New-York tribune., 1910-01-25
HELD AS SLAYER
OF LITTLE BOYS
MAGICIAN TAKEN IN
SAN4TORIUM.
Police Confident That Denni-
son, Seeming Religious
Maniac, Is Murderer.

With the arrest Of Herbert jerome
Dennison. who used TO be a magician.
rhe police last night felt sure that they
had unravelled the twisted rope of cir
Cumstance about the murder of Rob
ert Lonas and Arthur Snibley in High
Bridge Park on January 12. Dennison
was taken from Long Island sanato-
rum
In charge OF Detectives Gilday and
Lagerenne. the prisoner reached the
night court shortly after Q o'clock and
was locked up pending his arrai ignment-
Within a few minutes OF each other In
spector McCafferty, Magistrate Barlow
and District Attorney Whitman reached
the court. the last named arriving about
10 O'Clock
When the District Attorney arrived. he.
with Magistrate Barlow. who appeared
in behalf of Dennison merely as an old
friend of the family, Inspector McCaf-
ferty and the two detectives went to the
private chambers of Magistrate COrri-
gan. where McCafferty prepared an affi-
davit formally charging Dennison with
the murder of young Shibley. LOmas was
not mentioned. as it was Shibley who de-
scribed the murderer
After the men had been in conference
for some little time Inspector McCanerty
ordered Dennison TO be brought into the
courtroom. and he personally attended
to the arraignment. He presented 10 the
court his affidavit setting forth all the
alleged facts that have been learned so
far regarding DennisOn- on the strength
of the affidavit Magistrate Corrigan held
the prisoner. without bail. for examina-
ton tomorrow morning in Jefferson
Market court Dennison was locked up
in the Jefferson Market prison 10 await
tO-mOrrow's examination
In court DennisOn was dressed in a
dark suit. ever which he wore a light
tan coat He wore a beard OF a few
days growth. He was extremely uer-
vous. The proceedings seemed 10 daze
him and he had nothing TO say
District Attorney Whitman said. as he
left Magistrate Corrigan's chambers: Il
question this mans sanity. but believe
him TO be the guilty man" The pris-
oner's mother and sister were in court.
They told the District Attorney that
Dennison's hair was cut the morning of
the double shooting In Highbridge Park.
and not after the murder.
The magician. who was at one time
pretty well known on the vaudeville
stage. was under the care OF his mother
and aunt in a furnished room at No. 152
East 12Sth street before and after the
murder When he was arrested he acted
like religious maniac. and across his
chest were tattooed in large letters the
words Scientist, Alchemist. Priest and
Atheist"
Although his appearance had been
greatly changed by a shave and bath.
Dennison was identified by Lawrence
Casey, the park empIoye who saw the
murderer of the two boys run from the
park on the afternoon of the shooting.
This identification was made in the sana-
torium several days ago AS a result the
man was kept under surveillance until
Inspector McCaferty was able TO get
enough evidence to make him feel that
he was justified in ordering his Arrest
The police first suspected Dennison
when the blOtter of the East 126th street
police station showed that a man had
been reported as missing from the fur
nished room house in I2sth street a few
days before the murder While the de-
scription did not conform In every detail
with that given to the police by little
Arthur Shibley, Inspector McCanerty
ordered an investigation. as he did in all
such cases at that time.
CLEw IN BARBER SHOP.
Mrs Mary Roddock. the housekeeper
of the place where Dennison. his mother
and aunt had been living. furnished the
Cra Iol
that Dennison had been shaved In a
Third avenue barber shop on the day
following the murder
II was also learned that the man who
had been missing for two days before
the shooting had returned TO his home
at 8 o'clock on the day that the boys
were attacked.
II was learned further according TO
Inspector McCaferty. that Dennison
had been an inmate of an asylum in
Connecticut, from which he was taken
late in December. The police saw that
they traced the man 10 the Long Island
sanatorium on Thursday. and that they
caused his mother and aunt to accom-
pany them when the arrest was made
yesterday afternoon
Mrs. Dennison, the suspects mother
took room on the second floor OF the
furnished room house soon after the
new year She told Mrs. RoddOck that
her sister and son would come to live
with her few days later. While the
hOusekeeper at first objected TO this ar
rangement. she agreed to accept the
situation when il was explained that
Dennison was an invalid and needed con
stant care.
Mrs. ROddock said last night that Dem
nison disappeared from her house on
January 10 and was missing for two
days When he left his rooms she said
he had two weeks growth OF beard
and looked haggard and i'll kempt Mrs
Dennison reported her sons absence To
the police on January II.
THREW SNOW AT WINDOW.
The occupants OF the house were
startled on the afternoon of January II.
the day OF the murder. when Dennison
in front OF the house and
threw snowballs at the window OF the
room occupied by his mother and aunt.
He was taken to his room and. accord
ing to Mrs. Roddock. his mother ex-