New-York tribune., 1908-08-31
MIX IN ROBERTS CASE
POLICE FORCES At ODDS.
Mrs. Williams Returns to Baltimore
-Victim Had $4,000 uith Him.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune J

sAtlantic City Aug 3O-The complications in
the mysterious shooting of Charles B. Roberts
here on Wednesday became further involved to-
day when relations between the police depart
ments of Baltimore and this city became
strained Chief Woodruff's complaint that
the police of the Maryland city were not aiding
in the work of clearing up the mystery as en-
Enthusiastically had been hoped. Another i'm
portant feature of the days developments was
the fact that Mrs. w. S. G. Williams, who was
with Roberts in the wheeled chair when at
tackled on the Boardwalk, permitted to
leave the city and return to her home in Bati-
more upon her promise to return here when
wanted. Mr.. Robertss condition is still critical
and blood poisoning is feared. An important
fact tending to support the highW ayn,an theory
advanced by Mrs. Williams. is that the victim
had 81 900 on his person when he arrived in this
city No further attempt has been made TO re-
move the bullet from the victims liver The
police promise surprise within few days
Chief Woodruff Of the Police Department
issued this statement to-day
The local department is not up in the air. nor
is 1t trying to hide anything Neither Is It
divulge the information It has and is getting
1t will do so, and there may be some starting
surprises when that time arrives. You may
rest assured that the whole thing will be cleared
up and everybody will know the result
NEW CLEW NOT ON ROBBERY THEORY.
It was said that the veiled promise of sur
prise contained in the police chiefs statement
was based upon the clew discovered yester-
day This was not based upon the highway
man theory, which the persons concerned IN the
adhere TO. nor to suspicious attached TO any
relatives of Mrs. Williams Speaking of the
highwayman theory. Chief woodruff was asked;
Have YOU definitely cast aside the highway
robbery theory?"
The reply was question to the interrogation.
would highway robber deliberately shooe
a man who was not offering the slightest re-
sistance to his demands? After holding up his
V. i'm in lonely spot, would robber. after
shooting. away with thought of the
81 500 in Jewels and money that were invitinSly
at his mercy ?''
The A,.antic City police resent the statements
of the friends 81 Ar. Roberts and of Will
Jams that their refusal to accept the robber
theory Is due to lhe jealousy of Atlantic C1tys
good name. They declare that with what
meagre material they are able to obtain they
are gtlng ahead with the investigation along
lines tha. rational 60 them.
In the event of Roberts's recovery they are
hopeful that he may be led into satisfactory
explanation of the affair. while In the case of
his death more powerful means OF inquiry would
be put into their hands to get at the bottom OF
the now closely guarded secret and the only
word that from the sickroom is to the
effect that if Mr.. Roberts lives two weeks longer
he will This information Is anything
but satisfying to the police, but it is all the
surgeons can gay.
LITTLE POLICE HELP FROM BALTIMORE
When asked if he had heard anything from
Baltimore which had bearing on the closely
guarded new cew, Chief Woodruff said:
II have yet received no report from Baiti-
more that satisfies me with the result of in
vestigations in that city. I believe that the
Baltimore police could clear up the question of
Mr. Williamss whereabouts on the night of the
shooting in convincing manner and in a very
short while If they chose to so. But we are
not getting the complete cooperation that had
hoped for. / understand that near relative Of
Mrs Williams is connected with the Baltimore
Police Board. do not know that this has had
any effect upon the investigation. / have read
all that has been printed from Baltimore, but
shall continue my inquiry along the lines origi-
nallv determined upon until have good reason
for a change So far as to-days developments
are concerned, there is really nothing new
Mrs. Roberts saw her husband to- day fer the
first time since the shooting. She was allowed
to talk to him only few minutes and then
Obliged to retire from his room. The surgeons
will not permit him to become the least excited.
They never talk to him of the shooting and al
wavs stop him if he starts to speak of that
subject.
The doctors rather look for change either
for better or worse in Roberts's condition by to-
morrow afternoon.
MRS WILLIAMS RETURNS TO HOME
The police learned tonight that Mrs Williams
had returned to her home In Long Green Valley,
near Baltimore, where she Joined her husband
and children. She Is suffering from nervous
breakdown and is denied to all visitors.
According to dispatches from Baltimore Mr..
Roberts had $1,000 his person when he left
that CITY, His friends think that this lends
plausibility to the attempt at robbery theory.
Mr. Roberts usually carried large sums OF
money on his person, and yet never was known
to carry pistol other weapon both of which
facts were well known to persons whom he knew
in Baltimore
The police learned to-day that Thomas De
Ford. a brother of Mrs. Williams. is staying at
the Imperial Hotel in Narragansett Pier. r. l..
with his family. Mr.. De Ford. according to local
authorities, said that he first learned OF the
shooting from newspaper. while he was IN
Chicago last Thursday. and that he had heard
nothing from his sister since that time. He was
emphatic in declaring that he believed the affair
contained no element of mystery. and that it
was a simple case OF highway robbery. That
was DUE he believed. to reluctance to admit
that such hod-up could take place on public
place within their jurisdiction.
Mrs Williams accompanied Mr.. and Mrs De
Ford in an automobile from Baltimore TO Nara
gansett Pier, arriving there on August 1S She
remained there that night, and on the following
day went to Atlantic City. where she had left
her children. All the members Of the De Ford
family are we'll known In Narragansett Pier