The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-02-25

skill ana DOlQneSS, was announced. 1t
| was thought that gang of expert
enced criminals had made a descent
| upon the city so long exempt from
crime, and every stranger was under
suspicion and carefully watched
"One night, not long after his mar
riage, Mr.. Williamson was found on
Charleston bridge in a dazed, exhaust
ed condition, and assisted to his
home. When sufficiently recovered he
stated that while crossing the bridge
he was suddenly seized from behind.
his throat grasped so that he could not
cry out, and his pocketbook, contain
ing a large sum of money, taken from
him. He struggled to free himself
from his unknown assailant until he
gasped for breath and fell exhausted,
unconscious.
"On the following day Mr.. William
son offered liberal reward for the
arrest of the highwayman. but as he
had not seen him he could give no
clua to aid in the detection of the
criminal Some of the persons robbed.
however who had caught a glimpse of
the thief. described dark person
with heavy black hair, wearing blue
glass spectacles; and, as it was be
lieved that he and the assailant of
Williamson were one, search was
made for a person answering this de
scription.
Weeks passed and the mysterious
robberies and holdups seemed no near
er a ISOLATION. Every clue and sus.
picion was followed up. Strangers were
arrested and obliged TO prove their in
nocence. Everybody became a detec-
tive.
Some weeks after the last robbery,
stranger came To the express office
with trunk which he wished trans.
ported to New York. Something in the
manner of the man. an unnatural,
halt-disguised appearance, excited the
suspicion of the alert sharp-eyed ex.
press agent, and while he proceeded
10 make out the receipt he secretly
sent a message to the constable. Upon
bis arrival that official instantly began
to question the stranger demanding
to know the contents of the trunk
His inquiries We're frankly answered
with proper explanation and the key
produced that the captain might verify
the same by examination. The limo
cent franknesS of the stranger dis
armed the constable and, half apollo
giving for not accepting his statements
as sufiicient,the captain stopped to-un-
lock the trunk, when suddenly the
stranger ieaped by him and out
through the door, barring it after him
by tnrusting a stout cane through
the iron handle Throwing himself
against the door the captain soon
broke the improvised bolt and rushed
off in pursuit, following the fugitive
down through Dock square, Marshall
and Hanover streets, into narrow
court leading from the last street
where the man had disappeared. But
though there was no outlet other than
that by which he had entered, thor
ough search of this place a few mo-
ments after failed to discover the flu
gitiye, or the way of his escape After
the houses opening on the court were
SEARCHED without discovering any
trace of the probable thief, the pro
prietOrs of the stores fronting Han
over street on each side and having
rear entrances, We're sent for. Among
these was Mr.. Williamson, but as il
was ascertained at his residence that
he was absent from the city, entrance
was gained to his sore by side win
dow. Here however, as in the other
stores, no person or sign of Que was
found. The burglar, for such an ex~
animation of the trunk al the express
office proved him to be, was never cap
tured, nor was trace of him dfscov
cred. although diigent search of that
neohborhood was made by the whole
police force.
Not long after, the city was again
startled, this time by the announce
ment in the morning papers of the
mysterious disappearance and prob
able murder of Mr. Williamson He
was known to carry large sums OF
money upon his person, and as there
SC't
sence, it was thought most probable
that he had been robbed and muir
dered
Information was sought by adver-
tisement in the newspapers with
promise of liberal reward, but all in
vestigation proved unavailing
After some weeks of vain inquiry
and search, the general suspicion that
he had been murdered and his body
thrown over the Charlestown bridge
became a settled conviction; but his
faithful, trusting wife refused to be-
lieve him dead, and her father finally
proceeded to New York TO see what
information, if any. could be gained
from those with whom his son-in-law
had dealings in that city
What he ascertained there | do
not know, but Immediately on his re-
turn he came to my employer for u
Workman to go to the store and open
in his presence the safe containing
the stock stored therein. After some
drilling the bolt was sprung and the
door swung open, disclosing a sight
at which | started back affrighted and
amazed, and which so Mortified the
troubled and anxious father that he
| fell like a dead man on the floor
! There within the safe lay the dead