Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-06-17
TROLLEY CONDUCTOR SHOT
By Walter owen, Colored, Who Es-
capes and is Captured in New York.
Rev. Rob't Clisby and Wife, OF Jericho
Accessories After the Fact.

The last trolley car TO Woouuuiy
last Friday night had as It's crew
Motorman VIM. Roberts and Conduc-
tor Clarence Kline, of Camden, the
latter a native of Berk's County, Pa.,
aged 81 years. The cars run is TO
the south city line, and just before
that point was reached, it was hailed
by a colored man, accompanied by
woman.
No attention was paid to the mans
signal to stop, and the while the troll
lev pole was being shifted for the re-
turn run, the man and woman board
ed the car. He was mad and scolded
because the car was not promptly
stopped, and said he wanted to go to-
Mantua. He was told that the car
went to Camden. They did not get
off. and the car was started. Then
the motorman got signal to stop,
and at the same instant shot rang
out. AS soon as he could, the motor
man left his brake ,and going into the
car met the conductor midway IN
the car who said: I'm shot, hurry in
to Woodbury. and call doctor" Then
he fell in the aisle. Roberts put on
all speed to the Court House corner.
M. F. Cattell, Andy Smith and some
friends, standing on the Court House
corner, attracted by the speed of the
car, answered the motorman's call for
help. Mr.. Cattell raised the man up,
while another hurried to call doc
tor. DR.. Brewer responded, and
found the bullet had entered the mans
body just left of the naval, and could
be felt Just back of the hip. He adj
hn
Cooper hospital, and record run was
made to that institution. Kline was
cool and heroic, and told Mr.. Cattell,
who supported him, all about himself.
He has no friends in this section and
is not married.
At the hospital it was found that
the bullet had perforated the intes-
tines in two places.
The story of the shooting is that
the negro insisted on being taken to
Mantua and when he found the car
was going in the opposite direction,
he approached the conductor, who
was standing on the rear platform,
downward, would indicate that Owen
stood higher than his victim.
1t was 1870 when the car reached
moned Mayor Ladd, who called out the
special police and in automobiles pur-
suit of the fugitive negroes was be-
gun.
A short distance below Mantua the
pursuers overlook the woman IN
carriage, and she was brought back.
Her name is Ida Wilson, and she has
husband living at Jericho, and two
sisters, Viola Pierce and Laura Cooper
on Carpenter street. The man with
her, Walter Owen, is native of Vir-
ginia, but for the past five years he
has been in the employ of Wilmer
Stratton, a farmer near Mullica Hill.
She said she is employed by Mr. Col
son, near Mullica Hill, and they had
attended the Commencement exercises
of the Woodbury. colored school in
the Town Hall, and were returning
to get Ovens team that was at Man.
tua She was brought to jail and the
search for Owen continued Mr.. STRAIT
ton gave information as to Owen, and
that his clothes were at his house, and
he owed him near SIS for labor.
Sheriff Wilson and the police of the
county ran out a number of reports
sent in by people who saw strange col
ored men, but not until Tuesday morn
ing was definite news received. Then
phone message came from New
York that the police there had him in
custody-an officer having picked him
up attired in widow weeds. Sheriff
Wilson and Prosecutor Rogers at
once left for New York.
In New York they found Owen in
prison and that the officers had got
ten the entire story from him by
methods of their own.
His tale was that Immediately af
ter the shooting he sent the woman
to Mantua to get the team and drive
it home ,and he started for the home
of his pastor, Rev. Robert L. Clisby,
of Jericho. He remained there till
Monday afternoon when, rigged out
as a widow in deepest mourning and
carrying an old valise, his pastor
drove him to Camden. He took the
subway to Broad street station and
there got train for New York. Land
ing at Courtlandt street he tripped up
to Broadway. AS he turned the cor
ner at $50, he raised his black skirt
daintily, and an officer asked him to
take off his veil 81 can't" he re-
piled. 81 can," replied the officer, and
the guise was jerked off. 1t seems
that in raising his skirt, Owen ex-
posed his feet, and the officers sharp
eyes saw a mans foot. Where are
you goin ?" asked the officer. Home, ;"
said Owen. But he went to Jail.
Clisby and Wife Under $1,000 Bail.
When the New York officers told
the Woodbury. officials this story, they
Immediately phoned to Woodbury. to
arrest Clisby and his wife. This was
an easy task, and about 1890 Tuesday
night they were brought to Wood
bury jail.
Wednesday morning Mayor Ladd
held the pastor and wife in $1,000
bail for further hearing two weeks
hence, by which time Owen will be
here. The charge against them is con-
cealing ,harboring and aiding the es-
cape of Walter Owen, charged with
capital crime.
Clisby says he and his wife own a
tract of nine acres of land near Jeri-