The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-06-14
THE SLAYER OF
]. 4. vILLAR IS
NOW A SUICIDE
BURGLAR, WHO KILLED FORMER
RESIDENT OF PENSACOLA A
YEAR AGO IN MOBILE SHOOTS
HIMSELF.


contained the following regarding the
murder in that city a year ago OF
J. A. NiIlar, formerly of Pensacola:
Fred G. Schwartz, burglar who oPer-
ated in Mobile last year, committed
suicide in Cleveland, O., June 6, in or
der to escape imprisonment I be-
ieVe Schwartz is the man who killed
niZedFTank w. Crenshaw, Friday.
Schwartz is the man who robbed the
residence of Mr.. Charles R Craig of
707 Government street. From this
home he stole $1,000 worth Of silver
ware, which was later recovered from
with other jeWeIry and property that
Schwartz had stolen in Mobile and
other Gulf coast towns.
When arrested by the Jacksonville
police, who told him that he would
have to De returned to Mobile for trial,
he became suddenly excited and con-
fessed to being q parole violator from
Alameda county, California.
i don't want to go back to Mobile;
I won't so back; they can't make me
so back 50 Schwartz is said to nave
exclaimed. and when pressed Tor eX-
PLANTATION. he told the chief of police
Of Jacksonville that there had been a
murder N Mobile, ana that II he was
returned he would be charged with II.
Wired Chief Crershaw.
caused the Jacksonville chief to write
to Chief CrenshaW of his suspicious
that possibly Schwartz had SOner thing
to do with the murder here. The chief
wanted to know if murder had Oc-
CURED in Mobile about Christmas
Tii1ar was walking towards his
home at 403 South Conception street
from work at the Gulf Dry Docks
Comrany, and is thought to have
passed Conception street while IN deep
thought. He turned south on Joachim
street, and while opposite the Elks'
Home he was stopped by a highway
man. 1t was originally thought that
two men held him up, but Chief Cren-
shaw says that only one man stopped
NiIlar
EiIlar was taken by surprise when
commanded to throw up his hands
and he grappled with the rObber, who
fired twice at him at close range. The
first bullet made a slight superhcla!
wound in NiLar's head, bat the second
ranged downward and entered the
stomach just above the navel It pen
etrated through the body and IN
fcted a fatal wound.
AS Villar Iunged at the highway
man, he cried out, Help, Help, Help
and when his assailant shot, ne yelled
again, Help, Help, I'm shot"
Six Persons Heard Cries.
His cries were heard by perhaps six
people, but no one seemed to see what
became of the murderer An auto
mobile was approaching Government
street, and they were The first to reach
Villar who was PROSTATE on the side
walk.
He was carried into the Elks' Club
and DR.. r. J. Acker reached the build
ing shortly afterwards He saw that
the man was dying and had him hur-
ried to the city hospital where Nllar
died without having recovered con-
seriousness. When held up Nillar had
$7.75 in his pockets, Out the highway
man did not have time to rob his VIC
tim because Of the approach Of the
Twenty or thirty suspects were ar
rested by the police after the killing,
but all OF these were later deceased.
The police worked on a dozen differ
ent clues one that enemies Of Nillar
had wayIaid and killed him, another
that he had Quarreled with someone,
still another that he was shot for
leaving a labor union and SO on. All of
these were later discarded and when
Schwartz told the Jacksonville officers
he would not come back to Mobile
because he feared the police here
would charge him with the crime
Chief Crenshaw passed 90 all other
angles and conferred the energies of
the department to finding the data
about Schwartz. In this he was aided
by the PinkertOn Detective Agency
and the police Of other cities and
feels positive that the last chapter in
the ViIlar murder case has been writ
ten.
Bullet From .38 Revolver.
Villar was killed by a bullet fred
from a SO caIbre revolver, and the
Jacksonville police found a gun of
this type upon Schwartz, another cir
cumstance which leads the chief to
say he was the Niuar slayer.
When Chief Crenshaw was first no
tilted of Schwartz's peculiar actions,
he endeavored to find out something
but outside Of finding men who had
seen him here, the police were I'M
successful in learning more about
Finding that the Mobile authorities
would not have Schwartz returned
here. the Jacksonville chief notified
the sheriff in California, who came
East for his prisoner. Schwartz will
ingly consented to start West at once, !
and he appeared contented until the
train entered Oakland yards when
he made a sensational jump from the
car window. He was wanted in Cal
.fornia for violating his parole. He
had served two years Of a seven year
sentence for grand larceny.
Officers all over the country were
asked to lookout for the escape. AS
the parent of the prisoner lived at
3421 Carlyle avenue. Cleveland O.,
the detectives watched this house
closely. They knew that their quarry
would eventually show up there, and
the night Of June 5 he did appear. |
At $40 a. m. the morning Of June
he appeared on the front porch with
fan in his hand.
The officers surrounded the house
and placed him under arrest. Chief !
Rowe said that he drew q sigh, looked |