The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-04-25

Hattiesburg people may be able to
furnish the evidence that will break
down the alibi of w. c. Walters, the
man now held in Jail at Columbia on
charge OF ebductiing little Robert
Dunbar. From mok reliable citizens
it is learned that a man named Wal
'ters (supposedly the same man held
at Columbia) lived in Hattiesburg sew
eral weeks during 1912 and lived in a
house on James street with a brother
in-law by the name of Bruce. Since
the location of the child near Colum-
bia, people who were neighbors to the
family, from details gathered in press
reports, are convinced that Walters
is the man who was here and who, 1t
is reported, left home taking with him
two children claimed by Mrs. Walters
as her children. Walters and the two
children are said to have been away
from Hattiesburg six months, during
which time, it is reported, Mrs. Wal
tiers complained that he had taken her
children away and was working sofde-
where in Louisiana, at sawmill.
After dark one night, in the latter
part of August, it is said, the man
Walters came home bringing with
him, not only the two children he is
said to have carried away, but another
child, and stating he had walked into
the city. The third child is said to
have been well dresstd and was appar-
emily about four years of age. To a
neighbor Mrs. Walters is said to have
stated that the child wore only "store
bought" clothes when he arrived, die
not have change and the next day
she had to go to town and purchase
him some wearing apparel.
These neighbors further state tha
the new child was kept in close con
fnement, the man Walters barely lit
ting him out of his sight, and that th'
little fellow was not allowed to g
and come as were the other two child
rem.
Walters and Bruce are reported U
have disappeared as mysteriously a
they came and neighbors thought nc
thing of their presence or thel
strange actions, which have been re
called and vivified by the seemingl
miraculous recovery of the child, SUI
posed to be Robert Dunbar at Colun
.bia, until the last few days.
Child Unlike the Others.
Commissioner E. B. Caperton state
to a News representative Thursda
evening that the Walters family an
Bruce were reported to have goI
from here to Meridian, where Bru'
gave Walters sound beating al
drove him off. Mr.. Caperton's rel
dence is next door to the house occ
MED by the nomads, and while
states he paid little attention to Il
neighbors, the women folks in
community were very much intere
ed in them on account of the myste
that seemed to surround them a
the appearance of the third child, L
latter is said to have been very
fined little fellow and bore absolute
no resemblance to the other t
children, both boys, and the won
neighbors wondered at his presen
and the people were a common to-
of conversation.
Since the dispatches from Colum
have appeared, to the effect that
family of Bilbos stated Walters |
left child with them for a mum
of weeks, it is the belief Of people h
who knew Walters and something
his stay in this city, that the cf
left with the Bilbos could easily HI
been one of the children taken II
here when he went away in the es
summer of last year.
other neighbors of Walters
Bruce are not very positive as to