Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-03
POLICE CHIEF is GUARDED
Will Not Confirm Nor Deny New
Superstition of Motive for Attack.
CHAIR.PUsHER RECITEs STORY
Noted That No Surprise Was Mani.
tested by Roberts or Companion
When Attack Was Made.

ATLANTIC CITY, \. j.. September g.
Charles E. Roberts of Baltimore is still
lingering IN dangerous condition at the
Atlantic City Hospital from the wound
inflicted last Wednesday night by man,
still unknown. while Roberts was riding
on the boardwalk with Mrs. William S.
G. Williams, a prominent Baltimore
woman.
Insistent reports of the wounded mans
death during the night. once at O'Clock
and again just after midnight. were con-
tradfcted by the hospital authorities.
This morning they gave out the usual
mildly favorable bulletin.
Roberts pulse, 1t was said. and his
temperature were both somewhat lower
than yesterday, the temperature being
again a fraction below 1OI: Roberts had
passed a fairly comfortab BILE night.
The theory of blackmail on which the
police of Atlantic City have given evil
dences of being secretly at work in their
efforts to solve the Roberts shooting. is
no longer SO positively denied by Chief
of Police Woodruff. A question whether
the expected arrest announced last night
by Woodruff would be for an accusation
of attempted blackmail was put to him
this morning
Il will not confirm any such suppose
ton" said Woodruff. But he would make
no explicit denial.
Chair Pusher Repeats Story.
AT dawn this morning the chair pusher,
Jesse Jackson, the only unbiased eye
witness of the shooting, was hunted up
and rigidly cross-questioned in his hiding
place behind Staffords negro hotel and
saloon at Michigan and Arctic avenues.
Jackson gave a complete account of
every incident in his memory connected
with the shooting. Many novel points
were brought out in his answers His
account absolutely failed to offer the
hoped-for explanation of how the sup
posed attempt at blackmail could possibly
have given rise to the shooting.
jackson stated that Roberts held his
straw hat in his right hand against his
side, during the brief verbal encounter
Der that. save for walking toward the
man with the mask and revolver. Rob-
erts made any show of attacking him. He
insisted that the time between the meet
ing and the shooting was a minute or
but little over that, and that there was
no talk about blackmail
Jackson was walked out of sound sleep
at 4 O'Clock this morning after a hunt
for him lasting since midnight. He, with
his wife and small child, were lodged in
small hut or clubhouse back of Stat
ford's saloon. just Off Michigan avenue
He arose, wrapped in a coarse blanket
on account OF the cold of the night, and
led his visitor into the single room On
account of the lack of chairs 1t was nee
essary to talk standing. and in whispers
at that, for fear of awakening Jackson's
baby. kerosene lamp, turned low,
threw vague light on Jackson's dark,
heavy features, the typical face of
plantation negro, characterless and good
natured.
Tell all vo,, remen,her ,r,o,t ,ho ,h.o.
ing, In your own words, from the BEGIN
ming. Jackson was asked.
Jackson at first told his old often-re.
peated story Of how he had wheeled Rob-
erts and Mrs. Williams out near Rhode
Island OF Vermont avenue and had sud-
denly been passed by a man wearing a
mask. who turned behind. came up on
the right side of his carriage pulled the
cover from in front and ordered the two
occupants to climb out; how the woman
and man had alighted and the masked
man had cried. Hands up and fired
four shots, after which Jackson fed. fol-
lowed by Mrs. Williams and Roberts
badly wounded.
Wants to Protect Mrs. Williams,
Jackson was asked point blank if any,
body had given him orders to tell this
story. He looked troubled and answered
We'll. now. that's the solemn truth
and l don't want TO tell anything else
Only don't want to get that lady (Mrs.
Williams) into any trouble. If you think
that story would sound bad for the lady
why"
jackson hcsitated. but left it plain
what lie had meant. He was told that
the lawyers were pretty smart men and
nothing would ever do but for him to
tell the exact truth from first to last IL
he did not want ito discredit the lady
and take chance himself of Trenton
prison. II was necessary to jog his men,
Dry
Did the stranger wear mask?" he
was asked.
Yes. sir. a white thing over his face
that looked like piece of a chair cover
or something of that kind. He was
good deal smaller than Roberts-smaller
than / am
Jackson is about five feet, ten inches
tall and weighs $50 pounds
Didn't he say anything but Get out
and Hands up?'"
repeated Get OUT after waiting q few
moments. following the first order 1t
was on the repetition of the command
that the woman jumped out first. followed
by the man. After that there was an in
terval OF perhaps half a minute during
which Roberts and Mrs. Williams stood
before the armed man. while Jackson
lowered behind the shelter of his big
three-place chair.
He could not remember what either
man said. but admitted that they might
have said some brief words. There were
no EXPLANATIONS OF surprise. at all
events. Even at the time he was sur
prised that the woman made no outcry
showed no signs OF Sinking and acted as
II she were not greatly surprised to see
the man in the mask.
These points were brought out of Jack
son with difficulty on account OF his evil
dent desire to tell his story so as TO
serve the lady.
What passed between the three per-
sons couId not have taken long Jack
son candidly admitted he only stopped
long enough for look. before he turned
to run. on hearing the words Hands up."
That set him running, still glancing over
MS shoulder
He noticed that Roberts still had his
hat i'll his hand, and that his hands were
not up. Roberts, he thought moved to-
ward the man. but Jackson did not see
any blows struck.
Scared by Shots.
He was not more than six or eight