The sun., 1910-01-16
SAID he HADPARK MURDERER
BOY JANTTORS TALE DOESN'T
EXCITE THE POLICE,
Though u Did when He Ph0ned He Had
Chased a Dark stranger Out or HIs
CeIlar-Lost Him-New Description
or the Man VINO Killed Robbie LOmAs.

CeIlar-LOst Him-New. Description
Of the Man VINO Killed Robbie LOmas.
The police Of the West IS2d street station
had something of thrill at @ o'clock
yesterday morning when they were told
from Police Headquarters that man. had
Just telephoned in saying that he had
shooed the murderer of Robbie Lomas out
of his cellar twenty minutes before and
wanted a lot of men sent up to catch him.
The lieutenant on the desk tumbled three
sergeants and twenty men out OF their
hunks and sent them up to 17sth street
as fast as they could get there.
They nosed about the two apartment
houses at Ss7 and sol for an hour without
finding the dark faced man who killed.
Robbie Lomas in High Bridge Park last
Wednesday and at the same time hurt
six-year-old Arthur Shbley so badly that
the doctors at Washington Heights Hos
pital aren't yet sure that he will get well.
The man who sent in the alarm was
Alfred Gilks. the nineteen-year-old janitor
on the two apartment houses in West
l7sth street He told the police that at
$50 o'clock he went into the basement
of 5s7 to get the fire started for the day.
On the way to the furnace he passed the
door Of a storenoom and heard queer
noise inside. He felt in his pocket for a
key, but found that he'd left it next door.
where his rooms are. He went back for it.
When finally he swung wide the door
of the store room he saw a man sitting
on the floor who laughed at him. The
man was OF medium height, thickly set
and apparently muscular. he was dark
skinned. Gilks told him to get out, but
the man still laughed at him. Gilks says
he took hold of him and started to lead
! him toward the door
Then he swings ON me- said Gilkss
| -and catches me a swipe on the jaw
| Can't you see IL? l gets after him. but
he's bigger than me and beats 1t up the
I stairs
Gilks didn't yell TO give the alarm
He ran to Audubon avenue. where he
| found a butcher shop open. He argued
with a. meat cutter for fifteen minutes
before the man would let him use a tele-
phone, because he didn't have nickel
with him TO pay for the call. i
by the time got back" his narrative
went on. "the black faced guy had beat
it up to the roof. Gilmartin, who lives
upstairs told me this morning he heard
him going. He thought it was the COP
who lives ON the floor above coming
home from work. The guy got through
the scuttle and came down in sol. That's
the last saw of him"
Gillls saws that he saw the dark skinned
ment houses that fringe the northern
side of l7sth street last Thursday. He
so reported TO the police. He thinks that
the man crept into the storeroom through
a window and stayed there until he routed
him out yesterday. The police don't
take much stock in the story. They
couldn't find much evidence of a tussIe
except Gilks's torn shirt and weren't
inclined to accept the story on his uncor-
roborated declaration.
tlRnItNy (snm missioner RlI0har aant nlIt
yesterday 10000 circulars in which the
appearance OF the murderer il described.
In several particulars II tallies with that
which Gilks gave OF his antagonist. This
is the police description:
Between IS and 40 years old. feet
8 inches tall and weighs about $50 pounds
tie is of slim build. with narrow shoulders
has a dark mustache and a beard OF
several weeks growth. He walks with
his head inclined to the right, has a vacant
stare. usually carries both hands in his
pockets and appears to be demented
~ the time Of the murder he wore a dark
tan OF gray Overcoat Of light weight and
medium length and black soft hat.
He wears his coat buttoned tightly at the
neck, Probably he frequents parks or
the vicinity Of parks"
Inspector McOaherty pointed out yes
terday that the description WAS that OF
the queerly acting stranger who shot
John Frederick Of sI7 Grand avenue
last Sunday night ON the New York Cen
trail viaduct at 152d street and Park
avenue.
1T tallies too" said the inspector.
with that OF a man seen hanging around
High Bridge Park on the afternoon the
two boys were shot. II seems reason
able that man who would shooot another
without cause wouldn't balk at shoot
ing two little boys out coasting."
Inspector McCaHsrty travelled over the
Washington Heights region in an auto
mobile on Friday night. but he didn't
find anything TO help him much in his
work of finding the murderer
They buried Robbie Lomas yesterday.
The police sent four or five men to 4S4
West l84th street to keep the curious
from interfering. There were a good
many persons in the street. The Rev.
Thomas W. Smith conducted a short
service in the third floor apartment where
the Lomas family lives. The body was
taken to st. Michael's Cemetery in Astoria.
The doctors at the Washington Heights
Hospital said last night that Arthur
Shibley had a chance to get well. They
were careful to add that he is still seriously
sick. They won't attempt blood trans
fusion except as "A last resort, because
they fear the effects OF shock in the boys
present condition.