The Detroit times., 1908-10-29
POLICE SAY Case
AGAINST LYON
IS WEAK
IDENTIFICATION OF SUSPECT ~
BOY VICTIM MUST BE soLsTER-
ED UP STRONGLY TO FAsTEN
GUILT ON PRISONER.

In spite OF Mello Thibodeau's idea
tification OF Alya z. Lyon. now under
arrest, as the man who carried him TO
vacant house on Commonwealth-ave.
last Saturday and there attacked him
In shocking manner. the police are
far from being satisfied that Lyon -
the man responsible for nendisn
crime.
We will have TO secure a lot more
evidence than We have now before
we can submit the case to a jury"
said Chief OF Detectives Mcdonnell,
Monday noon. las IL stands now we
could not go into court with any hope
OF securing a conviction. The Thibo-
deau boy is positive that the man
who attacked him wore tan shoes. We
have not been able TO learn - yet
whether Lyon ever possessed q pair
OF tan shoes. and II we fasten the
crime on him 1t will be necessary 70
establish that fact"
Lyon Claims an Abb.
Wednesday evening. following the
boys Identification. 1t looked very
were inclined to be jubilant. ut it's
different now. Lyon enters q COM
plete denial and claims an abb. He
says he was watching the unloading
of a boat at the foot OF 0riswold-st.
at the time of the assault on the Thu
bodeau boy Is supposed to have tax
en- place, but his word on this point
is unsupported as yet. Harry 8. Stan
hxr IN m
Star line, called to take q look 1T
he had seen the man before, but could
him on the docks or whether the time
was last Saturday.
Arthur 8. Lyon, the prisoners n
Their, who lives on farm q mile and
a half outside Of Ann Arbor, arrived
in the city Thursday morning and Wis
tied his son In the central station Al
ter the talk he expressed the nrm be-
lief that his son Is innocent Of any
connection with the case.
II don't believe my boy 10 capable
Of crime like that" he said. And he
give what I consider a good account
Of his movements that day. shall
certainly stand by him"
After leaving the Pontiac asylum
Oct. IL. Lyon want home for = week
and appeared to have fully regained
his health" the father says. Then
he came to Detroit to look for work
and had been here ever since. The
Older Lyon IS OF the opinion That hin
son Is now rational He speaks In
diligently and while his personal ap-
pearance suggests the type Of man
who would commit the crime Of which
the Thibodeau boy was the victim.
there Is nothing In his conversation
that betrays degeneracy.
Victim Identifies Suspect.
rs that the man who hurt you p
asked Chief OF Detectives McDounell.
OF 6-year-old Mello Thibodeau a. be
| lay In one OF the sun rooms In 0rAco
hospital. late Tuesday afternoon. and
the captain pointed to AYva E. Lyon.
the suspect arrested by Detectives
Reid and Good a few hours before.
Lyon stood some distance from the
rolling stretcher on which the bog r.
clined, with q strong light pouring
down on his face from the sky.ngAt
overhead. The Thibodeau lad
looked steadily at him for several mo-
ments. Then q slight tremor passsd
over the little sufferer. his face turn
ed q shade paler and he answered IN
a voice scarcely above . whisper:
Yes, SIR
Come nearer" ordered Capt. Ne.
Donnell. Lyon moved up few PAGES
and stopped about 10 feet away.
Are you sure he's the manT the
boy was asked.
| Yes. sir" was the prompt reply.
| Again Lyon was compelled to step
forward. this time to the bedside,
where the little patient could look NJ
into his face. The question was re-
peated and again Mello answered n
the Affirmative.
I'm not the man. am II" put In
Lyon at this juncture. Previously he
had argued with the oflcers that the
questions had been put to the boy IN
such a way that an Affirmative an
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