. Roberts. who came from Bal
tinore with her brother-in-la John
Roberts. following the tragedy; Miss Min
n L