Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-28
ROBERTS GIVES CLUE
Baltimore FinanCier May Sur
Vive Masked Mans Bullet.
STORY OF MRS. WILLIAMS
Offered Valuables, Thinking Assail-
ant Meant Robbery.
ONE SHOT BARELY MISSED HER
Denies That Her Husband Was the
Man-No Mention Of "Din-
ner Party"
STORY OF MRS. WILLIAMS
ONE SHOT BARELY MISSED HER

ner Party"
ATLANTIC CITY. n. j., August o.
Though Charles B. Roberts. financier and
clubman, of Baltimore, Nd. victim of a
mysterious shooting on the boardwalk
Wednesday night, is still in critical
condition at a local hospital strong hope
is entertained by the physicians that he
will recover.
He was sufficiently revived from un-
consciousness to tell the police some
thing Of the man who shot him. Acting
on the faint clue which is understood to
have been given them, they have been
working industriously to clear up the
mystery surrounding the shooting.
Mrs. W. s. G. Williams of Baltimore,
who was in the rolling chair with Rob-
erts, and the negro chair pusher were
subjected to sharp cross-examination
Their stories agree in the details.
Mrs. Williams Story.
Mrs. Williams told the police that the
man who halted the chair came face to
face with them and was walking slowly.
Peering through the glass windows be-
hind which Mr.. Roberts and Mrs. Will
liams sat, the man laid his hand on the
chair and showed one of the windows
aside, at the same time showing a re-
volver.
Thinking the man wanted money. Mrs.
Williams declares she offered him her
chatelaine bag. The stranger waved 1t
aside and ordered Roberts to "get out
she looked hard and saw for the first
time that the man was masked.
He shot four or five bullets, one of
them taking effect in Roberts side. an
other penetrating the back of the rolling
chair and narrowly missing Mrs. Will
liams. and the others going wild Then.
declares Mrs. Williams. the man coolly
walked away in the direction of the I'm
let" at the upper end of Atlantic City.
The negro chair pusher was too fright
ened to act. He admits he ran away un-
til the man with the revolver was out
Of sight He then called Policeman
Rust who assisted Mr. Roberts into the
rolling chair to await the arrival Of an
ambulance.
Not Her Husband, She Says.
Mrs. Williams made emphatic denial
when asked whether the man might have
been her husband. She asserts that Mr..
Roberts has long been family friend.
and that her husband knew him as such.
She says her husband had never ex-
hibited any signs of jealousy during all
the years she has known Mr.. Roberts.
She added, too. that her husband knew
of the presence of Mr.. Roberts in At
lantic City.
Mrs. williams was then asked whether
the man who did the shooting made the
reported declaration, You will never
take my wife out to dinner again." as
he fired the shots. She denied this, as
did also the chair pusher.
whether the man tried to kill her also.
1.-The bullet came uncomfortably close,
she said. But If he wanted to Kill me
it seems he could easily have done so"
She further declares she has not the
slightest suspicion as to the identity OF
the assailant, as she did not think she had
an enemy in the world.
Mrs. Roberts. wife of the victim. ar
rived here last niS int and has been at
his bedside at the hospital ever since. She
refused to talk Of the occurrence.
The police scoff at the theory of high
way robbery and hint at sensational rev.
elations upon the arrest of those whom
they have under suspicion.
Robbery Alleged Motive.
John NJ. Roberts, brother of Charles
Roberts. and j. Olney Norris Of Balti-
more, to see whom Charles came here,
today gave versions Of the shooting.
They insisted there could be no explana
ton other than attempted robbery
John NJ. Roberts said:
THE facts as given to the public are
correct SO far as the motive OF the at
tack is concerned. 1t was plainly an at
tempted hold-up and nothing more. There
is absolutely nothing to conceal and every
statement is frankly made.
MY brother came down here to see
Mr. Morris on business. Wednesday even
ing he invited all the Baltimore ana Mary
inc
to dine with him at the Shellburne. The
gentlemen declined the invitation, but
several of the ladies accepted. They went
to the Shellburne alone.
Ii was later when my brother invited
every one to take a chair ride on the
Boardwalk Only Mrs. Williams cared to
CO. as they night was stormy and they
were tired. So my brother and Mrs
Williams called chair and started, In
tending to take only short ride.
Alone by Accident.
1T was positively not an arrangement
of Charlie and Mrs. Williams to go out
alone They were alone only by the
chance fact that the rest. who had been
to dinner with them, didn't care to take
the ride.
Had they not been alone they would
never have been held up. for that was
the very circumstance that gave the
robber nerve to tackle them. Mrs. Will
liams offered him her purse. but Charlie
refused to let her give 1T up
Mr.. Norris told substantially the same
story of the shooting "a. that related by
Mrs. Williams, which he said he got
from the wounded nah. Mr.. Norris
added that he talked also at the time
with Mrs Williams. who told the same
story and that he was present when
Chief of Police Whalen cross-eXamined
Jackson, the chairman, who cOrrObo-
rated it in every detail as far as he
was able to remember in his fright.
Sensation in Baltimore.
BALTIMORE, August 2S.-The attempt
on the life of Charles B. Roberts of this
city at Atlantic City has created a tre-
mendous sensation in Baltimore society
and is the sole topic OF conversation in
the circles in which he moved.
It was discussed from every possible
viewpoint by his friends and acquaint-
ances in trying to reason out motive for
the attack. The report that Mrs. w. s.
G.. Williams. also of this city. was In
the rolling chair with Mr.. Roberts when
the shooting occurred added interest to
the case.
For years the Roberts and Williams
families have been on intimate terms. the
heads of the two households being of ap-
proximately the same age and moving
in the same circles of society. In view
of these relations it was pointed cut by
some of Mr.. Roberts friends that his